This episode with Craig Purdam is a snippet taken from our Practicals live Q&A sessions. Held monthly, these sessions give Practicals members the chance to ask their pressing questions and get direct answers from our expert presenters. In this episode Craig discusses:

• Medial tibial stress syndrome
• Rocker bottom shoes
• Surfaces and distances and their roles in relation to calf injuries
• Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome

👉🏻 Learn more about Physio Network’s Practicals here - physio.network/practicals-purdam

Craig Purdam was the Head of Physical Therapies at the Australian Institute of Sport for 35 years and the Deputy Director of Athlete Services for 3 years. He has worked as a clinician for elite sport for over 40 years and has been a physiotherapist to five Olympic Games (1984-2000) and a longstanding physiotherapist to the Australian National Men’s Basketball team over that period. He has worked with the Australia national track and field, rowing and swimming teams along with AFL football.

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In this episode, we discuss some of the potential challenges and perks of working in elite sport. We explore:

• Most common injuries seen in combat sports
• Key differences in elite sport vs private practice
• Importance of interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary management
• Use of objective measures in elite sport
• Injury risk prior to competition
• Supplementation in elite sport

Dr Ian Gatt is Head of Performance Services & Lead Physiotherapist for GB Boxing. He has over 20 years of clinical experience, having supported athletes on their path to success through several Olympic games. He forms part of Team Anthony Joshua (Boxing Olympic and Professional Double World Champion), delivering injury reduction and management strategies within a multidisciplinary team. Ian is an Upper Limb Injury specialist with the prestigious English Institute of Sport (EIS), and has recently completed a PhD in Wrist Biomechanics at Sheffield Hallam University.

Dr. Heather Linden serves as the Senior Director of Physical Therapy at the UFC Performance Institute (UFCPI). She oversees the sports medicine departments at both UFCPI locations in Las Vegas, NV, and Shanghai, China. In 2022, Heather received the prestigious “Trainer of the Year” honor at the World MMA Awards. Prior to her role with the UFC, she was part of the Sports Medicine Division at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and also led an outpatient orthopedic clinic in Los Angeles.

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Our host is @James_Armstrong_Physio from Physio Network

In this episode with Dr Enda King, we discuss a recent paper looking at time to return to sport post ACL reconstruction. We discuss:

• Is there an optimal time to return to sport?
• How important is time as an indicator post ACL reconstruction?
• Role of different graft types in timing of return to sport
• Other implicating factors which may contribute to re-injury
• Testing for return to sport

Enda King PhD MSc is a sports physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coach, researcher, and educator who works with elite athletes and teams across various sports. As Head of Performance at the Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin, he developed and led advanced clinical and research pathways for ACL and Athletic Groin Pain rehabilitation, serving athletes from top global leagues including the Premier League, NFL, NBA, and UFC. He has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters focused on groin pain, ACL recovery, and biomechanics in performance and rehab. King is also a respected international educator and consultant, especially in lower limb injury rehabilitation.

Reference to article - Kotsifaki R, King E, Bahr R, Whiteley R (2025) Is 9 months the sweet spot for male athletes to return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction? British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 26 February 2025.

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Our host is @James_Armstrong_Physio from Physio Network

In this episode with Karen McCreesh, we explore shoulder pain and what patients really want. We discuss:

• The mismatch between what patients want and what clinicians think they need
• Role of pain and how to explain this to patients
• Role of group exercise for those not improving with individual exercises

Prof McCreesh is an experienced musculoskeletal physiotherapy educator, researcher, clinician, and sonographer. She is a Professor in Physiotherapy at the School of Allied Health at the University of Limerick, Ireland. She has an extensive track record in shoulder pain research, with a multitude of peer reviewed publications in leading journals. She has been awarded over €1.7m in research funding and leads a team of 3 PhD and 2 post doctoral researchers within the Health Research Institute at UL.

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Our host is @James_Armstrong_Physio from Physio Network

In this episode with Charlie Clements we discuss his case study on sciatica that he has recently done for Physio Network. We explore:

• Key features of sciatica
• Differential diagnosis
• Management strategies
• Onward referral processes

This episode is closely tied to Charlie’s case study he did with us. With case studies, you can see how top clinicians manage real-world cases and apply their strategies to get better results with your patients.

👉🏻 Watch Charlie’s case study here with our 7-day free trial:
https://physio.network/casestudies-clements

Charlie Clements is a First Contact Physiotherapist for the NHS and based within the United Kingdom. He has a specialist interest towards spinal pathologies and sources of lower limb pain with a passion for delivering evidence-based content across his online platforms. He has published research looking at the influence of foam rolling on ankle injuries alongside previous experience working in professional cricket.

If you like the podcast, it would mean the world if you're happy to leave us a rating or a review. It really helps!

Our host is @NoahMandelPhysio from Physio Network

In this episode, we discuss everything about ACL injuries. We explore:

• Role of biomechanics of ACL injury
• Are current ACL injury prevention programs effective?
• Use of Functional MRI in ACL rehabilitation
• What are the long-term consequences of ACL reconstruction?
• Injury risk post ACL reconstruction

Want to learn more about ACL Injury incidence and prevention? Matthew Bourne and Tyler Collings recently did a brilliant Masterclass with us called “Mastering ACL Injury: From Incidence to Injury Prevention” where they go into further depth on this topic.

👉🏻 You can watch their class now with our 7-day free trial: https://physio.network/masterclass-bournecollings

Dr Tyler Collings is an early career researcher at Griffith University, Gold Coast and a member of the Australian Centre for Precision Health and Technology (PRECISE). His research focuses on lower limb injury prevention and rehabilitation using neuromusculoskeletal biomechanics and field-based human movement technology.

Dr Matthew Bourne is an Associate Professor and research leader in the Australian Centre for Precision Health and Technology at Griffith University. As recipient of research fellowships from Advance Queensland and MTPConnect, A/Prof Bourne and his team partner with industry to develop and apply next-generation, clinic-friendly technologies to identify athletes at risk of injury and inform the design of personalised, evidence-based prevention strategies.

If you like the podcast, it would mean the world if you're happy to leave us a rating or a review. It really helps!

Our host is @Sarahyule from Physio Network

In this episode with Thomas Dekkers we discuss the evidence for exercise in low back pain. We discuss:

• Is exercise an evidence based treatment for back pain?
• Which type of exercise is best?
• Limitations of research in back pain
• Importance of education in this population
• How to improve our exercise prescription
• Individualised programs for rehabilitation

Thomas is a Physiotherapist, researcher, and educator with almost 20 years experience in the field of musculoskeletal and sports medicine. Currently he works as a Specialist spinal Physiotherapist as part of the Neurosurgery team at Cork University Hospital in Ireland and he also consults in private practice on patients with complex spinal pain. In addition to his clinical work he is currently completing a PhD at Technological University Dublin investigating the rehabilitation of athletes with back pain and has numerous peer-reviewed publications. He is also a passionate educator and teaches his course, 'The Rehabilitation of Back Pain’. internationally.

If you like the podcast, it would mean the world if you're happy to leave us a rating or a review. It really helps!

Our host is @James_Armstrong_Physio from Physio Network

In this episode with Dr Alana Dinsdale we explore assessment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). We explore:

• The anatomy of the TMJ
• Symptoms of TMJ disorder
• Hypothesis categories in treatment of the TMJ
• Motor control in the TMJ
• Role of screening the Cervical spine

This episode is closely tied to Alana’s Practical she did with us. With Practicals you can see exactly how top experts assess and treat specific conditions – so you can become a better clinician, faster.

👉🏻 Watch Alana’s Practical here with our 7-day free trial: https://physio.network/practicals-dinsdale

Dr Alana Dinsdale is a physiotherapist, researcher, and lecturer at The University of Queensland, specialising in the management of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). She completed her PhD at UQ in 2023, focusing on disability and management strategies for individuals with persistent intra-articular TMDs. With a strong clinical background in private practice physiotherapy, Alana is dedicated to advancing TMD management through research, education, and collaboration.

If you like the podcast, it would mean the world if you're happy to leave us a rating or a review. It really helps!

Our host is @sarah.yule from Physio Network