Pain can affect anyone – of any age or background – and the skills to treat it are relevant to all physiotherapists, regardless of their clinical focus. 

For this reason and many more, it was an obvious choice for the topic of a podcast series, Pain in Practice, hosted by Sophie Shephard MACP and Matt Fa APAM. 

Sophie is a Wagga Wagga-based APA Titled Pain Physiotherapist, the founder of Vive Pain and Fatigue and a PhD candidate at Charles Sturt University. 

She has a special interest in pain, fatigue and invisible illness stemming from her own lived experience of myalgic encephalomyelitis. 

Matt is a Sydney-based physiotherapist with over a decade of experience across diverse clinical settings. 

Currently he is working as senior physiotherapist in a tertiary pain centre within the Northern Sydney Local Health District. 

He has a passion for improving quality of life for people living with chronic pain and helping physiotherapists feel confident and supported in their practice. 

Why do a podcast on pain? 

‘We always seem to talk about “pain physio” in the context of multidisciplinary pain teams but pain physio can be much more diverse than that,’ says Sophie. 

‘We wanted to show how knowledge and skills can be transferred and applied across different clinical settings, to raise awareness and possibly get people interested who aren’t working in those tertiary pain settings.’ 

‘I’m passionate about holistic management of chronic pain and when I began exploring this area, I realised that many people were uncertain about how to proceed or who to consult for guidance,’ says Matt. 

‘I wanted to demonstrate that active pain management skills are readily accessible and are applicable in any context, not just within a tertiary pain clinic. 

'Clients suffering from chronic pain are found across all clinical specialities.’ 

Sophie and Matt interviewed six pain-focused physiotherapists working in a variety of settings, each bringing a unique insight from their respective field. 

In episode 1, on women’s health, they speak to Jess Fishburn, who works predominantly in pelvic health with patients experiencing persistent pain, exploring themes of rural isolation, access to care and improved outcomes. 

Episode 2 features Andrew Gorrie, a paediatric pain physiotherapist in the interdisciplinary chronic and complex pain team in Sydney Children’s Hospital, highlighting the importance of treating pain early and treating the whole child. 

Episode 3 explores the complexities of the workers compensation system with David Elvish, offering practical insights into the clinical, psychological and systemic pressures that shape recovery. 

In episode 4, Frederico Estermann discusses the tensions, limitations and opportunities in managing persistent pain in emergency and hospital settings, where fast-paced medicine meets long-term complexity. 

Episode 5 features Jane Bradshaw, who provides insights into chronic pain following neurological conditions and traumatic brain injury, exploring the influence of kindness, listening and connection on chronic and complex care. 

Finally, episode 6 looks at sports with Dr Peter Roberts, examining performancefocused yet person-centred approaches to pain management in sporting populations. 

What can physiotherapists learn from Pain in Practice?

‘Pain is everywhere, no matter what area you work in as a physio, so I hope people will take away the idea that they don’t need to be working in a tertiary pain service to consider learning more and that going down the pain physio pathway might add value to their current setting,’ says Sophie. 

‘There’s a nice theme throughout all the episodes that looking after the whole person has a lot of value,’ adds Matt. 

‘It’s something I try to be mindful of day to day and I hope this stimulates that thinking for others, too.’ 

Listen to Pain in Practice on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube.