Physio Edge podcast with David Pope20 Feb 2025

168. How to explain shoulder pain to patients. Physio Edge Shoulder Success podcast with Jo Gibson

How do the terms we use influence a patient's understanding of their shoulder pain, their recovery expectations, and even their treatment choices? In this episode of the Physio Edge Shoulder Success Podcast, Jo Gibson (Upper Limb Rehabilitation Specialist Physio), explores the power of language in physiotherapy and how our explanations can either support or hinder a patient's progress.

Drawing on research and real-world clinical experience, Jo discusses a compelling case study:

Persistent shoulder pain after multiple treatments – A patient with years of ongoing pain, failed surgeries, and various diagnoses struggles to make sense of their condition. Despite normal imaging, they avoid activity and seek repeated treatments, caught in a cycle of fear and uncertainty.

Jo unpacks key questions around patient communication:

How do diagnostic labels like "impingement" or "rotator cuff tear" shape patient beliefs?
Why do patients often focus on the most negative aspects of their diagnosis?
How can we explain shoulder pain in a way that reassures rather than reinforces fear?

You'll also gain practical strategies to:

Explore what patients understand about their diagnosis and how it influences their behavior.
Use language that encourages confidence and movement rather than avoidance.
Identify non-verbal cues that indicate uncertainty or distress in your patients.

With evidence-based insights and actionable communication tips, this episode will help you refine your patient interactions and improve rehabilitation outcomes.

Listen now to discover how small changes in your language can make a big impact on your patients' recovery.

Click on an image below to access these free resources from Jo Gibson and Clinical Edge

The handout for this podcast consists of a transcript associated with this podcast.

Shoulder: Steps to Success online course with Jo Gibson

Improve your assessment and treatment of shoulder pain with the Shoulder: Steps to Success online course with Jo Gibson, now available for enrolment at clinicaledge.co/shouldersuccess

Free trial Clinical Edge membership

Use a fresh approach to your musculoskeletal and sports injury treatment with a free trial Clinical Edge membership at clinicaledge.co/freetrial

Links associated with this episode:

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(175)

176. Neck-driven shoulder pain - 5 common misunderstandings. Physio Edge Shoulder Success podcast with Jo Gibson

When is your patient's shoulder pain from their neck? Are you missing a cervical spine component in your shoulder patients? After a day in clinic reviewing patients with years of unresolved shoulder p...

4 Mar 11min

175. Tendinopathy treatment: Your guide to isometrics, isotonics & plyometrics with Dr Ebonie Rio

Should you prescribe isometric or isotonic exercises for your patient's lower limb tendinopathy? When is it safe to add plyometric loading, and how do you progress running or jumping without flaring y...

18 Feb 53min

174. ACJ - The hidden culprit behind stubborn shoulder pain? Physio Edge Shoulder Success podcast with Jo Gibson

Have any of your shoulder patients improved and then plateaued, unable to regain their full range of movement, or get rid of their painful arc? Sometimes it's not the cuff, capsule, nerves or neck—it'...

4 Sep 202517min

173. Hip flexor pain in runners: Diagnosis, myths, and rehab. Physio Edge Track record: Running repairs podcast with Tom Goom

Anterior hip pain is often blamed on the hip flexors, but in runners, that's rarely the diagnosis. So how can you identify the real cause and guide patients to a safe, effective recovery? In this epis...

6 Aug 202519min

172. Shoulder pain assessment & clinical reasoning. Physio Edge Shoulder Success podcast with Jo Gibson

Your patient presents with shoulder pain, and straight away you need to identify: Is it rotator cuff related shoulder pain, frozen shoulder, instability, or something else entirely? Is it rotator cuf...

16 Jul 202524min

171. Achilles tendon ruptures: Rehab & recovery with Prof. Peter Malliaras

Your patient is running, playing sport, or jumping or lunging forward - an activity with fast eccentric or concentric activity in dorsiflexion,and suddenly they feel like they've been kicked in the ba...

8 Jul 20251h 27min

170. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) injuries with Dr Lachlan Giles

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a popular grappling-based martial art that uses joint locks and chokes to subdue or submit opponents. It's an intense, physically demanding sport with complex movements an...

8 Apr 20251h 11min

169. Beyond stretching: How to create lasting flexibility. Physio Edge Running repairs podcast with Tom Goom

Static stretching has long been used to improve flexibility, but research shows its effects are often short-lived. So how can you help patients achieve lasting improvements? In this episode, Tom Goom ...

29 Mar 202514min