Libsyn Directory

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

Release Date: 07/08/2025

180. Patellofemoral pain 4 - How to get runners back on track (and trails, hills and anywhere else they run!) with Tom Goom

Physio Edge podcast

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) rehabilitation doesn’t end when your patient gets stronger. The real challenge is getting them back to running, training and racing without triggering another flare-up. In this final episode of the four-part series, Tom Goom (Running Physio) and David Pope explore the fourth pillar of successful PFP rehabilitation: a planned return to running. Continuing Alice’s journey from the previous episodes, a HYROX athlete preparing for competition, Tom and David break down exactly how to rebuild running volume, progress training safely, and help runners hit their goals,...

179. Patellofemoral pain 3 - Effective rehab that won't flare their symptoms with Tom Goom

Physio Edge podcast

Strengthening exercises are a key part of successful patellofemoral pain (PFP) rehabilitation. Squats, lunges and single leg squats are often painful early on and can aggravate your patients pain, but on the flip side, we want to build up their tolerance and confidence with these movements. If you introduce an exercise your patient isn’t ready for, progress too quickly, or overload the knee too early, you’ll often flare your patients pain and set their rehabilitation back. In this episode, Tom Goom (Running Physio) and David Pope explore the third pillar of successful PFP treatment:...

178. Patellofemoral pain 2 - What to do when runners won't reduce their training with Tom Goom

Physio Edge podcast

Many runners patellofemoral pain (PFP) is aggravated by the activity they love. They either stop running to let their pain settle, and then it returns as soon as they start back up again, or keep running despite the pain getting worse. They may know (and you may have told them) they should reduce their training….but what happens when they can’t? Or won’t? In this episode, Tom Goom (Running Physio) and David Pope explore the second pillar of successful PFP rehab: education and empowerment. Using the real case of Alice, a HYROX athlete preparing for competition, you’ll discover how and...

177. Patellofemoral pain 1 - Why it has such a high recurrence rate, and what most rehab plans miss with Tom Goom

Physio Edge podcast

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is one of the most common running injuries, and the high recurrence rate can make it a frustrating injury for patients to experience and clinicians to treat. In this episode, Tom Goom (Running Physio) and David Pope break down why PFP has such a high recurrence rate, and what most rehab plans miss. You’ll also discover: The "Four pillars" framework Tom uses to treat PFP and other running injuries How and when to keep patients running or exercising when it is essential for their mental health and social life How to find a manageable starting point when a...

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

Physio Edge podcast

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 pain, Shoulder Specialist Physiotherapist Jo Gibson breaks down the five most common mistakes clinicians make when ruling in — or out — the neck. In this podcast, Jo covers: Why you don't need neck pain to have neck-driven shoulder pain (and which pain locations are most pathognomonic) Why referred symptoms below the elbow don't automatically point to the cervical spine Why active range of...

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

Physio Edge podcast

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 your patients tendon pain? Why do some "tricky tendons" refuse to respond to your best loading programs? Dr Ebonie Rio (Post-Doctoral Senior Research Fellow, La Trobe University) reveals the evidence-based answers as she guides you through the clinical reasoning and practical strategies for managing patellar, achilles, and other lower limb tendinopathies. In this conversation, you'll follow...

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

Physio Edge podcast

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’s the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) holding things back. In this episode, Jo Gibson sheds light on this often-overlooked contributor to persistent shoulder pain. From real patient case studies to the latest research and simple clinic-ready symptom modification tests, Jo shares practical strategies you can use immediately. Learn how to identify ACJ involvement, and use targeted rehab...

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

Physio Edge podcast

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 episode, Tom Goom (Running Physio) explores the function of the hip flexors in running, key differentials for anterior hip or groin pain, and practical rehab strategies you can use right away. You’ll discover: Why true hip flexor tendinopathy is uncommon in endurance runners Red flags and key tests to identify bone stress fractures and intra‑articular pathology Early‑stage loading strategies...

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

Physio Edge podcast

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 cuff related shoulder pain, frozen shoulder, instability, or something else entirely? Is the pain actually coming from the shoulder? Could it be the cervical spine? Is there a tear that needs urgent referral? Should you order imaging? Refer to a surgeon? Or confidently continue with rehab? In this podcast, Jo Gibson (Upper Limb Rehabilitation Specialist Physio) guides you through a simple,...

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

Physio Edge podcast

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 back of the leg. They might hear a snap and have difficulty weightbearing, walking and pushing off. What’s your likely diagnosis? You picked it - an Achilles tendon (AT) rupture. AT ruptures are a devastating injury that can drastically impact a patient’s ability to walk, run, or return to sport. Despite their frequency, there’s a lot of uncertainty among clinicians, patients, and even...

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They might hear a snap and have difficulty weightbearing, walking and pushing off.

What’s your likely diagnosis?

You picked it - an Achilles tendon (AT) rupture.

AT ruptures are a devastating injury that can drastically impact a patient’s ability to walk, run, or return to sport.

Despite their frequency, there’s a lot of uncertainty among clinicians, patients, and even surgeons around how to best assess, treat, and rehabilitate Achilles tendon ruptures.

Patients are often fearful of doing the wrong thing and re-rupturing the tendon.

Therapists often follow a non-surgical protocol of putting people in a boot, but are unsure how to progress, how fast to progress and what to do during and after they’re in the boot.

An even bigger problem than AT re-rupture is the very common issue of an elongated tendon where patients have long-term difficulty with calf weakness and inefficiency, walking long distances, hopping, jumping, and returning to sport.

In this podcast, David Pope (APA Titled Musculoskeletal and Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist) is joined by Prof. Peter Malliaras (Specialist Physiotherapist FACP, clinician and researcher with a PhD in tendinopathy) to explore the latest evidence, clinical insights, and rehab strategies for Achilles tendon ruptures.

Peter draws on his extensive clinical experience, recent research, and the development of a specialist Achilles rupture service at OrthoSport Victoria to help guide your decision-making and treatment approach.

In this podcast, you’ll discover:

The mechanism of injury and clinical presentation of Achilles tendon ruptures.
Key diagnostic tests and how to avoid missed or delayed diagnoses.
Common pitfalls that lead to tendon elongation—and how to prevent them.
When to recommend surgical vs non-surgical management.
A new, innovative approach to strengthening the Achilles tendon while the patient is in the boot.
How to safely begin loading the Achilles in the early phase of rehab.
Strategies to protect against tendon elongation during and after boot use.
Whether we should be stretching or trying to improve dorsiflexion.
Objective strength criteria to guide progression through rehab stages.
Return-to-walking and return-to-sport timeframes—and how to individualise them.
What to do when patients present late or have already developed elongation.
Complications to watch for post-injury or post-surgery.
How to help patients navigate the psychological and motivational challenges of recovery.

Listen to this episode to gain clarity on Achilles tendon rupture assessment and rehab, and develop a structured, evidence-based approach you can apply immediately in your clinical practice.

Timeline

00:06:23 Problems Physios and patients face with AT ruptures?

00:09:29 Subjective - How to identify a likely AT

00:12:03 Who gets an AT rupture?

00:18:45 Why do AT's rupture?

00:20:06 Misdiagnosis

00:24:14 Surgical or non-surgical management?

00:30:25 Elongation - Improve dorsiflexion or make the AT stiffer?

00:36:53 Safe loading in the boot & progressions

00:42:49 When to start exercising in the boot

00:46:08 Elongation - why is it a problem?

00:54:00 Bent or straight knee calf exercises?

00:59:55 RTP - How long does it take?

01:03:32 Surgical vs non-surgical timeframes

01:04:25 Assessment and diagnosis of AT ruptures

01:08:40 Initial management of an AT rupture

01:11:26 Education - What to tell patients

01:12:54 Imaging

01:14:57 Delayed presentation - How to manage

01:16:10 Red flags & complications

01:19:10 Walking - How to guide patients as they come out of the boot

01:21:27 Exercise progressions after the boot

01:23:48 Key takehome messages

Get free access to the "Tricky tendons" infographic series

Unlock the secrets of successful tendinopathy assessment and treatment with this free infographic series for therapists.

Get free access to the "Tricky tendons" infographic series

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