Front Line to Finish Line: an SEM Essentials Podcast by FSEM (Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine)

How do you determine hypermobility? How do you know when a tendon issue can be attributed to either loading or inflammation? Claire welcomes Consultant Rheumatologist Dr Vijay Hajela for this episode, discussing his role, key questions for patients with joint pain, advice around inflammation and much more relating to rheumatology.

Useful Links

Directory of therapists who have completed Jeannie Di Bons - https://jeanniedibon.com/imm-directory/

Healthcare Professionals Directory - https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/healthcare-professionals-directory/ 

You can learn more about Dr Vijay on his own website - www.Hajelamedicalltd.co.uk

Welcome to another episode of Front Line to Finish Line, the podcast where we dive deep into the world of sport and exercise medicine. Our host Claire Speers speaks to fellow physiotherapist Chris Myers, a highly experienced and specialised physiotherapist in musculoskeletal medicine and sports injuries. Chris has over 20 years’ experience of treating both adults and children, working in elite sport, private practice and in the NHS, and currently splits his time between Complete Physio, elite sport and lecturing. 

In this episode, we’ll explore how MSK ultrasound is revolutionising diagnostics, the role of injections in treatment, and how these techniques can enhance recovery for athletes and active individuals alike. 

Chris Meyers - https://complete-physio.co.uk/team/chris-myers/

We're back for one final episode before we wrap up for the new year!

Dr Chris Speers is a Consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine and has an interest in exercise medicine, championing the broad range of health benefits associated with physical activity. He is also the lead for the Faculty's own Diploma in Exercise Medicine, which you can now apply for.

Our hosts Dr Ralph Mitchell and Claire Speer spoke to Chris about all things exercise medicine and physical activity. The conversation covers what exercise medicine is, studies behind it, behavioural change, relative risk reduction and much much more. 

A huge thank you to all our listeners over the course of 2024. we look forward to bringing you more insight, evidence and discussion in the world of sport and exercise medicine  in 2025!

Learn more about the Diploma in Exercise Medicine - https://www.fsem.ac.uk/careers-and-training/exams/fsem-diploma-exams/diploma-in-exercise-medicine/

Moving Medicine - https://movingmedicine.ac.uk/ 

Giles is joined by leading Sports Nutrition expert Professor Graeme Close for a wide-ranging chat on nutrition and sports performance.

Front Line to Finish Line is back! Ralph talks to Dr Dane Vishnubala about the training pathways currently available in Sport and Exercise Medicine, the NHS and how the future of the SEM specialty is shaping up. An insightful discussion which helps to outline both the challenges and opportunities in the specialty to any aspiring SEM professional.

The British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM) are hosting their annual conference in Coventry on 7th - 8th November. Learn more about the conference and get your tickets here - https://basem.co.uk/basem-annual-conference-2024/

Giles sits down with Dr Benjamin Ellis, generalist rheumatologist, to explore several topics relating to his specialist interest in health services policy and public health. This includes his own involvement on the NICE Guidelines on the Assessment of Chronic Pain and the Management of Chronic Primary Pain. 

Dr Ellis combines clinical practice with working as senior clinical policy adviser at Arthritis Research UK, developing patient-reported outcome measures for musculoskeletal conditions and promoting a public health approach to musculoskeletal health.

We return in 2025 with a fascinating discussion about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, better known as RED-S. Joining Ralph and Claire for this episode is Dr Margo Mountjoy, a sports medicine clinician scientist from Canada. Margo has an international focus at the elite level of sport extends from scientific research to knowledge translation, policy development, advocacy, and prevention.

In this episode, we talk all things RED-S, explaining what it is, gender differences, elite and amateur sport differences, what to look for and where to find available resources on RED-S.

Learn more about Margo - https://margomountjoy.com/

For this episode Giles talks with former colleague Laura Finucane, consultant musculoskeletal physiotherapist and specialist in spinal conditions, on the International Framework for Red Flags.

Laura has been a consultant since 2006 providing care for NHS patients. Laura’s special interest is in serious pathologies of the spine and she has presented nationally and internationally.

Useful Resources Referenced:

https://www.macpweb.org/Cauda-Equina-Information-cards

https://view.genial.ly/62b210b8c534710012aafcaa/interactive-content-red-flags-for-potential-serious-spinal-pathologies

Want to learn more about osteoporosis and exercise?

Join Ralph and Claire as they speak to Abby Armstrong about bones and beyond. Gain extensive insight from Abby as we explore osteoporosis and pelvic wellness, with a lot of key take-home messages for strong communication with patients.

Abby Armstrong is an experienced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist with special interests in Pelvic Health and Osteoporosis. Abby sees Bone Health patients in private practise in South West London.

Resources

UK Consensus Statement: https://theros.org.uk/media/0o5h1l53/ros-strong-steady-straight-quick-guide-february-2019.pdf

LIFTMOR Study - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28975661/

Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy (POGP) leaflets - https://thepogp.co.uk/Resources/9/pelvic_organ_prolapse_a_physiotherapy_guide_for_women

https://thepogp.co.uk/Resources/115/pelvic_floor_muscle_exercises_for_women

Squeezy App - https://squeezyapp.com/

Episode Summary

Welcome to Front Line to Finish Line! Our brand new SEM Essentials Podcast series for 2024 brings you new hosts, guests and topics from the fascinating world of Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM).

For the first episode, join our two new hosts, Dr Ralph Mitchell and physiotherapist Claire Speer as they delve into their SEM background, what drives them and what's to come with the series. During the discussion, Ralph and Claire also go into why preventative treatment is key, why MSK Medicine should be prioritised and how SEM professionals can support their patients better.

Additional Info

Let us know what topics you want to hear about next! Tell us on social media or by contacting us through pr@fsem.ac.uk

We'd love to hear your feedback! Leave us a rating

This podcast is produced by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine

How do elite sport team environments work with their medical teams? How is this landscape changing? 

Ralph and Claire talk to Lee Blackett, assistant coach at Bath Rugby and former player for Rotherham and Leeds Tykes about working in a high performance multi-disciplinary team. 

An insightful discussion, providing a look at the evolving perspective and relationship of sports coaches and their medical teams.

Giles sits down with Professor Patrick Wheeler for a fascinating discussion on tendinopathy, exploring his own specialist interest in the topic and the research surrounding it. 

Professor Wheeler was appointed to the position of FSEM Honorary Treasurer in 2020, having previously been elected to FSEM Council in 2016. Patrick was one of the first doctors entered onto the GMC Specialist Register in Sport & Exercise Medicine, after successful CESR completion in 2009.

Patrick’s main areas of personal clinical research involves the medical management of tendinopathies, he has several ongoing NHS-based interventional research studies and his PhD was in this area. He has taught, examined, and supervised at several universities at undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral levels, as well as holding Clinical and Educational supervision roles in SEM Higher Specialist Training. 

Patrick has previously worked extensively in elite and performance sport. He worked for the English Institute of Sport between 2007 and 2013, was CMO for a number of sports between 2004 and 2016, and worked for ParalympicsGB at the Rio2016, London 2012, and Beijing2008 Paralympics Games.

In this episode, Claire speaks to Dr. Rod Jaques, Past President of the Faculty, to explore the latest updates to the FSEM Professional Code. We discuss the key changes, why they matter, and how they help SEM practitioners uphold the highest standards of care. From ethical decision-making to best practices in athlete welfare, Dr. Jaques shares valuable insights on navigating complex challenges in SEM. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or new to the field, this conversation will provide essential guidance on maintaining integrity, professionalism, and excellence in your practice.

Ralph sits down with Professor Ross Tucker, a science and research consultant for World Rugby and someone you might recognise from The Real Science of Sport Podcast.

We caught up at BASEM 2024 with Ross, a keynote speaker at the conference, and spoke across a number of topics within sport science. Ralph and Ross cover mouthguards & head injury assessment and the future of the process, the use of technology and its application within sport and healthcare, and much more throughout the episode.

We are very excited to bring you our very first in person episode, so please share this! It was also our first video recording as well, which you can watch here - https://youtu.be/MS7ZrkAxjAo

• You can check out The Real Science of Sport Podcast here -  https://open.spotify.com/show/3g71AuFYy6FnYHEI1GO9A0
• View the Science of Sport - https://sportsscientists.com/
• Ross Tucker - https://x.com/Scienceofsport

Our recent podcast guest, Dr Dane Vishnubala, spoke to Ralph about the upcoming BASEM 2024 Conference, taking place in Coventry on 7th - 8th November.

The BASEM 2024 Annual Conference aims to bring together over 400 leading health professionals, scientists, clinicians and researchers. The aim is to share and discuss the latest scientific research, clinical best practice and ethics in the field of sport and exercise medicine and it will provide a platform for discussion, debate and new ideas.

The Annual Conference is open to BASEM Members and Non Members. It is aimed at medical practitioners, physiotherapists and all groups of healthcare professionals working with the field of sport and exercise medicine. 

Episode Description

In this episode, Ralph and Claire welcome Guy Lubitsh to discuss leading and collaborating with others within a complex health care environment and SEM. Guy is a Professor of Leadership & Psychology at Ashridge Executive Education/Hult International Business School and an organisational psychologist.

About Guy Lubitsh

Guy has over 25 years of experience working as a facilitator, coach and consultant in both NHS and the private healthcare sector. His special interests are leadership development, culture change & organisational change. He led several national leadership programmes and networks, turnaround of clinical teams, coaches senior executives/leaders, and his work with clinical Diabetes/MSK champions has won national and international awards.

Guy’s book ‘Connect – resolve conflict, improve communication, strengthen relationships’ has been published recently by FT/Pearson and shortlisted for management book of the year. He’s currently co-authoring a new book ‘The Leader’s Guide to Collaboration’ with Mike Brent to be published by Pearson at the beginning of 2025

Useful Links

Website - https://www.guylubitsh.com/bio

Guy's Book: Connect - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Connect-conflict-communication-strengthen-relationships/dp/1292286873

Social Media Channels 

LInkedin: Guy.lubitsh@linkedin.com

Twitter: @Guylubitsh

Dr Chris Speers is the Lead for the Faculty's Diploma in Exercise Medicine, which has now opened applications for its second sitting, taking place in February 2025.

Have a listen to the excerpt from our recent podcast episode with Chris, as he explains who is eligible for it, why you should do it and what resources are available to support exam preparation.

Learn more - https://www.fsem.ac.uk/careers-and-training/exams/fsem-diploma-exams/diploma-in-exercise-medicine/

In part two of his chat with leading sports nutritionist Prof Graeme Close, Giles talks about fatigue and energy management and discusses the simple messages that, if applied consistently, can make a big difference

An in-depth discussion with Dr Anushka Soni on the diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia. Hosted by Dr Giles Hazan on behalf of FSEM UK.

Ralph and Claire welcome Athlete Nutrition Coach Chris Lowe to this episode, discussing the evolving role of nutritionists, the science behind carbohydrates and how to bring nutrition into your treatment of MSK patients.

Chris has a decade of experience coaching at the highest level in elite sport. He has a BSc in Sports Biomedicine & Nutrition, and an MSc in Sport & Exercise Nutrition. This academic base has provided the platform to build a successful online coaching business to support athletes competing at the highest level: including world tour riders and international rugby players.

For more information on Chris, please visit:

Fueltherideacademy.com

Chrislowenutrition.com

How can you inspire people to be physically active? Why is it important and what are the benefits greater physical activity can have? What support is available to me to provide this advise to patients?

Andrew Harris from Active Together speaks to Ralph and Claire about making physical activity and sport more accessible and part of our everyday lives.

Moving Medicine Website

The ultimate resource to help healthcare professionals integrate physical activity conversations into routine clinical care

https://movingmedicine.ac.uk/

We Are Undefeatable

A collective movement supporting people with a range of long-term health conditions to find ways to be active.

https://weareundefeatable.co.uk/

Active Together

Active Partnership for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland. We work collaboratively with a range of sectors and partners across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland with a shared ambition to reduce inequality of access to physical activity and help our communities realise the many health and social benefits of living an active life.

https://www.active-together.org/be-active-for-my-health

Get in touch with Andrew: a.harris@active-together.org