Physiotutors Podcast

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Summary
In this episode, physiotherapist Paul Houghhoughi, known as the climbing physio, shares his extensive expertise on climbing injuries, rehabilitation, and injury prevention. We explore common injuries, assessment techniques, rehab strategies, and the evolving landscape of climbing physiotherapy.
 
Guest
Paul is one of the leading physiotherapists in the climbing world and currently serves as the official physiotherapist for the Great Britain Climbing Team. He has worked with climbers from recreational athletes all the way to Olympic and World Cup competitors, combining over 25 years of climbing experience with extensive expertise in injury rehabilitation and performance.
 
Chapters
00:00:00 - Introduction to Paul Houghoughi, The Climbing Physio  
00:01:30 - How Paul became a climbing physio and worked with elite climbers  
00:03:29 - Biggest myths in climbing rehab and injury prevention  
00:06:04 - Common injuries in recreational vs elite climbers  
00:08:43 - Overuse injuries commonly seen in elite climbers  
00:10:03 - Is climbing really a finger sport?  
00:10:49 - How climbing injuries and rehab have changed over the last 10 years  
00:12:19 - Assessing pulley injuries and differentiating them from tenosynovitis  
00:17:22 - Sponsored segment: WriteUpp  
00:18:55 - Should climbers splint after a pulley rupture?  
00:21:20 - Differentiating A2 pulley pain from other hand structures  
00:24:29 - Biggest mistakes clinicians make when treating climbers  
00:27:51 - Chronic pulley injuries and graded rehabilitation examples  
00:31:32 - How to decide when to progress pulley rehab  
00:32:37 - Sponsored segment: Physiotutors courses  
00:33:37 - When imaging helps or confuses finger injury management  
00:37:19 - The role of the hangboard in rehab and finger strengthening  
00:39:53 - Building long-term finger health and climbing resilience  
00:44:50 - Advice for beginner climbers who want to improve without injury  
00:47:00 - Sponsored segment: Physiotutors membership  
00:48:08 - Climbing load, rest, and long-term progress  
00:50:48 - Paul's digital edge device and finger force testing  
00:53:49 - What is overhyped or misunderstood in climbing training?  
00:56:50 - What climbing rehab and performance still need to understand  
00:58:11 - Why physios should experience climbing themselves  
00:59:41 - Final clinical tips for physios working with climbers  
01:00:40 - Where to find Paul online  
01:01:10 - Outro and Physiotutors app mention
Bonus Material
Download the referenced transcript including PubMed Links and a high-resolution infographic on this episode as part of your Physiotutors membership on the Physiotutors App.
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Download the FREE Physiotutors App 📲: https://physiotutors.app
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Summary
In this episode, Dr. Bart Dingenen, a sports physiotherapist and ACL rehab specialist, discusses the complexities of rehabilitating multidirectional athletes. Topics include movement demands, deceleration, agility vs change of direction, and best practices for late-stage rehab.
 
Guest
Bart is a sports physiotherapist, researcher, educator, and ACL rehab specialist from Belgium, known for his work on multidirectional movement, deceleration mechanics, agility, and return to performance.
Chapters
00:00:00 — Intro
00:01:02 — What is a multidirectional athlete?  
00:06:07 — Real sport vs clinic movement demands  
00:08:48 — Sponsor: WriteUpp  
00:10:29 — Agility vs change of direction  
00:12:33 — What linear running misses in rehab  
00:15:38 — Are athletes taught to decelerate and cut well?  
00:18:36 — Neurocognitive errors in non-contact injuries  
00:22:07 — Common movement patterns behind injuries  
00:24:46 — Why deceleration is undertrained  
00:29:00 — Sponsor: Physiotutors courses  
00:30:00 — Why the best movers are great decelerators  
00:31:35 — Tissue loads during braking and cutting  
00:34:42 — What good deceleration technique looks like  
00:40:11 — Sponsor: Physiotutors membership  
00:41:18 — Do extra braking steps reduce efficiency?  
00:42:38 — Why symmetry numbers are not enough  
00:44:47 — Best field-based testing for multidirectional athletes  
00:47:58 — Common late-stage rehab mistakes  
00:51:55 — Adding perception and unpredictability to rehab  
00:56:06 — One thing to change in sports rehab education  
00:57:38 — Key takeaways for physios  
00:59:01 — Where to learn more from Bart  
01:00:43 — Outro
Bonus Material
Download the referenced transcript including PubMed Links and a high-resolution infographic on this episode as part of your Physiotutors membership on the Physiotutors App.
Download the Free App now

 
Follow our Podcast on:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Download the FREE Physiotutors App 📲: https://physiotutors.app
Get 3 months free of WriteUpp's Practice Management software. visit https://writeupp.com/physiotutors for more info!
Summary
In this episode, physiotherapist Bahram Jam shares his 34 years of experience in understanding and treating chronic pain, emphasizing the importance of shifting from structural fixes to a focus on primary pain and the psychological aspects of pain management. Discover insights on how to better approach persistent pain, debunk common misconceptions, and explore innovative concepts like pain as a musical.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:28 How has your understanding of chronic pain changed over time?
00:04:14 When does pain stop being mainly tissue-driven?
00:06:27 If tissues have healed, why can pain still persist?
00:08:43 What do patients with persistent pain get told that makes things worse?
00:11:36 Sponsored segment: Physiotutors courses
00:13:20 How do you explain persistent pain in a way that helps patients move forward?
00:16:32 What is primary pain versus secondary pain?
00:22:43 What are you trying to figure out in a first consultation?
00:25:17 How do you handle resistance when patients are skeptical?
00:27:09 Sponsored segment: Physiotutors membership
00:29:05 Where do clinicians go wrong with persistent low back pain?
00:39:04 How do you approach patients who have tried everything?
00:41:49 How do you explain MRI findings that do not match symptoms?
00:45:44 What makes TMJ disorders tricky and what do clinicians miss?
00:49:29 Sponsored segment: WriteUpp
00:51:04 What exercise approach do you use for persistent low back pain?
00:57:08 How do you balance manual therapy, exercise, and education?
00:58:41 How important are lifestyle factors in persistent pain?
01:01:42 What is your one piece of advice for clinicians treating persistent pain?
01:06:18 Is there anything else you want to add?
01:08:08 Outro
Bonus Material
Download the referenced transcript including PubMed Links and a high-resolution infographic on this episode as part of your Physiotutors membership on the Physiotutors App.
Download the Free App now

 
Follow our Podcast on:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Download the FREE Physiotutors App 📲: https://physiotutors.app
Get 3 months free of WriteUpp's Practice Management software. visit https://writeupp.com/physiotutors for more info!
Summary
This episode explores the critical role of breathing in health, recovery, and performance, featuring Steven Zwerink, a breathing physiologist. Discover how dysfunctional breathing impacts the body, the importance of CO2 over oxygen, and practical techniques for physiotherapists to incorporate breathing exercises into their practice.
Guest
Steven is a breathing physiologist and the founder of the Dutch Institute for Breathing Physiology. His work focuses on how breathing influences health, recovery, and performance.
His interest in breathing started after a serious cycling accident, where he experienced a long and difficult recovery with symptoms like a concussion and whiplash. Traditional approaches only got him so far, but when he started working with breathing, things began to change. That experience became the foundation of his work today.
With a background in elite sports and extensive training in different breathing methods, Steven now works with physiotherapists, healthcare professionals, and athletes. His goal is to make breathing practical, evidence-informed, and clinically applicable.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction to breathing in physiotherapy
00:01:17 Steven Zwerink's accident and recovery journey
00:07:57 Sponsor: Physiotutors membership and learning platform
00:09:04 Dysfunctional breathing, CO2, and nasal vs mouth breathing
00:16:38 Why nasal breathing can feel difficult
00:20:26 Early-life habits, jaw development, and airway problems
00:24:38 Sponsor: Physiotutors courses
00:25:39 Why breathing matters in everyday physio practice
00:31:45 How to assess when breathing is part of the problem
00:36:05 Three practical breathing techniques for therapists
00:42:26 Box breathing dosage and workplace applications
00:46:23 Advanced breath control and prolonged exhale training
00:50:55 Coherent breathing and nervous system regulation
00:50:54 Sponsor: WriteUp practice management software
00:52:30 When breathing is complementary vs primary treatment
00:56:46 Sleep-disordered breathing, recovery, and injury risk
00:59:14 Clinical case: post-COVID recovery with breathing work
01:01:34 Mistakes to avoid when adding breathwork to physio
01:04:20 Key myth, nervous system regulation, and therapist takeaways
01:06:13 Diaphragm, psoas, and overlooked physical links
01:08:11 Where to find Steven and final outro
Bonus Material
Download the referenced transcript including PubMed Links and a high-resolution infographic on this episode as part of your Physiotutors membership on the Physiotutors App.
Download the Free App now

 
Follow our Podcast on:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Download the FREE Physiotutors App 📲: https://physiotutors.app
Get 3 months free of WriteUpp's Practice Management Software. Visit: https://writeupp.com/physiotutors for more
Summary
In this episode, Firat Kesgin, founder of the German Institute for Vestibular Rehabilitation, discusses the controversial topic of cervicogenic dizziness. He challenges the validity of this diagnosis, arguing that dizziness often associated with neck pain and limited cervical mobility should not be considered a distinct disorder. Kesgin references the Barani Society's stance, which suggests that the connection between cervical issues and dizziness lacks high-quality evidence. He explains that patients with vestibular disorders often restrict head movement, leading to neck problems over time, which can be mistaken for cervicogenic dizziness.Kesgin emphasizes the importance of accurate diagnosis and the risks of relying on exclusion-based diagnoses. He highlights the need for specialized knowledge in vestibular disorders to avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatments. The discussion also touches on the psychological aspects of dizziness, comparing it to chronic pain conditions where the central nervous system plays a significant role. Kesgin advocates for a more comprehensive understanding of vestibular disorders and cautions against simplistic mechanical explanations for complex symptoms.
Guest
Firat is the founder of the German Institute for Vestibular Rehabilitation and has been teaching postgraduate courses throughout Europe. His work focuses on helping clinicians better understand and treat patients with dizziness and balance disorders.
Alongside his clinical and teaching work, Firat is currently pursuing a PhD on the standardization of BPPV testing and the implementation of structured vestibular rehab programs in outpatient care.
Chapters
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:22 Why "cervical dizziness" isn't a valid diagnosis
00:03:36 Neck pain/limited ROM as consequences of vestibular issues
00:04:26 Sponsor: WriteUpp
00:06:00 Temporal link to neck pain doesn't prove causation
00:08:15 Does treating the neck fix dizziness? Short-term vs long-term
00:10:51 Risks of diagnosis by exclusion
00:12:24 Diagnostic gaps in routine ENT practice
00:14:20 No specific test: is that enough to reject it?
00:16:59 Vestibular migraine vs "cervical dizziness"
00:20:51 Sponsor: Physiotutors Premium
00:21:27 Common mislabels: BPPV, hypofunction, and 3PD
00:25:45 Cervical proprioception: acute vs chronic relevance
00:32:32 Interpreting cervical torsion and SPNT tests
00:36:53 Sponsor: Physiotutors Courses
00:37:55 Parallels with chronic low back pain
00:38:41 Why the research persists and biomechanical bias
00:45:19 Clinical guidance for dizzy patients with neck pain
00:46:54 Myth-busting: negative ENT and psychology factors
00:49:23 Closing thoughts
00:50:33 Where to find Firat
00:51:19 Outro 
Bonus Material
Download the referenced transcript including PubMed Links and a high-resolution infographic on this episode as part of your Physiotutors membership on the Physiotutors App.
Download the Free App now

 
Follow our Podcast on:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts