Matt Low, Consultant Physiotherapist at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, is one of the authors (along with Roger Kerry, Fiona H. Moffatt & David A. Nicholls) of the 2025 paper ‘Physioethology: A Post-Humanist Perspective on Physiotherapy’. The paper argues that modern physiotherapy, and indeed all hands-on MSK professions, still rely too heavily on a mechanical, human-centred view of the body. Using ideas from philosopher Gilles Deleuze and psychoanalyst Felix Guattari, the authors propose “Physioethology,” which sees bodies as dynamic, relational, and shaped by interactions with people, environments, and non-human factors.

In this episode of the STA Clinician Podcast, Matt Low & Anna Maria Mazzieri, Director of the ST School and a PhD student at Health Sciences University, join host Matt Phillips to discuss elements of the 2025 paper, focusing on what bodies can do in context, and recognising affect, relationality and events as central to health. The discussion covers practical implications for manual therapists — from therapeutic room design and outdoor or community settings to seeing non‑human factors as part of care — and how small changes can broaden clinical impact.

Listen now (or watch the live recording on YouTube) to reflect on the philosophical assumptions behind your practice, consider simple environment‑centred adjustments you can try now, and follow the episode notes for links to the open‑access paper and related resources.