Sports Medicine Project

About Sports Medicine Project

Join Blake as he dives into the world of Sports Medicine — from injuries and injections to running and performance. Perfect for clinicians and healthcare enthusiasts, this fortnightly podcast blends real-life clinical insights with evidence-based discussions to help you treat smarter and work better. With a background in research, biomechanics, and podiatry, Blake shares practical tips you can actually use to improve patient outcomes and stay up to date. If you’ve ever felt like you’re drowning in conflicting advice on how to manage injuries — this podcast will cut through the noise.

Publisher

Blake Withers

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Feb 2022

Latest episode

30 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

147 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Aug 2026

   Tendon Stiffness, Strength Deficits and the Neuroscience We're Missing w/ Dr Pat Vallance

   with Dr Pat Vallance In this episode: Bent knee versus straight knee calf raises for Achilles rehab Why calf position changes muscle activation Achilles tendinopathy and tendon strain Tendon stiffness and why it matters Whether plyometrics build tendon stiffness Whether running should be stopped during rehab Load monitoring and pain guided rehab Muscular endurance testing with single leg heel raises Normative values for calf endurance Psychological factors in tendinopathy Kinesiophobia and pain catastrophising Cortical versus spinal inhibition How rehab may differ for Achilles compared with patellar tendinopathy Resources mentioned: Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia https://www.physio-pedia.com/Tampa_Scale_of_Kinesiophobia (https://www.physio-pedia.com/Tampa_Scale_of_Kinesiophobia) Where to find Pat: Tendinopathy Circuit Breaker https://tendinopathycircuitbreaker.com/ (https://tendinopathycircuitbreaker.com/) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tendinopathy_circuit_breaker/ (https://www.instagram.com/tendinopathy_circuit_breaker/) Supercharge Your Tendon Rehab course https://events.humanitix.com/supercharge-your-tendon-rehab-cutting-edge-tendon-injury-rehab (https://events.humanitix.com/supercharge-your-tendon-rehab-cutting-edge-tendon-injury-rehab) Pat's recent publications: Vallance, P., Kidgell, D. J., & Malliaras, P. (2026). Greater endogenous pain facilitation is associated with lower spinal excitability and maximal knee extension strength deficits in athletes with patellar tendinopathy. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 1-14. Vallance, P., Malliaras, P., & Kidgell, D. J. (2026). Temporal motor evoked potential decomposition reveals that cortico-reticulospinal excitability is increased in athletes with patellar tendinopathy. Preliminary evidence of compensatory adaptation for diminished motor drive. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 103142. Vallance, P. (2025). Neural deficits relevant to pain symptoms and functional impairments in individuals with Achilles or patellar tendinopathy (PhD Academy Award). British Journal of Sports Medicine. Vallance, P., Siddique, U., Frazer, A., Malliaras, P., Vicenzino, B., & Kidgell, D. J. (2025). Transcranial magnetic stimulation and electrical stimulation techniques used to measure the excitability of distinct neuronal populations that influence motor output in people with persistent musculoskeletal conditions: A scoping review and narrative synthesis of evidence. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 103011. Vallance, P., Kidgell, D. J., Vicenzino, B., & Malliaras, P. (2025). Endogenous pain modulation is not different in basketball or volleyball athletes with patellar tendinopathy compared to asymptomatic athletic controls. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 76, 103280.

2. 

   19 Aug 2026

   Understanding Osteoarthritis w/ Ben Steele-Turner

   Every major osteoarthritis guideline in the world lists weight management as core care. Ben Steele-Turner's scoping review pulled together 79 records on what physiotherapists do, and the picture is messy. Clinician surveys have 60 to 94 per cent of physios saying they include weight management. Notes audits and patient interviews put it closer to 8 to 22 per cent. Ben is a physiotherapist and PhD candidate at the University of Portsmouth, and he joins me to talk through why that gap exists and what to do about it. We get into scope of practice and why so many clinicians find the conversation awkward. We also cover the part I've always struggled with. Osteoarthritis is a whole system condition, inflammatory, metabolic, psychological, and yet the mechanical side is the bit I know how to do. Sets, reps, load, progression.. Ben and I dig into whether the lifestyle side actually outperforms what we're already doing, what someone can be offered for faster relief in the first few weeks, and where taping, footwear, orthoses and injections sit. Then there's the steroid question. If a knee is angry and inflamed we know what that environment does to cartilage, but the drug that settles it is itself chondrotoxic. Do we steer people away from it or put it on the table and let them decide? And can we really blame someone for wanting the pain gone now, when most of us wouldn't accept "just live with it" for our own injuries either. Ben finishes with how he selects exercise for someone with knee OA, whether he starts local or zooms out, and the one thing he wants every patient to walk away understanding about their knee. Papers discussed: Steele-Turner B, Gonçalves AC, Shepherd AI, Drummond H, Allison K, Bennell KL, Exell TA. Physiotherapist-led weight management for people with osteoarthritis: A scoping review. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 2026;34:121-138. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41276008/ Moseng T, Vliet Vlieland TPM, Battista S, et al. EULAR recommendations for the non-pharmacological core management of hip and knee osteoarthritis: 2023 update. Ann Rheum Dis 2024;83:730-740. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38212040/

3. 

   6 Jul 2026

   Muscle Injuries: Diagnosis, Rehabilitation & Return to Play w/

   Muscle injuries remain one of the most challenging conditions in sport. In this episode, sports physiotherapist Murray Leyland joins us to discuss the latest evidence on muscle injury diagnosis, rehabilitation, and return to play. We cover muscle injury classification, the role of MRI, load management, eccentric training, calf and hamstring injuries, and how clinicians can make more informed return to play decisions. This episode is packed with practical, evidence-based insights for clinicians working with athletes and active individuals. Murray's Practice Below: https://www.valleyphysiotherapy.au/ (https://www.valleyphysiotherapy.au/)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

106 ratings

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Books guests

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