Summer 2020 - Brave new world

Gluteal tendinopathy is a common condition with which patients present to clinical practice, usually reporting substantial impacts on sleep quality, activity levels and quality of life. Recent survey studies, including a UK study, indicate that physiotherapists have received the messages from high-quality research regarding a primary focus on education and exercise in the management of this condition. However, the specifics of what is being provided under that umbrella suggest that there is still more to translate and investigate, to optimise provision of care in the community.

The burden of osteoarthritis (OA) continues to increase, yet in many cases, healthcare professionals fail to manage OA optimally. This article helps to break down the growing disparity between evidence-based interventions for the management of knee OA and their use in clinical practice. Identifying younger adults who are at high risk of early OA onset and progression provides opportunities for early intervention to slow / prevent OA disease trajectory and reduce the epidemic of young people with old knees.

This article aims to provide the reader with a primary care overview of the most common types of headache seen in clinical practice by musculoskeletal physiotherapists. It will offer some support introducing clinical reasoning in what is a highly complex area of practice. The paper will also look at where physiotherapy can aid in the treatment of the neck related headache, and cast an eye over the evidence underpinning the approaches.

In association with the Physiotherapy Pain Association
A substantial portion of the physiotherapy caseload presents with pain that is often severe, debilitating, and challenging to manage. A focus of the Physiotherapy Pain Association (PPA) strategy aims to build the clinician’s skills in pain management and psychologically informed practice, in order to meet the needs of the patient with persistent pain