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JOSPT Insights

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The Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy brings you the JOSPT Insights podcast every Monday. On each episode, experienced clinicians and researchers unpack musculoskeletal rehabilitation topics in under 30 minutes. Guests share clinical tips and research discoveries in musculoskeletal rehabilitation with host Dr Clare Ardern, Editor-in-Chief of JOSPT. Sports physical therapists Drs Chelsea Cooman, Dan Chapman and Marquis Sanabrais are frequent co-hosts.

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  • 28 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 23 min
  • English

Episodes 28

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  • S1 · E286
    Monday · 22 min

    Ep 286: How to prevent osteoarthritis, with Dr Tarcisio de Campos

    Osteoarthritis is common, and there's no cure for it. Clinicians working in musculoskeletal rehabilitation are likely to see people who are at risk of, or who have developed, osteoarthritis. In place of a cure, your focus might shift to strategies to reduce the risk of joint trauma—which could be the trigger for developing osteoarthritis years later—or to strategies that aim to slow the progression of the disease. Dr Tarcisio de Campos—physiotherapist and Clinical Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District)—tackles the questions of which strategies should you choose and how effective are they? ------------------------------ RESOURCES Interventions for preventing knee osteoarthritis: systematic review OPTIKNEE 2022 consensus recommendations for improving knee health and preventing osteoarthritis

  • S1 · E285
    October 19 · 22 min

    Ep 285: How well does a ruptured ACL heal? With Dr Joanna Kvist

    Does the ACL have the capacity to heal following injury? And if it does, what might that mean for how clinicians approach ACL rehabilitation? The prevailing assumption has been that a ruptured ACL has limited capacity to heal and restore structural continuity without reconstruction. Now, a growing body of research is challenging that assumption. In today's episode, Professor Joanna Kvist (Linköping University, Sweden) discusses new findings from the NACOX cohort examining how ACL structure changes on MRI during the first 2 years following acute ACL injury. Dr Kvist and her team found that ACL structure and fiber continuity improved over time in many participants managed without ACL reconstruction, and greater ACL continuity was associated with less knee laxity on objective measurement. Dr Kvist explains what the ACL looked like on MRI over those 2 years, the changes in ligament thickness and fiber continuity, how those structural findings related to clinical outcomes, and what clinicians should (and shouldn't) take from these findings when discussing rehabilitation and treatment options with patients. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Structural changes of the ACL, evaluated by MRI, and their relation to clinical outcomes within 2 years after ACL injury

  • S1 · E284
    October 12 · 25 min

    Ep 284: No more CFT for chronic back pain? With Dr Henrik Bjarke Vægter

    The RESTORE trial, published in 2023, put cognitive functional therapy (CFT) on the map as an effective approach for managing chronic, disabling low back pain. Since then, there has been more research supporting CFT, including a large network meta-analysis published in JOSPT in early 2026. In today's episode, we explore the results of the CONFeTTI trial, which tested the CFT+ intervention - combined care delivered by a physiotherapist and a psychologist in an interdisciplinary pain clinic. Dr Henrik Bjarke Vægter led the CONFeTTI trial. He is an experienced physiotherapist and head of the interdisciplinary Pain Centre at Odense University Hospital in Denmark. Dr Bjarke Vægter is Professor of Physiotherapy and Pain Treatment at the University of Southern Denmark's Department of Clinical Research. ------------------------------ RESOURCES CONFeTTI trial Tailored exercise therapy with or without psychological interventions: systematic review with network meta-analysis RESTORE trial

  • S1 · E283
    October 5 · 20 min

    Ep 283: Who gets best-practice care for osteoarthritis? With Dr Jodi Young

    How many patients describe receiving what sounds like inadequate care for osteoarthritis before they reached your clinic? Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic musculoskeletal conditions. When there are many trustworthy, international clinical guidelines that clearly outline what best-practice osteoarthritis care should entail, why are so many patients missing out on high-value care? Today's guest, Dr Jodi Young, discusses her team's analysis of data from nearly 25,000 patients who received osteoarthritis care in the United States, and what these data say about osteoarthritis care. Dr Young is the Director of Research for the Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy program at Bellin College in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Real-world use of exercise and manual therapy for managing knee osteoarthritis: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/josptopen.2026.0221 Opioid prescribing to active duty US military personnel: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37507224/ Opioid vs. non-opioid medications for people with chronic back pain or hip or knee OA (SPACE Trial): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29509867/ Opioid use patterns among active duty service members and civilians: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29514335/ JOSPT Insights episode 257 - Reflecting on contemporary manual therapy: https://pod.link/1522929437/episode/NzM4ZjYwY2EtMzNhYi00OTI5LWE5OTAtZmUwY2ZkM2QxMDA0

  • S1 · E282
    September 28 · 22 min

    Ep 282: How to explain a musculoskeletal diagnosis, with Marc Perron

    There's plenty of debate in the musculoskeletal rehabilitation community about how to clearly communicate with patients about a diagnosis. Clinicians are trying to balance being clear about what the likely cause of the symptoms is without inducing unnecessary worry. How much should you—or even can you—accurately describe the pathology and anatomy of the problem? On the flip side, others have strongly argued that pathoanatomic labels do more harm than good. Today, experienced musculoskeletal physiotherapist and researcher (Laval University, Canada), Marc Perron makes the case that clinicians should not hide the pathology and anatomy—it's how you talk with patients about their diagnosis that matters most. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Physical therapists diagnosing musculoskeletal conditions: don't hide what matters - just say it the right way: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2026.14197

  • S1 · E281
    September 21 · 24 min

    Ep 281: Tackling pain-related fear with exercise therapy, with Drs Courtney Mears and Matthew Heindel

    Psychological factors like a person's thoughts, beliefs and emotions can exert a strong influence on rehabilitation outcomes for people with chronic musculoskeletal conditions. When a person has pain, they might feel scared to move or convinced that moving in a certain way will damage their body. Today's discussion focuses on how a person's thoughts about shoulder pain can change over an 8-week exercise-based rehabilitation program, and the implications for how musculoskeletal rehabilitation clinicians approach discussions about fear and moving with the patients you work with. Dr Courtney Mears and Dr Matthew Heindel discuss their recent JOSPT publication (linked below). Dr Mears is a physical therapist at the University of Southern California, and a researcher in the Clinical Biomechanics Orthopedic and Sports Outcomes Research Lab. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between psychosocial factors, shoulder pain, and functional outcomes. Dr Heindel is a physical therapist, and a postdoctoral associate at Duke University’s School of Medicine, where he studies the neuroimmune mechanisms of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Dr Heindel completed his PhD on the mechanics of pain and muscle dysfunction in rotator cuff tendinopathy in 2025 at the Clinical Biomechanics Orthopedic and Sports Outcomes Research Lab at the University of Southern California. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Changes in pain-related fear: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2026.13563 OSPRO yellow flag assessment tool: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2016.6487

  • S1 · E280
    August 24 · 22 min

    Ep 280: Should I worry about noisy joints? With Dr Danilo De Oliveira Silva

    Does hip crepitus make a difference to the health of the joint? Does crepitus indicate damage, harm or progression of osteoarthritis? How should clinicians explain hip crepitus and its implications to patients? Today's guest addresses those questions and more in a deep dive on hip crepitus. Dr Danilo De Oliveira Silva (La Trobe University) discusses his JOSPT article, Self-Reported Hip Crepitus Is Prevalent in Football Players With Hip/Groin Pain, but Is It Associated With Early Hip Osteoarthritis Structural Features? A Longitudinal Study, with Dan and Marquis. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Self-reported hip crepitus - longitudinal study: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2025.13474 Beliefs and attitudes about hip crepitus: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41056730/

  • S1 · E279
    August 17 · 24 min

    Ep 279: Treat the athlete, not her scan, with Pirette Claes & Dr Pim van Klij

    Hip morphology and hip injuries have been receiving increasing attention, which is a good thing given their prevalence and impact on athletes' health and performance. Today's guests combine the hip and groin field, with the attention that female athletes deserve to their health and performance. Dr Pim van Klij, who works with Dutch football/soccer powerhouse, Ajax, and Pirette Claes, who is starting her career in sports medicine, discuss the PROFE study. We focus on the work they have been leading to quantify the relationship between groin symptoms, and pubic symphysis radiological findings and skeletal maturity. Dr van Klij is sports medicine physician and Assistant Professor at Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. Pirette Claes is a medical intern at Leiden University Medical Centre, and an early-career researcher. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Prevalence of symphyseal radiographic findings and relationship to groin symptoms (PROFE study): https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2026.13580 JOSPT focused issue on hip and groin research (July 2026): https://www.jospt.org/toc/jospt/56/7

  • S1 · E278
    August 10 · 24 min

    Ep 278: Managing the uncertainty of tendinopathy, with Max Hopes

    Tendinopathy will show up regularly in the clinic for many JOSPT Insights listeners. In a person-centred care model, it's important to understand the person with tendinopathy, where they're coming from and what they're experiencing. Today's guest has been studying patients' experience of different types of lower limb tendinopathies. The results might surprise you, in just how complex and variable people's experiences are. Max Hopes is an osteopath and researcher (University of Technology Sydney) studying lower limb tendinopathy. Today Max shares some of the early results of his PhD work, and we explore what it means for musculoskeletal practice. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Lived experiences of people with tendinopathy: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2026.13666

  • S1 · E277
    August 3 · 20 min

    Ep 277: Clinical pearls for thigh muscle rehabilitation (part 2), with Dermot Simpson & Simon Wallace

    In last week's episode, Dermot Simpson and Simon Wallace explained the hamstring and rectus femoris rehabilitation pathways that they and their colleagues at the Aspetar Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital have developed to guide daily practice. In using the rehabilitation pathways, Dermot and Simon, and the team have discovered some clinical pearls that help them help the athletes they're working with. Today, Dermot and Simon are sharing those clinical tips. These are the things that you can do in practice tomorrow to give you and the athlete the best chance of rehabilitation success. Dermot Simpson and Simon Wallace are sports physiotherapists working at the Aspetar Hospital in Doha, Qatar. Between them, they have more than 2 decades of experience in elite sport, especially in rugby and football/soccer. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Aspetar Hamstring Injury Rehabilitation Pathway: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/josptopen.2026.0213 Aspetar Rectus Femoris Injury Rehabilitation Pathway: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/josptopen.2026.0212 Longer muscle length resistance training (systematic review): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41646176/ Nordic hamstring exercise vs. lengthened state eccentric training: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38857522/

  • S1 · E276
    July 27 · 22 min

    Ep 276: How to design hamstring and rectus femoris rehabilitation (part 1), with Dermot Simpson & Simon Wallace

    If you work with athletes who play any of the football codes, or any field-based sport that involves high-speed running or kicking, you'll surely have hamstring and rectus femoris injuries at the front of your mind. Even if you're not in field-based sports, today's first episode in a 2-part series is a terrific opportunity to review your approach to managing thigh muscle injuries. We're taking a deep dive into best practice in rehabilitation planning. Part 1 explores the components of rehabilitation; part 2 covers the clinical pearls to help you design and deliver the most effective rehabilitation plans possible. Our guides are experienced Irish sports physiotherapists, Dermot Simpson and Simon Wallace, of the Aspetar Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha, Qatar. Dermot has spent over 10 years at Aspetar, working with athletes from a range of sports. His clinical and research work is in thigh muscle and groin injuries. Simon applies his expertise to complex thigh muscle injuries, also calf and foot & ankle injuries. Before joining Aspetar, Simon worked for a decade in professional rugby. To learn more from Dermot and Simon, check out their new Reload-Ed platform. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Aspetar Hamstring Injury Rehabilitation Pathway: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/josptopen.2026.0213 Aspetar Rectus Femoris Injury Rehabilitation Pathway: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/josptopen.2026.0212

  • S1 · E275
    July 20 · 25 min

    Ep 275: Shaping the leadership path in sports medicine teams, with Agnes Makowski

    JOSPT Insights episodes often explore what well-functioning teams look like and how they function. Why? Well there's at least 2 important reasons: Effective athlete centred care depends on the sports medicine, rehabilitation and performance team all co-ordinating to help the athlete get the best out of themselves. Working in teams and leading those teams well is not about telling people what to do - it's about shaping the path and working together to achieve goals. Effective leaders shape the path and bring people along with them - they don't make it all about themselves. Today's guest embodies those leadership qualities. Agnes Makowski is a registered International Sport Physiotherapist and has served as Chief Physiotherapy Advisor for Skate Canada since 2014. Agnes has extensive experience working in interdisciplinary teams and supporting athletes from the recreational level all the way to the pinnacle of Olympic performance. Today, Agnes shares her experiences and approaches to working in interdisciplinary teams. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Why screening tests to predict sport injury do not work: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27095747/ 2022 Bern consensus on shoulder injury prevention, rehabilitation and return to sport: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2022.10952

  • S1 · E274
    July 13 · 28 min

    Ep 274: Psychologically-informed practice in your hip repertoire, with Dr Kate Jochimsen

    The biopsychosocial model of health has been around since the late 1970s. In musculoskeletal rehabilitation, the biopsychosocial model is prominent in clinical practice guidelines for a variety of different conditions, with different approaches advocated for how to provide rehabilitation within the model. Today, Dr Kate Jochimsen guides JOSPT Insights listeners through psychologically-informed rehabilitation practice - taking principles that have become quite prominent in the chronic low back pain field and seeing how they might apply to young, active people with chronic hip pain. Dr Jochimsen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a researcher at the Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and a member of the Physical Therapy Residency Faculty at the MGH Institute for Health Professions. Her work bridges the gap between sports medicine and psychology, with a primary focus on chronic pain and hip injuries. ------------------------------ RESOURCES OSPRO yellow flags tool: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2016.6487 Screening for yellow flags - clinical framework: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2021.10570 Pain Catastrophizing Scale: https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/pain-catastrophizing-scale Association between pain and function in people with hip pain - systematic review: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020468/ JOSPT's July 2026 hip-focused issue (10 hip articles): https://www.jospt.org/toc/jospt/56/7 Association for Applied Sport Psychology mental wellness resource center: https://appliedsportpsych.org/resources/mental-wellness-resource-center/ Why things hurt - TEDx with Professor Lorimer Moseley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwd-wLdIHjs Psychologically informed practice in low back pain (case report): https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/josptcases.2025.0177 Psychologically informed physical therapy for musculoskeletal conditions (APTA paid course): https://www.orthopt.org/course/33-3-psychologically-informed-physical-therapy-for-musculoskeletal-disorders Managing persistent pain (APTA paid course): https://learningcenter.apta.org/products/persistent-pain-management-certificate-a-comprehensive-learning-series

  • S1 · E273
    July 6 · 26 min

    Ep 273: Why does my treatment work? With Dr Damian Keter

    We're often asking or answering the question "why?" in clinical practice. Why does it hurt? Why does this treatment give me relief? Why is the problem not getting better? Sometimes it's easy to answer why, and sometimes it's not. In today's episode, Dr Damian Keter (US Department of Veterans Affairs) explores and explains musculoskeletal treatment mechanisms. Dr Keter suggests some ways to approach responding to the why question, even when the treatment mechanism isn't clear. He shares his perspectives on person-centered care and precision medicine. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Understanding musculoskeletal treatment mechanisms: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2026.14486 Person-centered care and modern manual therapy: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/josptopen.2023.0812 The case for treatment pluralism: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2026.13992 Sequenced care pathway vs. pain navigator pathway for veterans with low back pain: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41926124/

  • S1 · E272
    June 29 · 25 min

    Ep 272: Moving on from "fear of reinjury", with Cobie Starcevich

    Returning to sport after an ACL injury is often framed around a single construct: fear of reinjury. But what if fear doesn't tell the whole story? In today's episode, Chelsea and Marquis speak with Cobie Starcevich about her team's qualitative evidence synthesis exploring how athletes experience and interpret reinjury concerns after ACL injury. The team's findings suggest that what clinicians commonly label as "fear of reinjury" is actually a much broader, nuanced experience encompassing altered beliefs, assessments of threat, behavioral and cognitive coping strategies, physiological sensations, and concerns about the future. Cobie explains what the findings mean for clinicians, and how clinicians can move beyond fear and into exploring the multidimensional experiences of injury with patients. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Qualitative evidence synthesis of athletes' experience and interpretation of reinjury concerns after ACL injury: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2026.13852

  • S1 · E271
    June 8 · 22 min

    Ep 271: How to predict the future, with Daniel Feller and Dr Alessandro Chiarotto

    A patient might ask the clinician: "How long will it take me to get back to sport?" or "How long until I'm feeling back to myself again?". These questions ask the clinician to make a prognosis - to predict the future. Often we rely on our clinical experience or intuition to answer with a prognosis. Sometimes we might know some prognostic factors, which can give us some big-picture ideas, but they're rarely enough to give the full picture. Today physiotherapists and researchers Daniel Feller and Dr Alessandro Chiarotto (Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) explain prognostic prediction models: what they are, how they might help in practice, and what to look for when you're deciding whether a tool like the STarT Back is suitable for your practice. ------------------------------ RESOURCES When is a prognostic prediction model ready for clinical use?: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2026.13868

  • S1 · E270
    June 2 · 27 min

    Ep 270: Return to run success after ACL reconstruction, with Brendan Butler

    Today we're talking about one very important milestone in rehabilitation after an ACL reconstruction: return to running. It's a milestone that sometimes gets overshadowed by its more flamboyant sibling, return to sport. Brendan Butler joins JOSPT Insights to explore best practice in return to running. Brendan an Irish sports physiotherapist, who is currently working at the Aspetar Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha, Qatar. He's a member of the Aspetar ACL team, where he applies skills honed in Gaelic football, rugby, soccer and athletics. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Simple clinical measures that quantify knee loading symmetry during running: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41110241/ Clinician choices for return to running criteria: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/josptopen.2026.0195 Lower medial hamstring activity during running: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33782638/

  • S1 · E269
    May 25 · length unknown

    Ep 269: Don't be quietly competent! With Dr Luc Hébert

    All the data point to a growing burden of chronic musculoskeletal pain for populations around the world. Clearly, there is a need to innovate in the way that musculoskeletal care is delivered. In today's episode, Dr Luc Hébert shares his wealth of experience in musculoskeletal rehabilitation care - as a clinician and as a researcher leading clinical trials of different care models. We explore new models of care and the data supporting them. Dr Hébert is Professor at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada, and researcher at the Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Rehabilitation and Social Integration. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Group-based rehabilitation vs. individual programs: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2024.12342 Benefits of primary contact emergency department physical therapy: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2025.13429

  • S1 · E268
    May 18 · 24 min

    Ep 268: Profile of a sports medicine leader, with Dr Amber Donaldson

    There are many outstanding leaders in the sports medicine and musculoskeletal rehabilitation world. How did they get there? What decisions did they make that have got them to where they are today? In today's episode, Dr Amber Donaldson shares what she is looking for in the next generation of sports medicine leaders, how she has approached developing her own career, and her advice for early-career clinicians looking to establish themselves in elite sports medicine. Dr Donaldson is the Vice President - Sports Medicine at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

  • S1 · E267
    May 11 · 22 min

    Ep 267: Clean air for musculoskeletal health, with Dr Débora Petry Moecke

    How often do you think about the air quality in the clinic or outside when you're exercising? Perhaps you live and work in a part of the world where you're fortunate to have good air quality most of the time. For many people though, that's not the case. Air pollution from wildfires in increasing, and it has serious implications for everyone's health. Today, Dr Débora Petry Moecke (Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, University of British Columbia) explains how to support clean air in the clinic to protect patients' health. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Wildfire smoke and its impact on physical therapy practice: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2025.13546 IQAir (real-time air quality data from around the world): www.iqair.com

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