In Part 2 of our focus this month ‘Common Frustrations For MSK Clinicians’, host Matt Phillips is joined by special guests Carla Bickerstaffs, Sports Therapist and part of the Invictus Games Medical Team, and Emily Gilbert, a Chronic Pain Specialist and owner of Framework Sports Massage.

Carla and Emily talk discuss their frustration with the term “soft skills”, and explain why soft skills such as communication, difficult conversations, documentation and supervision do matter as much as hands-on techniques. They also talk about their annoyance of what seems like an ever-increasing number of very short online qualifications that allow individuals to then adopt the title of Sports Therapist, and the risks posed by these courses within isolated practice.

The episode highlights practical solutions: better patient-led training, collaboration and supervision, joining reputable professional associations, and adopting evidence-informed approaches to working with pain and complex cases.

  • 00:00:28 – Welcome to the STA Clinician Podcast
  • 00:03:32 – Introducing Carla Bickerstaffe and Emily Gilbert
  • 00:04:43 – Carla Bickerstaffe bio
  • 00:07:19 – Emily Gilbert bio
  • 00:12:22 – Soft skills discussion
  • 01:01:13 – Preview of next week Sports Therapy Association Clinician’s Podcast
  • 01:06:53 – Close

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