Episoder
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AI, health tech, digital systems, clinician workflows⊠are we entering healthcareâs biggest technological shift yet?
In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack sits down with Pete Greenberg (EQL) to discuss the evolving world of healthcare technology and what it means for clinicians, clinics, and patients.
Topics include:
Why healthcare is finally having its âtech momentâ
AI hype vs meaningful innovation
The challenges clinicians face navigating new technology
Digital overwhelm and decision fatigue
How health tech should supportânot replaceâhuman care
Data, trust, workflows, and adoption barriers
What clinics should be paying attention to now
The future relationship between technology and MSK practice
This isnât a conversation about replacing clinicians with AI.
It is a discussion about using technology wisely, protecting the human side of healthcare, and understanding where innovation genuinely adds value.
đ§ Ideal for:
Physiotherapists
MSK clinicians
Clinic owners
Healthcare leaders
Digital health enthusiasts
Anyone curious about AI in healthcare
đŹ How are you using technology in clinic right now?
Helpful tool or growing headache?
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack speaks with Nick Ilic about shockwave therapy, clinical uncertainty, and the problem with taking overly confident positions in MSK practice.
Nick argues that shockwave is only really âshockingâ when clinicians either oversell it as a powerful long-term solution or dismiss it entirely without proper consideration. Much of the conversation sits deliberately in the middle ground: shockwave may have a role, but the evidence does not support grand claims across broad MSK conditions.
The discussion explores the tension between proposed mechanisms and clinical outcomes. Shockwave is often described as creating a pro-inflammatory or mechanotransductive stimulus, potentially ârestartingâ a repair process in chronic tissue. However, Nick is cautious about mechanistic certainty, noting that many MSK interventions have attractive theoretical explanations that become far less convincing when tested rigorously.
They also discuss how shockwave may simply act as another form of neuromodulation, particularly when outcomes appear similar between focused and radial approaches, or when benefits are mainly short term. Nick is especially critical of âcondition creep,â where a modality gradually becomes marketed for more and more problems despite limited supporting evidence.
Importantly, he does not dismiss shockwave altogether. He acknowledges stronger evidence for indications such as calcific tendinopathy and non-union fractures, where the mechanism and evidence appear more plausible. But for common tendinopathies and broader pain presentations, he remains sceptical of inflated claims, especially when patients are paying privately.
Overall, this is a funny, sharp, and thoughtful conversation about evidence, uncertainty, informed consent, and why clinicians should be wary of both hype and lazy scepticism.
5 clinical/professional takeaways
Avoid overconfidence in either direction. Shockwave should not be sold as a miracle treatment, but dismissing it completely may also be too simplistic.Mechanistic plausibility is not enough. Claims about pro-inflammatory effects, mechanotransduction, or tissue ârestartâ need to be matched by meaningful clinical outcomes.Context matters. Shockwave may be more defensible in areas like calcific tendinopathy or non-union fractures than in broad tendinopathy or general pain presentations.Short-term pain relief is not the same as recovery. Clinicians should be careful not to confuse temporary neuromodulation with long-term tissue change.Consent and expectation-setting are crucial. If patients are paying privately, they deserve a clear explanation of likely benefits, uncertainty, cost, and alternative options. -
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack speaks with Wesley Clark Sullivan about Medimo, a marketplace designed to make private MSK care easier to find and book. The central idea is simple: in most sectors, people are used to consumer-friendly platforms like Booking.com, Uber, or Deliveroo, yet private healthcare still often relies on clunky directories, fragmented websites, and high-friction booking journeys.
Wesley explains that the idea emerged from his background in marketing and e-commerce, combined with insight from private insurance pathways where even approved patients often fail to complete the final step of actually booking care. That gap led him to spot a wider opportunity: a marketplace that helps patients search by postcode, compare options, view live availability, and make an appointment quickly.
A major theme of the conversation is fairness and visibility for clinics. Smaller independent practices often do not have the time, budget, or expertise to compete with bigger players in SEO, paid advertising, or constant social media output. Medimo aims to level that playing field by acting as a neutral marketplace where clinics can be found more easily, without needing large marketing budgets.
Jack explores both the promise and the risks of this model, including concerns around patient data, platform dependency, and whether the service might simply intercept patients clinics would have acquired anyway. Wesley responds by outlining Medimoâs approach to data security, its free-to-list structure, and its revenue model based only on the first appointment.
Overall, the episode is about improving patient access while helping clinics reach the right people more efficiently, without compromising trust or standards.
https://medimo.co.uk/
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eosactive.co.uk
In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack speaks with Jim Carr from EOS Active about a part of MSK practice that often gets overlooked or handled poorly: the relationship between products, pathways, branding, and patient communication.
Although EOS Active technically sells products into the MSK space, Jim is clear that he does not want to be seen as simply âselling injections.â Instead, he argues that products only make sense when they are nested within a wider, well-reasoned patient pathway. An injection, brace, cryotherapy device, or sleeve is not the story in itself; it is only one possible component of a longer management process shaped by rehabilitation, education, timing, and patient context.
A major theme of the conversation is that clinics often inherit their marketing language from manufacturers without fully realising it. Glossy flyers, miracle-style testimonials, and product-led messaging can slowly become part of a clinicâs identity, even if they do not reflect how that clinic actually wants to practise. Jimâs answer is to help clinics present information in a more neutral, patient-centred way that supports trust rather than hype.
The discussion also explores why Jim feels unusually aligned with private clinics. He sees parallels between building a distribution business and building a clinical service: both require strategy, long-term thinking, and careful management of brand and reputation. Rather than pushing the newest thing, he prefers established, sensible options that fit real-world practice.
Overall, this episode is about thinking beyond transactions. It asks clinics to be more intentional about what they communicate, how they communicate it, and how commercial choices shape the care experience patients receive.
CingalÂź as a multi-joint injection is now EU MDR certified.
The certification includes expanded indications for multiple synovial joints, including the knee, hip, shoulder and ankle, supporting broader clinical application.
As part of the MDR transition, the manufacturer is completing the final administrative steps to ensure update IFUs and supporting documentation are available in line with regulatory requirements. Further information will be shared in due course. Eos active as te UK partner are preparing updated marterials allowing you to communicate appropriatley with patients in clinic and can answer questions and quiries about this recent update.
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack speaks with Finn Stevenson about Flok Health and the idea of an AI physiotherapy service for back pain. Finn frames the problem clearly: in musculoskeletal care, especially within the NHS, the issue is often not knowing what works, but getting timely access to the care that already exists. With demand rising faster than workforce growth, traditional one-to-one care models struggle to keep up.
Finn explains that Flok is not positioned as a software tool sold to clinicians, but as a regulated clinical service that combines AI with remote human physiotherapy support. Its current focus is spinal pain, particularly the large group of patients who can benefit from personalised exercise, reassurance, behaviour change support, education, and psychologically informed care. The ambition is to automate large parts of the pathway safely and consistently, while freeing face-to-face clinicians to focus on more complex cases.
A major part of the conversation explores how this works. Finn distinguishes Flokâs system from standard large language model chatbots, arguing that healthcare needs much tighter behavioural control. He describes a rule-based clinical reasoning system combined with a video-based interaction model built around âKirsty,â a real physiotherapist whose filmed responses are assembled in real time to create a more human and engaging consultation experience.
The discussion also tackles controversy: what counts as âphysiotherapy,â whether this threatens the profession, and what happens when technology enters clinical care at scale. Jack remains probing but open-minded, while Finn argues that the bigger ethical issue is leaving patients stuck on long waits for care we already know how to deliver.
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack speaks with Andrew Walton, offering what Andrew describes as âa view from the topâ of healthcare leadership and professional practice .
The conversation explores Andrewâs career journey and the lessons that come from working across clinical practice, leadership roles, and wider healthcare systems. Rather than focusing purely on clinical skills, Andrew highlights the importance of systems thinking, collaboration, and understanding the broader context in which healthcare operates.
A key theme of the discussion is the gap that can exist between frontline clinicians and decision-making structures. Andrew reflects on how leaders must balance competing pressures: workforce constraints, service demands, financial limitations, and patient outcomes. From this perspective, clinical excellence alone is not enough â meaningful change requires clinicians to engage with the organisational and strategic dimensions of healthcare.
Jack and Andrew also discuss how clinicians can develop leadership capabilities throughout their careers. Leadership is not framed as a job title but as a mindset and responsibility, where clinicians contribute to improving services, supporting colleagues, and advocating for better patient care.
Importantly, Andrew emphasises that leadership roles can feel distant or inaccessible to many clinicians. However, understanding how decisions are made â and how clinicians can influence them â helps bridge the gap between policy, management, and clinical practice.
Ultimately, the episode offers a reflective look at the profession from a strategic vantage point, encouraging clinicians to think beyond individual patient encounters and consider their wider role in shaping healthcare systems.
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack is joined by Hannah Poulton to explore a topic that clinicians encounter frequently but often feel underprepared to manage: scars and their rehabilitation .
The conversation examines the wide-ranging impact that scars can have on patients. While scars are often thought of as purely cosmetic issues, Hannah explains that they can influence pain, movement, tissue sensitivity, and psychological wellbeing. Depending on their depth, location, and the tissue layers involved, scars may contribute to stiffness, restricted movement, or altered sensory responses.
Hannah discusses how clinicians should approach scar management from a broader perspective rather than focusing solely on appearance. Scar assessment involves understanding tissue behaviour, mobility, and sensitivity as well as recognising the emotional and psychological significance scars can hold for patients.
The discussion also highlights common misconceptions around scar treatment. While many manual techniques and topical approaches are promoted in practice, the evidence base remains mixed, meaning clinicians must combine available research with clinical reasoning and patient goals.
Importantly, Hannah emphasises the value of early education and patient empowerment. Helping patients understand how scars mature, adapt, and respond to loading can reduce fear and improve engagement with rehabilitation.
Ultimately, this episode reframes scars not simply as marks on the skin, but as dynamic biological structures that interact with movement, sensation, and patient experience. With thoughtful assessment and a patient-centred approach, clinicians can play a meaningful role in improving both function and confidence for people living with scars.
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Which dynamometer should you buy? The answer is⊠it depends.
In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack speaks with Dr Claire Minshull about the rapidly growing world of force measurement tech in rehab and MSK practice .
We discuss:
âą Why âjust buy the one your mate hasâ is risky
âą Sampling frequency (Hz) â and why it matters for RFD
âą Load capacity vs intended use
âą Calibration, data fidelity & measurement error
âą Why handheld dynamometry increases variability
âą External fixation and reducing clinician error
âą The myth of chasing normative values
âą Building your own in-clinic strength databaseClaire also introduces WhichDynamometer.com â a free, side-by-side comparison tool built after over a year of collecting technical specifications directly from manufacturers.
This episode is essential listening for:
âïž Physiotherapists
âïž Sports rehab clinicians
âïž S&C coaches
âïž Clinic owners making capital purchases
âïž Anyone wanting to use objective data properlyForce measurement isnât a magic bullet â but used well, it can enhance decision-making, patient confidence, and rehabilitation progression.
đŹ Do you use dynamometry in your clinic?
What matters most to you â price, portability, sampling frequency, or something else?đ Like | đŹ Comment | đ Subscribe
For all Claire's info - getbacktosport.com -
In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack is joined by Andy Thomas, founder of Physiquip and host of the Real Health podcast, to discuss his new book Real Growth and the thinking behind it. Rather than presenting another abstract business or personal development manual, Andy explains that Real Growth is built from real conversations, real careers, and real lived experience, drawn from more than 200 long-form podcast interviews across sport, healthcare, and business .
The discussion explores why ârealâ growth matters. Andy contrasts authentic development with surface-level metrics and performative success, arguing that growth is rooted in values such as authenticity, positivity, humility, enjoyment, and reflection. The book weaves together insights from elite sport practitioners, clinicians, business leaders, and entrepreneurs, showing how lessons learned in one domain often translate powerfully into others.
Andy describes the challenge of turning hundreds of conversations into a coherent structure, ultimately creating 30 short, accessible chapters grouped into themes. Each chapter ends with reflective questions designed to help readers apply insights to their own lives and work. The format mirrors how Andy himself learns: practical, digestible, and easy to dip into.
The conversation also links Real Growth to Andyâs wider work with Physiquip. He explains his belief that profitability, trust, and purpose are not opposites, but essential ingredients for sustainable healthcare businesses. Technology, he argues, is not about novelty, but about fitâsupporting a clinicâs vision rather than defining it.
Overall, this episode is a thoughtful reflection on growth as a human process: built through curiosity, connection, optimism, and doing meaningful work well over time.
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack is joined by Heather Mclellan, physiotherapist, occupational health specialist, and founder of The Return to Work Mentor, to explore a largely invisible gap in healthcare: what happens when peopleâespecially small business owners and the self-employedâbecome ill or injured and have no access to occupational health support.
Heather explains that while large organisations often have structured return-to-work systems, most UK workers are employed by micro-businesses with fewer than ten staff, where occupational health simply doesnât exist. As a result, people are left to âchance itâ: either staying off work longer than necessary due to fear and uncertainty, or returning too early without a plan, risking relapse or failure.
The conversation becomes deeply personal as Heather shares her own experience of suffering a rare stroke caused by an underlying blood cancer. Despite decades of expertise in vocational rehabilitation, she found herself navigating illness, identity, and work with virtually no formal support. Even income protection policies failed herânot because she lacked cover, but because she hadnât âplayed the gameâ correctly by formally stopping work and obtaining a sick note.
Together, Jack and Heather unpack the emotional, cognitive, and financial strain of trying to hold a business together while managing a life-changing diagnosis. They discuss how performance, identity, and responsibility often mask distress, and why pathway-based or insurance-led systems routinely fail people at their most vulnerable.
Heather introduces her âbefore, during, afterâ framework for health crises, which underpins The Return to Work Mentor. The goal is simple but powerful: to give people calm, practical guidanceâdirect to the individualâso theyâre not left alone to navigate one of the hardest transitions of their working lives.
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack is joined by Rosie Sexton â osteopath, former MMA fighter, academic, and commentator â for a deep, nuanced conversation on âreasonable adjustmentsâ, neurodivergence, and where workplace accommodation becomes ethically, practically, and emotionally complex.
The discussion is sparked by a satirical MSK Mag article, Unreasonable Adjustments, written under the Glenohumeral pseudonym. Rosie explains why the piece felt frustrating and harmful to her: not because unreasonable adjustments donât exist, but because satire can slide from critique into reinforcing stereotypes, particularly around neurodivergence. She highlights how portrayals of âcomfort-seekingâ or âtrend-driven diagnosesâ can discourage people from requesting adjustments that would genuinely allow them to work better and avoid burnout.
Jack responds by situating the article within its satirical intent and wider editorial context, acknowledging both its provocations and its blind spots. A central tension emerges: how do we hold space for individual needs while also recognising system-level constraints, particularly in under-resourced environments like the NHS?
Both agree that unreasonable requests can exist â but they strongly resist framing this as neurodivergent staff versus patient care. Instead, they explore how adjustments can conflict with one another, how severity and context matter, and why careful, good-faith conversation is essential. Rosie argues that dismissing needs as âtrivialâ is dangerous, while Jack reflects on the uncomfortable reality of triage, scarcity, and competing demands.
This episode doesnât offer neat answers. Instead, it models something rarer: a respectful, intellectually honest disagreement, showing how complex issues can be explored without shutting conversation down.
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack speaks with researcher and osteopath David Evans about what has actually changed in low back pain care over the past 20 years â and what hasnât. Using data from a unique follow-up study comparing physiotherapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors, David reveals that the story is more nuanced than the usual âhands-on vs hands-offâ narrative.
Spinal manipulation use has fallen across all three professions â not just physios â while massage and acupuncture have increased, suggesting clinicians havenât abandoned hands-on care, but have shifted the type of intervention used. Specific exercises have declined while general exercise has risen, aligning more closely with guideline messaging around activity and self-management. Interestingly, these trends donât map neatly onto clinical guidelines, raising questions about what really drives practice change: pain science discourse, safety concerns, professional identity, training exposure, and system pressures all emerge as possible influences.
The conversation moves beyond techniques to bigger issues in MSK care: the limits of pathway-based models, the âaverage effectâ problem in RCTs, and why back pain research may be set up to underestimate treatment impact by measuring outcomes many months later. A major theme is the long-standing struggle to move beyond ânon-specific low back pain.â David argues the future may lie in mechanism-based subgrouping (nociceptive, neuropathic, nociplastic, inflammatory) â if diagnostic precision can improve enough to meaningfully guide treatment.
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack is joined by Joshua Catlett, former physio, founder of Bodyset, and now founder of Verilo, to unpack the realities of buying and selling MSK clinicsâand why itâs far more complex than most owners expect.
Joshua explains that for many clinic owners, a sale is a once-in-a-lifetime event with huge consequences: get it right and it can be life-changing; get it wrong and you can lose money, damage reputation, or sell to the wrong buyer.
A key theme is preparation and timing. Joshua warns against selling out of necessity (lease pressure, staff loss, burnout), and encourages owners to plan ahead so they can sell from a position of strength. He also challenges a common assumption: the ânaturalâ exit via associate buyout is often more myth than reality, with fewer clinicians wanting (or able) to buy practices today due to funding constraints and higher borrowing costs .
The conversation highlights why some practices arenât truly âsaleableââoften because theyâre essentially a job: highly owner-dependent revenue, home-based setups, or limited transferable infrastructure. Joshua outlines the main levers that increase valuation and buyer confidence: reducing owner dependency by building a team, securing strong premises and lease terms (ideally 5+ years remaining), and lowering risk for the buyer .
They also discuss the brokerage landscape, contrasting passive âlistingâ brokers with high-end corporate finance, and positioning Verillo in the middle: structured, strategic, and specialist. The episode closes with practical advice: prepare early, stabilise key risks, and get the right representationâbecause structured sales processes tend to achieve higher prices and higher completion rates
FREE GUIDE HERE
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, Jack is joined by pain coach and clinician Richmond Stace for a wide-ranging, thoughtful exploration of what pain coaching is, and why it matters for people living with persistent and chronic pain.
Richmond traces the origins of pain coaching from his multidisciplinary background in nursing, pain science, and coaching, describing it not as a rigid framework but as an approach and a way of being. Central to this approach is meeting people exactly where they are, prioritising relationship, presence, and communication over protocols or prescriptive solutions. Pain coaching, he argues, is less about âfixingâ pain and more about supporting meaningful, sustained change in a personâs life.
A core theme of the conversation is the idea of pain as a lived experience or need state, rather than a purely structural or biological problem. Richmond challenges dominant biomedical narratives, suggesting that pain is information rather than error, and that persistent pain often reflects unmet needs, limiting beliefs, and misaligned ways of living rather than âbrokenâ bodies. This perspective reframes recovery as a process of growth, insight, and updated understanding, rather than symptom eradication alone.
The discussion explores why rigid beliefs, fear-based avoidance, and future-focused thinking can keep people stuck, and how coaching helps individuals reconnect with the present moment, their own strengths, and their capacity for change. Drawing on motivational interviewing, psychotherapy, and Eastern philosophy, Richmond emphasises that transformation happens through insight, relationship, and self-compassion, not through protocols or techniques alone.
This episode is a deep, reflective conversation for clinicians and patients alike who want to rethink pain, recovery, and what it truly means to help people get better.
https://richmondstace.substack.com/
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In this episode of Chewing It Over, host Jack Chew speaks with Carolyn Kent, founder and director of the Womenâs Football Hub, about the history, culture, health, and future of womenâs football. Kent explains that her passion is rooted both in a love for the game and in a desire to address historical injustices, particularly the 1921 ban on womenâs football that continues to shape attitudes today. Drawing on her background as a former player, physiotherapist, academic, and practitioner within elite football, she describes how the sport shaped her career while also exposing persistent barriers faced by women.
Kent outlines the vision behind the Womenâs Football Hub: a deliberately broad, multidisciplinary platform that combines sport science, health, sociology, business, and lived experience. Rather than focusing narrowly on injuries or feminism alone, the Hub aims to engage women who are âfootball curiousâ and to close widespread knowledge gaps, particularly around female health. She emphasises the importance of teamwork and diverse perspectives in building the Hub, noting that its success depends on contributors who often remain behind the scenes.
The conversation also explores key differences between menâs and womenâs football, including fan culture, safety, marketing strategies, and media narratives. Kent argues that womenâs football should not simply replicate the menâs model, but instead develop approaches that reflect its unique audiences and values. She also addresses misconceptions around injuries, highlighting that while ACL injuries receive disproportionate attention, hamstring and MCL injuries are more common, and that inadequate training environments play a major role.
Ultimately, Kent frames womenâs football as a powerful social, public health, and cultural intervention. Looking ahead, she hopes to reduce participation barriers, encourage more women to play for enjoyment, and shift the conversation from education alone toward implementation and meaningful behaviour change.
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Jack Chew talks all about measurement tech for the clinical space with Athan who is CEO of our partners Kinvent! He is an interesting charecter with a background in sport and engineering which led him to develop MSK specific measurement equipment!
Get all your equipment for measuring here: http://landing.kinvent.com/partner-physiomatters
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Physio Matters and Physiquipe have joined forces in a partnership to enable access to best in class clinical education AND clinical technology. The collaborative aim to improve rehabilitation standards for better patient outcomes across the MSK landscape is intentionally challenging and lofty. It also aligns perfectly with both Physiquipe and Physio Matters respective aims helping to elevate both simultaneously!
Interested in Diagnostic Ultrasound and/or shockwave for your clinic? Go to this link and if you get a machine then you will unlock 3 years of Physio Matters Premium Membership at no extra cost!
https://content.physiquipe.com/physiomatters
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In this mini episode of You Matter, Joanne and I discuss the power of setting agreements with your patient, not just at the beginning of an episode of treatment but at every session, and even within a session. Rather than wondering, "Is this right? Are they happy? Am I doing a good job? " You get an answer in real time. Your patient gets seen and heard, and you are relieved from the pain of wondering. There are surprising benefits for both of you.Coaching Unpeeled: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/mehab/1737501Future Dates: https://tinyurl.com/4f5nh8fm
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In this episode of Physio Matters, Jack Chew and Rob Bevan dive deep into how they use Cliniko to streamline and grow their clinics. Drawing on Jackâs experience running a smaller practice and Robâs decade of managing a larger MDT clinic, they share practical insights into online bookings, patient communication, diary management, and notes systems.
They unpack why Cliniko consistently delivers higher conversion rates for online bookings, how tailored reminders and confirmations reduce admin and no-shows, and why small tweaks in setup can transform patient experience.
The discussion also explores clever ways to categorize services, manage next-available appointments, and integrate automations to free up time while keeping a human touch.
Whether youâre just getting started with Cliniko or want to optimize how your practice uses it, this episode offers actionable tips, real-world examples, and lessons learned from years of trial, error, and success in MSK practice management.
90 day free trial: cliniko.com/physio-matters
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