Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis – What We Know and How to Treat It
My Research Journey in Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis Patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA) is both common and under-researched. I dedicated seven years of postgraduate study to this condition, completing a research degree in 2024. That work underpins the insights in this article – what we know, what remains unclear and how this translates into better care for people with […]
Poor Sam Draper! Why is an Achilles rupture such a big deal?
Being a long-suffering Essendon supporter, I more than most was shattered to see Sam Draper go down against West Coast. Sam was out in space by himself and attempted to change direction to his left by planting his right foot down to push off, and promptly fell over like a sack of spuds, gripping his […]
So… I sustained my first calf muscle injury the other day. I was out for a slow short run and around the 3km mark started to feel a gradual build up in “tightness” on the outside of my lower right calf. I was able to continue on for the next kilometre, but the sensation started […]
Dave spoke to Caitlin Thwaites, a former Australian netball player and volleyballer who has won gold representing Australia in the Commonwealth Games and Netball World Cup. They discuss her experiences with preparation and strength & conditioning. In Part 1 they focus more on the pre-season, training phases and how things have changed over the 18 […]
Dave spoke with Dr Mark Merolli in April 2021 – He is a Physio and an expert in research in digital health. They discuss Telehealth and technology in physio and healthcare. Mark covers: What is Telehealth? Is it here to stay? Is it effective? How does a physio assess and treat via Telehealth? Other evolving […]
I spoke with Mark Scholes in Feb ’21. He is an APA titled Sports Physiotherapist and PhD Candidate researching hip and groin pain in kicking athletes. Mark is an APA titled Sports Physiotherapist and PhD Candidate researching hip and groin pain in kicking athletes. In this episode, Mark discusses: Common types of hip pain and […]
Dave spoke with Ellie Pashley in Dec 2020 – An elite distance runner. They discuss her training schedule, the nuts and bolts of building a running plan and the importance of strength training. title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen>
Our Physiotherapist David Thwaites discusses the downsides of knee arthroscopy, including the risks, costs and long term outcomes. Knee Arthroscopy Vs Exercise for Osteoarthritis (OA) The message is slowly filtering through the medical community and the general population that knee arthroscopy is no better than exercise for osteoarthritis (OA). More and more in my clinical […]
In the post below, David discusses the history, prevention and treatment of OA. Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common lifestyle disease in people over the age of 65. More common than high blood pressure and diabetes. For this reason, researchers have been working tirelessly to better understand OA. And some recent discoveries have […]
High Value Treatment for Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis
Key Points Evidence supports exercise, education and weight loss as first line treatments for OA Manual therapy and acupuncture are adjuncts and should not be used in isolation to treat OA Knee arthroscopy is no better than placebo, and should be avoided Any considerations of joint replacement should be discussed with your health care tea […]
For many years, Clinical Pilates has been the popular vessel of Physiotherapists to prescribe “core stability” programs for people with low back pain. Historically, these core stability programs have encouraged clients to engage core muscles and maintain this contraction while they perform a series of movements. Recently, there is a growing mass of research showing […]
Low back pain is extremely common. Three quarters of people will report at least one episode of back pain in their life time. Back pain is often excruciating, leading to withdrawal from activity, time off work and decreased productivity while at work. So given this, it would make sense to get an X-ray, CT or […]
