Stay ConnectedBecome a Paid Subscriber: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tpmpodcast/subscribe
Putting big mouths and big ideas behind microphones.
The Physio Matters Podcast – Clinical Gold Delivered Direct.
Episodes will feature expert, honest advice, delivered directly to listeners at no cost. Musculoskeletal and Sports Medicine information for those working in physiotherapy, sports therapy, sports rehabilitation, medicine and all divisions of the healthcare industry.
Copyright: © Jack Chew
In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack speaks with researcher and osteopath David Evans about what has actually changed in low back pain care over the past 20 years — and what hasn’t. Using data from a unique follow-up study comparing physiotherapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors, David reveals that the story is more nuanced than the usual “hands-on vs hands-off” narrative.
Spinal manipulation use has fallen across all three professions — not just physios — while massage and acupuncture have increased, suggesting clinicians haven’t abandoned hands-on care, but have shifted the type of intervention used. Specific exercises have declined while general exercise has risen, aligning more closely with guideline messaging around activity and self-management. Interestingly, these trends don’t map neatly onto clinical guidelines, raising questions about what really drives practice change: pain science discourse, safety concerns, professional identity, training exposure, and system pressures all emerge as possible influences.
The conversation moves beyond techniques to bigger issues in MSK care: the limits of pathway-based models, the “average effect” problem in RCTs, and why back pain research may be set up to underestimate treatment impact by measuring outcomes many months later. A major theme is the long-standing struggle to move beyond “non-specific low back pain.” David argues the future may lie in mechanism-based subgrouping (nociceptive, neuropathic, nociplastic, inflammatory) — if diagnostic precision can improve enough to meaningfully guide treatment.
In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack is joined by Joshua Catlett, former physio, founder of Bodyset, and now founder of Verilo, to unpack the realities of buying and selling MSK clinics—and why it’s far more complex than most owners expect.
Joshua explains that for many clinic owners, a sale is a once-in-a-lifetime event with huge consequences: get it right and it can be life-changing; get it wrong and you can lose money, damage reputation, or sell to the wrong buyer.
A key theme is preparation and timing. Joshua warns against selling out of necessity (lease pressure, staff loss, burnout), and encourages owners to plan ahead so they can sell from a position of strength. He also challenges a common assumption: the “natural” exit via associate buyout is often more myth than reality, with fewer clinicians wanting (or able) to buy practices today due to funding constraints and higher borrowing costs .
The conversation highlights why some practices aren’t truly “saleable”—often because they’re essentially a job: highly owner-dependent revenue, home-based setups, or limited transferable infrastructure. Joshua outlines the main levers that increase valuation and buyer confidence: reducing owner dependency by building a team, securing strong premises and lease terms (ideally 5+ years remaining), and lowering risk for the buyer .
They also discuss the brokerage landscape, contrasting passive “listing” brokers with high-end corporate finance, and positioning Verillo in the middle: structured, strategic, and specialist. The episode closes with practical advice: prepare early, stabilise key risks, and get the right representation—because structured sales processes tend to achieve higher prices and higher completion rates
In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack is joined by pain coach and clinician Richmond Stace for a wide-ranging, thoughtful exploration of what pain coaching is, and why it matters for people living with persistent and chronic pain.
Richmond traces the origins of pain coaching from his multidisciplinary background in nursing, pain science, and coaching, describing it not as a rigid framework but as an approach and a way of being. Central to this approach is meeting people exactly where they are, prioritising relationship, presence, and communication over protocols or prescriptive solutions. Pain coaching, he argues, is less about “fixing” pain and more about supporting meaningful, sustained change in a person’s life.
A core theme of the conversation is the idea of pain as a lived experience or need state, rather than a purely structural or biological problem. Richmond challenges dominant biomedical narratives, suggesting that pain is information rather than error, and that persistent pain often reflects unmet needs, limiting beliefs, and misaligned ways of living rather than “broken” bodies. This perspective reframes recovery as a process of growth, insight, and updated understanding, rather than symptom eradication alone.
The discussion explores why rigid beliefs, fear-based avoidance, and future-focused thinking can keep people stuck, and how coaching helps individuals reconnect with the present moment, their own strengths, and their capacity for change. Drawing on motivational interviewing, psychotherapy, and Eastern philosophy, Richmond emphasises that transformation happens through insight, relationship, and self-compassion, not through protocols or techniques alone.
This episode is a deep, reflective conversation for clinicians and patients alike who want to rethink pain, recovery, and what it truly means to help people get better.
https://richmondstace.substack.com/
In this episode of Chewing It Over, host Jack Chew speaks with Carolyn Kent, founder and director of the Women’s Football Hub, about the history, culture, health, and future of women’s football. Kent explains that her passion is rooted both in a love for the game and in a desire to address historical injustices, particularly the 1921 ban on women’s football that continues to shape attitudes today. Drawing on her background as a former player, physiotherapist, academic, and practitioner within elite football, she describes how the sport shaped her career while also exposing persistent barriers faced by women.
Kent outlines the vision behind the Women’s Football Hub: a deliberately broad, multidisciplinary platform that combines sport science, health, sociology, business, and lived experience. Rather than focusing narrowly on injuries or feminism alone, the Hub aims to engage women who are “football curious” and to close widespread knowledge gaps, particularly around female health. She emphasises the importance of teamwork and diverse perspectives in building the Hub, noting that its success depends on contributors who often remain behind the scenes.
The conversation also explores key differences between men’s and women’s football, including fan culture, safety, marketing strategies, and media narratives. Kent argues that women’s football should not simply replicate the men’s model, but instead develop approaches that reflect its unique audiences and values. She also addresses misconceptions around injuries, highlighting that while ACL injuries receive disproportionate attention, hamstring and MCL injuries are more common, and that inadequate training environments play a major role.
Ultimately, Kent frames women’s football as a powerful social, public health, and cultural intervention. Looking ahead, she hopes to reduce participation barriers, encourage more women to play for enjoyment, and shift the conversation from education alone toward implementation and meaningful behaviour change.
Jack Chew talks all about measurement tech for the clinical space with Athan who is CEO of our partners Kinvent! He is an interesting charecter with a background in sport and engineering which led him to develop MSK specific measurement equipment!
Get all your equipment for measuring here: http://landing.kinvent.com/partner-physiomatters
Physio Matters and Physiquipe have joined forces in a partnership to enable access to best in class clinical education AND clinical technology. The collaborative aim to improve rehabilitation standards for better patient outcomes across the MSK landscape is intentionally challenging and lofty. It also aligns perfectly with both Physiquipe and Physio Matters respective aims helping to elevate both simultaneously!
Interested in Diagnostic Ultrasound and/or shockwave for your clinic? Go to this link and if you get a machine then you will unlock 3 years of Physio Matters Premium Membership at no extra cost!
In this mini episode of You Matter, Joanne and I discuss the power of setting agreements with your patient, not just at the beginning of an episode of treatment but at every session, and even within a session. Rather than wondering, "Is this right? Are they happy? Am I doing a good job? " You get an answer in real time. Your patient gets seen and heard, and you are relieved from the pain of wondering. There are surprising benefits for both of you.Coaching Unpeeled: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/mehab/1737501Future Dates: https://tinyurl.com/4f5nh8fm
In this episode of Physio Matters, Jack Chew and Rob Bevan dive deep into how they use Cliniko to streamline and grow their clinics. Drawing on Jack’s experience running a smaller practice and Rob’s decade of managing a larger MDT clinic, they share practical insights into online bookings, patient communication, diary management, and notes systems.
They unpack why Cliniko consistently delivers higher conversion rates for online bookings, how tailored reminders and confirmations reduce admin and no-shows, and why small tweaks in setup can transform patient experience.
The discussion also explores clever ways to categorize services, manage next-available appointments, and integrate automations to free up time while keeping a human touch.
Whether you’re just getting started with Cliniko or want to optimize how your practice uses it, this episode offers actionable tips, real-world examples, and lessons learned from years of trial, error, and success in MSK practice management.
90 day free trial: cliniko.com/physio-matters
Today I'm Chewing Over sore young knees and how to help manage them with Claire Robertson & Tom Jacobs
CIO is a weekly lunchtime livestream with Jack Chew chatting about whatever is topical.
Usually healthcare and education, occasionally current affairs, always honest.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
