This episode takes a look at scans, why scans might be needed and how they can help Scan.com was founded to make scanning accessible for clients and support earlier diagnosis making a positive difference in patient journeys and recovery Hear about the clinical pathway for getting a scan with Scan.com and why their process supports accurate and clear information along with the next steps through an integrated system and pathways that support the patient journey KEY TAKEAWAYS There is a clinical pathway that is followed alongside the option to be referred for scanning if appropriate We use each ..read more

Angela Jackson, specialist paediatric muscular skeletal physiotherapist joins the podcast again to talk about all things spondy Spondylolysis is one of the most common back pain injuries seen in child athletes and although common it's vitally important that these injuries are picked up and The Back Pain Podcast is helping to raise awareness with Angela explaining how a stress fracture is very different to a full fracture and how they can be picked up along with the actions that need to be taken  KEY TAKEAWAYS  Lower back pain in a young athlete is an inconvenience that needs sorting ..read more

The sacroiliac joint is an area that remains contentious despite all of the research that’s taken place and in this episode, we are chatting to Wilfried Simon, an osteopath and physio from Belgium about the misconceptions, if it can be a cause of pain and what to do if it is KEY TAKEAWAYS It’s a connection point but there isn’t much movement, only 3 degrees and its deep within the spine If you want the patient to be able to treat themselves and achieve autonomy they have to understand what’s wrong When you have manipulation it’s about what it creates overall including how the person thinks ab ..read more

Adam Dobson, physiotherapist, returns to the podcast to talk about the Back to Health Programme, a residential rehabilitation programme for people suffering from persistent back pain In this episode hear not only from Adam but also from Rebecca whose experience on the programme changed her life. They discuss the challenges of being told many different things, medication and why the programme is life-changing KEY TAKEAWAYS You can go to various physiotherapists and be told many different things, it can become a shopping list given to patients without any real idea of what it means to manage th ..read more

Dave and Rob are having a behind the treatment room door chat about their working week as chiropractors They discuss the importance of exercise plans and how increasing functional capacity is an important element of any treatment plan and share a great analogy to help understanding   KEY TAKEAWAYS Any conservative or passive care doesn’t necessarily decrease pain from issues such as osteoarthritis People assume massage is aimed at reducing pain but its about increasing functional capacity If we improve the capacity of someone’s knee health then it means they can do more Exercise increase ..read more

In this episode, Rob is with Dr Sophie Newton talking about the medication both prescribed and over the counter that is used to treat back pain What is appropriate for one person may not be the right thing for another but this is an opportunity to find out more about how different types of medication work and the reasons why specific treatments are used  KEY TAKEAWAYS Short-term, acute pain treatments include anti-inflammatory medication which works on damping down the  inflammation Milder opioids like codeine are often given in conjunction with co-codamol Opiates work on opioid rec ..read more

In this episode, Dave shares a detailed lower back pain case history and  takes specific questions from the audience in the journey to a diagnosis This is a fascinating insight into the approach that begins from the moment the clinician meets the patient through to the treatment journey and the factors that influence recovery   KEY TAKEAWAYS Whatever your discipline the tenets are the same when you talking about pain As osteopaths and chiropractors, we are talking the same words just in a different language A disc doesn’t have to present with radicular symptoms initially Back or cer ..read more

Ian Gatt is a physiotherapist with extensive experience and expertise and is an upper limb injury specialist. In this episode Ian shares advice on tennis and golfers' elbow from the symptoms to the causes and what you can do to be able to get on with your life in the way you want to. KEY TAKEAWAYS It’s something that affects a tendon and it impacts daily activities Tennis elbow tends to be on the outside and golfers the inside of the elbow It can be linked to who you are as a person and the environment you are in Having a conversation and understanding how the person feels is important and th ..read more

Jack March aka the rheumatology physio returns to talking about PMR and the treatment route He explains what the symptoms are and how its diagnosed and discusses the treatment pathway along with measures that can be taken to improve the symptoms KEY TAKEAWAYS PMR occurs 3x more in women than it does in men and a typical onset is a pain and stiffness in the shoulders when you wake up in the morning There is an overlap of rheumatology conditions which can make diagnosis challenging There is a risk of it developing into rheumatoid arthritis and the difficulties that brings High levels of inflamm ..read more

Dr Clodagh Dugdale Consultant in Sports and Exercise Medicine working at the Spire hospital in Cambridge discusses relative energy deficiency in sport Learn what RED-S actually is, the signs to look out for and how it’s a syndrome that affects not only elite athletes but also recreational athletes and other cohorts This is a must-listen for anyone from professionals to weekend warriors in understanding the symptoms of RED-S and raising awareness    KEY TAKEAWAYS It’s a mismatch of energy intake and energy expended, it’s a low energy availability status There is a normalisation of ce ..read more