The New Grad Physio Podcast

Want to start using shoulder tests that actually tell you what is going on with your patient... And not just tests you learnt to pass your exams at Uni? You'll never see me using tests like the Empty Can or Hawkins-Kennedy test. Learn why (and the tests I do actually use) in this week's podcast episode. Enjoy the show! PS. I'll be covering 'special testing' in my upcoming  Uppe...

When it comes to shoulder pain... If you are not getting the results you want... And are struggling to reduce shoulder pain... And progress a patient's rehab... To the point you really do NOT enjoy treating shoulder pain patients... You can do one of two things. 1. Refuse to see any more patients with shoulder pain or... 2. Change the way you assess, treat and rehab shoulder pain patients to g...

I don't really have a foot fetish... But the title of this week's podcast got your interested right? Despite not having a fetish for feet... I do assess my patient's feet, regardless of their injury... And this includes patient's with neck, shoulder, back and upper limbs injuries. Listen to this podcast episode to find out why... And why you should consider doing the same thing! En...

Sick of busting a gut trying to improve your patients ankle mobility with your hands-on treatments for little (or no) change in symptoms... Or unsure why your patient's does not improve as quickly as you might expect with the ankle rehab exercises you give them? Then this podcast episode is for you! Learn how to select the right ankle exercises... To make the biggest impact to patient symptoms...

You've no doubt heard therapists talk about the need to develop your 'soft skills' to be able to better manage the patients you see. But what are these 'soft' skills... And why do they matter so much? Find out in this week's podcast episode!!! Andy Barker The New Grad Physio Mentor PS. Want some help developing your own 'soft skills?' Then drop me an email or DM with the subject 'SOFT' and I'll ge...

You probably can guess two of the questions (that all patient's need to know). A diagnosis and... A prognosis. But... These are NOT quite as important as the other two questions... And best of all... If you answer these questions well (and they are much easier) then patient's (and athletes) are less inclined to ask you the more difficult questions like... How long is it going to take? Learn more i...

Contrary to popular belief... And what many internet guru's might tell you... You can go wrong getting strong! Very wrong in fact... And I admit, I have done this many a time, with both patients and elite athletes! Strength is important... And many patients (and athletes) need strength work as part of their rehab... But there is much more (so much more) to just getting someone stronger. Listen...

Ever had a patient that broke down... Even though rehab seemed to be going well? I had a lot of these as a new grad physio, so I can relate!!! With any injury, especially re-occurring soft tissue injuries... And overload injuries such anterior knee pain or patella or achilles tendinopathies... The key to a successful rehab plan lies in your ability to identify both the site and source of your pati...

For years I did the wrong rehab for my lower back pain patients. I then started doing something different... And it not only helped get quick relief for my patient's... But the symptoms actually stayed away! Find out more in this week's podcast episode! Enjoy the show. Andy Barker The New Grad Physio Mentor PS. In the show I mentioned a few examples of exercises I frequently use for my low...

To design a patient's rehab plan... You need to know where you are starting from... And know where your patient needs to get to... Then you can connect the dots to get them there. Your career is no different. How do you expect to get to where you want to get to in your career... Without a plan? And if you don't understand how the job industry works... Then you might as well not even bother.... As...

I've made some big statements on my socials over the last week or so... About the realities of the therapy job market! As I knew it would... It has caused quite a stir... And my inboxes have exploded! If you have missed what I have been talking about then I summarise it all in this week's podcast episode. And even if you do follow my socials, I talk about a few other things... Including so...

If you rely on special testing to differentially diagnose the shoulder... You might run into trouble. I used to rely too much on special testing... Which makes no sense... As the majority of shoulder special tests are so poor! There is no logical reason as to why as a profession we keep using these shoulder tests... And why they continue to be taught at Uni! I approach my shoulder pain assessments...

For most therapists, muscle injuries weren’t something that were covered in great detail at University... If at all! So, it's not surprising that as a New Grad you might feel under equipped to manage a hamstring injury, or other soft tissue injures to the calf, groin or quad. This week's podcast episode covers 3 key hamstring hacks.... Giving you a better understanding about... - How to di...

Before you give any rehab to your next ankle pain patient... Listen to this episode! So many therapists mistakingly give their patients the WRONG rehab... Which are a complete waste of time and effort... For both you and your patient! Discover the key tests (and questions) you need to do (and ask) to find the right patient problem... So you can give your patient the right ankle rehab (or treatment...

I hated treating the neck as a new grad. Mainly because I was S*$T scared of missing something serious. But I soon worked out I was worrying for no reason. By asking a series of simple questions you can rule out all but the very obscure sinister neck pain pathologies. Listen to this week's podcast episode to learn how to do this.... And discover the specific questions you need to ask EVERY pat...

I've made some big statements on my socials over the last week or so... About the realities of the therapy job market! As I knew it would... It has caused quite a stir... And my inboxes have exploded! If you have missed what I have been talking about then I summarise it all in this week's podcast episode. And even if you do follow my socials, I talk about a few other things... Including so...

Whatever career goals you have... Be that a top job in sport... Running your own private practice... A specialist role in the NHS... Or something else... We all start at the same position... As a new grad physio... With a piece of paper (your degree) and a dream to one day do [X] job. But in reality, only a small number of therapists actually achieve their goals... Which is sad, really sad, when y...

A special episode this week that I have pulled from my 'Elite Pathway Programme'. Every week I record and publish a special podcast (and hold a weekly live community call) to a small group of therapists, where we focus in on a particular challenge, topic or question. I have pulled this episode from the archive, and in it we discuss how to overcome the fear of making mistakes as a new grad physio....

Whist the back, shoulder and knee are very different joints… And whilst patients with these problems will present with all manner of different symptoms… There are some similarities in how you assess, treat and rehab the back, shoulder and knee. Truth be told, I manage almost all injuries I see in a very similar way. Why? Because I have found this way works. It’s not the only way, and probably not...

When you really think about what you do as a physio, sports therapist or sports rehabber... You assess. You treat. You rehab. That's it. 3 things, yet nearly all therapists, even the experienced ones, make this process unnecessarily complicated. Listen to this week's episode to learn how to make sense of your patients injury... So you can help them get from A to B, from injury and back to...

I guarantee if you speak to any experienced therapist... Especially the good ones... They will tell you that being brilliant at the basics... Will fix up 9 out of 10 patient problems... Even the more complex ones. But what are these brilliant basics? Listen to this week's podcast episode to find out... And make sure you don't make the same simple, yet vital, assessment and rehab mistakes.....

This week’s podcast focuses on knee special testing and in this episode you will discover… What test you need to do first… Why it is vital you order your special tests in a specific way and… Why the best test might not be the best special test you should use! If you want to ensure you get your knee special testing right… And avoid mis-diagnosing the knee… Or missing something important, like an AC...

This week's episode focuses on the shoulder and in particular... The shoulder 'special' test I do with almost every patient I see... And the shoulder treatment technique I do with almost every patient I see! Listen right now to discover what they are... So you can start doing them with your own shoulder pain patients right away! Enjoy the show! Andy Barker The New Grad Physio Mentor Wa...

There is a big difference between between what you were taught at University... And what you actually need to know to properly assess, treat and rehab lower back pain patients. Listen to this week's podcast episode to learn what works (and what does not work)... So you know what to focus on with your next lower back pain patient walks through your clinic door! Enjoy the show! Andy Barker The N...

Whilst the ankle might seem a relatively simple joint... It is easy to get it wrong... And mis-diagnose! I learnt this the hard way as a new grad physio... And you can learn more about this... Plus 3 big tips to help you better assess each and every ankle injury you see in this week's episode! Enjoy the show! Andy Barker The New Grad Physio Mentor PS. Is the ankle a joint you feel you could ge...