The New Grad Physio Podcast

Many treatment techniques offer only short lived improvements for patients with lower back pain. I’m sure you found yourself treating the same muscles, improving patient symptoms, only to see their symptoms quickly return as quickly as they went away. In my latest podcast you will discover 3 simple strategies that will help you get better results with your patients with lower back pain… Stop their...

A vertebral artery problem is a medical emergency! You are not going to see many of these cases but you need to know what patient signs and symptoms might make you suspect this injury… And then how to test for it… So you can either rule this injury out or act quickly and refer your patient on for urgent medical attention! This episode will highlight all the main information you need to know and ho...

There is a big difference in opinion about the best way to squat and in particular… …should you let the knees come over the toes? Many therapists think that letting your knees come over your toes is bad for your knees. But is this true? And what does the evidence say? In this podcast I talk through a recent patient I saw in clinic and how he had injured his knee because of too much knees over the...

If you have ever found yourself stuck for what treatments to use for a patient with shoulder pain… …or sometimes find your current techniques don’t get the results you want… …then this podcast is for you! In this episode I cover the most common problems that face New Grads when treating patients and athletes with shoulder pain. I even admit how I got it wrong as a New Grad, treating shoulder pain...

How do you best manage an acute ankle injury? Beyond your usual application of ice, compression and elevation etc, one big decision is you need to make is should you protect the ankle? Do you need to protect the ankle using a moon boot, or maybe use crutches? Maybe both? How exactly do you decide which is the best course of action? Get this wrong it can cause BIG problems for your patient or athle...

Have you been overlooked in the past for a role because you are NOT a physio? Maybe you experienced this as a student... ...when you were not been given the same opportunities on placements and not allowed to do the same things as the physio students. Some jobs appear 'exclusive' to physios in both private clinics, sports clubs and even the NHS. But this is NOT true! Listen to my latest podcast to...

Picking your first job as a New Grad is a BIG decision. How do you know a job is right for you? So many therapists make the WRONG decision when chasing their first job and as a result, struggle to make the progression they want during those early months and even years as a New Grad. You become frustrated and feel that their career has become stagnant before it has even got going.  Have you qu...

In this special episode I am joined by New Grad Physio Dave Fahey as we discuss his rapid rise from student to his role now working full-time with Leeds United Football Club. Learn how he was able to transition from University and not only survive, but thrive and experience quick progress his career... ...much quicker than most would imagine possible... ...and into a role many would consider above...

Have you ever wondered why some therapists struggle to create opportunities whilst other New Grad's seem to transition effortlessly from University and into the real world... ...and fly up the career ladder faster than anyone ever thought possible? Making your first or next career step is tough. You might have the clinical skills to do a good job as a New Grad but you won't be able to use these sk...

Do you sometimes fear that you might do more harm than good with the patients you see with lower back pain? This worry is common but results in many therapists applying a very conservative rehab plan, sometimes even prescribing ‘rest’. But this approach is usually not the best way and often leads to poor patient progress and results. You need to be mindful of serious pathology and use your RED FLA...

Are you confident in your assessments to differentiate between a hamstring muscle, tendon or nerve injury? Would you know how to manage each of these different issues? Do you know what objective markers to use so you know your patient or athlete is ready to progress to the next stage of rehab? As a New Grad you might feel under equipped to manage a hamstring injury, or other soft tissue injures to...

Neck injuries often bring an added worry and apprehension for therapists. Maybe sometimes you... ...worry that you might miss something serious… …worry that you might make your patients symptoms worse or cause more damage… …or feel uncertain about what to do if a patient gives you a positive answer to one of your RED FLAG questions? This podcast episode will help you better understand red flag que...

The knee itself is a relatively simple joint. It’s a hinge joint, it flexes and extends (it also internally and externally rotates) but lets’ keep it simple. The strong muscles of the quads, hamstrings and calves support the knee alongside the passive structures like the ligaments and menisci. As simple as knee might appear, some patients with knee pain can be tricky to deal with. You can no doubt...

The shoulder can be challenging to deal with. It is a complex joint, with many structures. It is well evidenced that many shoulder special tests have poor sensitivity and reliability, meaning it can be hard to pin-point a patient’s specific cause of shoulder pain. The result… …it is hard to make a diagnosis. …and without a diagnosis many New Grad therapists struggle to know where to start with the...

Whilst the world is on a ‘go-slow’ at the moment and the therapy profession as we know it has almost driven to a halt, you may think that now is not the time to focus in on your career path... Private clinics are shut, sport as we know is has stopped and almost everything other than front line care in the NHS has been cancelled. Whilst there is no question this is a challenging time for all therap...

When rehab doesn't go well it is frustrating for your patient and for you as their therapist. A common time to encounter rehab problems is when patients go back to higher-level activities like running, the gym, back to work or return to sport. Why is it when some of these patients and athletes return to these activities they break down? You think you have progressed their rehab well… …you have tak...

Do you sometimes wonder whether you have prescribed the right exercise for your patient or not? Do you worry how you patient will respond and how they will turn up at their next appointment? This is a common worry for New Grad’s and if this sounds like you, then you need to listen to this podcast episode. In this episode you will discover how to link your patient assessment findings and your rehab...

If you have qualified, you will know exactly what I mean when I say… That what patients say and how they present is hugely different to what we were told at University. The result… You get to the end of your assessment and your head is in a spin, you are not too sure what is going on and you struggle through the rest of the appointment. Connecting the dots between the methods you have been taught...

Patients with knee pain, generally do very well, until… They go back to higher-level activities like the gym, running or sport. Once activity levels are increased their pain often returns, leaving the patient and the you, the therapist, frustrated. However, if you understand the importance of the calf and its role in knee biomechanics then you will be better equipped to manage any patient with kne...

Whilst in recent years therapists generally have become better at assessing ankle injuries, many syndesmosis (high ankle) injuries still get missed, often misdiagnosed as a lateral ankle injury. This present a BIG problem as these injuries are managed in the same way as a lateral ankle injury. However, there management should be very different. In this podcast you will discover; - The Importance O...

Whilst these unprecedented circumstances present us with many challenges, you can use lock-down to your advantage. Most therapists are finding they have more time on their hands and as such, it is a great opportunity to develop your skills and spend more dedicated and uninterrupted time on your CPD. But the problem is, staying motivated to do it, knowing what to do and ensuring you are not wasting...

Knowing when to allow your patients to return to higher level activities, like the gym, running and sport can be a difficult decision. I’m sure you’ve been asked those questions from your patient like… ‘When will I be back running’ ‘When will I be able to get back in the gym’ ‘How long is it going to take before I am back playing football, rugby, hockey etc…’ These can be tough questions to answer...

As therapists we ALL do the same 3 things… We assess our patients… We treat our patients… And we prescribe rehab for our patients. These are the 3 pillars of what we do as therapists to help patients out of pain and back to full health. So if so simple, why is it that some therapists are able to make quick changes to patient symptoms whilst others become overwhelmed and are not able to give their...

Just because a patient has knee pain it does NOT mean they have a knee problem… If you can get your head around this important concept it will make your management of problems like ‘anterior knee pain,’ ‘shoulder impingement’ and other overuse injuries much easier. You will get quicker results in clinic with your patients, results that actually stick, so your patients do not break down the first t...

The shoulder often proves problematic for both patients and therapists. Pain can persist, with patients struggling to return to normal function, particularly more active patients, resulting in BIG frustration as a therapist, when despite your best efforts, your patients shoulder pain continues. Rotator cuff exercises are often a staple rehab exercise given for almost any patient with shoulder pain...