Global Physio Podcast

Today's guests are three second year physiotherapy students at the University of Manitoba: Emma De Guzman Caballero, Alana Lesperance and Gurkirat Gill. They talk about the literature review they conducted as part of their physiotherapy programme that focused on recommendations on how to provide environmentally-responsible community-based physiotherapy in Winnipeg. Bio: Alana Lesperance is a 2nd … Continue reading "GP061: Discussing Environmental Physiotherapy with 3 University of Manitoba Students"

This episode, which was recorded in early 2024, features two physiotherapists, Adelaide Rusinga and Dr. Nathalia Costa, who share the learnings from their paper titled “Exploring the Systemic Structures that Affect Access to Physical Therapist Services for Non-Indigenous Black People in Australia.” Their research set out to explore the perspectives of non-Indigenous Black people when … Continue reading "GP060: Understanding Physiotherapy from the Perspectives of Non-Indigenous Black Peoples in Australia with Adelaide Rusinga and Nathalia Costa"

Today's guest is Ray Gates, an Aboriginal Australian (Bundjalung) physiotherapist with over 20 years experience as a PT and with Indigenous health. He was the first Aboriginal PT to become a member and later Chairperson of the Australian Physiotherapy Association's (then) Indigenous Health Committee. He was a founder of the first Indigenous Physiotherapy Support Network … Continue reading "GP059: World Indigenous Physiotherapy Alliance with Ray Gates"

Today's guest is Stephanie Lurch, a storyteller, activist, leader and physiotherapist. A dynamic award-winning educator, Stephanie has worked across multiple settings in the healthcare and education sectors, bridging the gap between academia and practice. Her career has been distinguished by a wide breadth of clinical, teaching and real-life experiences including working with the Cirque du … Continue reading "GP058: Exploring Critical Consciousness with Stephanie Lurch"

In today's episode, the co-hosts interview Hilary Crowley who is a physiotherapist and an author. Hilary published a travel memoir entitled “Mini Saga in South Africa” about a year that she spent working around South Africa in the 1960s. This was during apartheid which started in 1948 and continued until 1994. Her experiences there led … Continue reading "GP057: Memoirs of a Global Health Physiotherapist with Hilary Crowley"

This episode, we are lucky to have Colleen, Margaret, Kirsten and Denise, who are all a part of the Community Rehab Program in Northern Ontario, Canada, share their experiences on the program. Community rehabilitation workers in this program are local Indigenous community members trained in providing rehabilitation to support Elders in their community. We talk … Continue reading "Learning from a Community Rehabilitation Worker Program in Northern Ontario"

Today's episode is Part 2 of a two-part series featuring Tracy Blake (she/her). The only daughter of Trinidadian immigrants, Tracy and her youngest brother were raised in the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-faith, working class neighbourhood of Rexdale in Toronto, on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Anishinabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewa, and Huron-Wendat peoples, as well … Continue reading "GP055: Sport and Justice with Tracy Blake (Part 2)"

Today's episode is Part 1 of a two-part series featuring Tracy Blake (she/her). The only daughter of Trinidadian immigrants, Tracy and her youngest brother were raised in the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-faith, working class neighbourhood of Rexdale in Toronto, on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Anishinabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewa, and Huron-Wendat peoples, as well … Continue reading "GP054: Sport and Justice with Tracy Blake (Part 1)"

Today's episode focuses on the fascinating career of Jennifer Allen, a Canadian-trained physiotherapist who is a former Chair of the Global Health Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. Jennifer has practiced and taught physiotherapy all over the world. Jennifer discusses her experience at World Physiotherapy Congress in Dubai in June 2023 and emerging roles for … Continue reading "GP053: Teaching and Practicing Around the World with Jennifer Allen"

Today's episode, we have Alex Heilmann, a Masters student at UBC, studying Community Planning. He is from Boston originally and moved to Vancouver to study Planning, particularly Transportation Planning. His work and projects relate to transitioning cities away from car dependency. We cover a range of topics on how urban planning and city design impacts … Continue reading "GP052: Urban Planning and Health with Alex Heilmann"

We, the podcast co-hosts, dedicated this episode to reflecting on how things have been going since the Global Physio Podcast relaunch in 2023. We express our gratitude for the many guests who have come onto the podcast. We discuss the successes as well as the challenges and lessons learned with the podcast. We talk about … Continue reading "GP051: Year in Review"

In this podcast episode, we speak with Bahareh Alexandra Hejazi about her experience and insights about her time spent in Italy, Palestine and Uganda. Despite international work offering many exciting prospects for health professionals and potential to create positive change across the globe, it is important to speak about the uncomfortable truths and complexities involved. … Continue reading "GP050: Considerations for and Reflections on International Physiotherapy Work with Alex Hejazi"

Sara Abassbhay completed her Bachelor of Sciences in Rehabilitation and her Master of Sciences (applied) in Physical Therapy at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her career has taken her all over the world and she has practiced as a physiotherapist in Singapore, Ghana, and Canada. More recently, she was working in the Yukon Territory in … Continue reading "GP049: Designing Novel Work-Models with Sara Abassbhay"

While our profession has been female-dominated for most, if not all, of its history, leadership positions are disproportionately occupied by men. In addition, there are significant gender inequities with regard to the global unmet needs of rehabilitation. Women accounted for just over half of the 2.4 billion people worldwide living with conditions that would benefit … Continue reading "GP048: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion with Dr. Rosemary Morgan and Dr. Linda Thumba"

Increasing diversity, equity and inclusion, commonly abbreviated as DEI, has been in the forefront of many sectors. Within health, providing culturally sensitive care and having a professional body that is diverse can lead to improved health outcomes. The conversation often involves ensuring clinicians practice cultural sensitivity during care, forming executive committees that are representative of … Continue reading "GP047: Physiotherapy Education from the Perspective of Muslim Women with Nathalia Costa and Sarah Jang"

Today's episode is all about reflexivity. The show co-hosts discuss their individual positionalities and examine how their lived experiences and socialization may influence the podcast. The show co-hosts share their dream of creating a podcast that is relevant to physiotherapists all over the world, amplifies voices that have been historically silenced and breaks down barriers … Continue reading "GP046: The Challenges of Making a Truly Global Podcast"

The biopsychosocial model has been touted as an effective approach towards addressing physiotherapy-related health conditions for its ability to guide clinicians to think beyond biomedical factors. The shift to integrate subjective experiences, psychological and social aspects to understand a patient's lived experiences is a step forward beyond purely patho-anatomical explanations of pain and disability. However, … Continue reading "GP045: Physiotherapy Beyond the Biopsychosocial Model with Karime Mescouto"

Environmental physiotherapy is an emerging practice area. There are physiotherapists all over the world calling for more sustainable physiotherapy practices. Moreover, there is a growing consciousness within physiotherapy globally around the environmental injustices experienced by equity deserving groups. A lot of people, including physiotherapists, may experience stagnation when confronted by the enormity of the climate … Continue reading "GP044: Mindfulness and Environmental Justice with Elizabeth Houlding & Susan Czyzo"

Global health is really difficult to pin down definitionally. Perhaps an even more important question than “what is global health” would be: “what are the core values of global health?” In today's episode, Derek Lai and Allana Beavis will share their understanding of the values that underpin this field. Additionally, they will discuss their experiences … Continue reading "GP043: Defining Global Health with Derek Lai & Allana Beavis"

This episode is part 2 of a two-part series where we discuss how our profession's lack of engagement with social theory has resulted in physiotherapy having some massive blindspots regarding who we are, what we do and what our future holds. Our guest is Dr. Dave Nicholls, a Professor of Critical Physiotherapy in the School … Continue reading "GP042: The Physiotherapy Paradox with Dr. Dave Nicholls (Part 2)"

This episode is part 1 of a two-part series where we discuss how our profession's lack of engagement with social theory has resulted in physiotherapy having some massive blindspots regarding who we are, what we do and what our future holds. Our guest is Dr. Dave Nicholls, a Professor of Critical Physiotherapy in the School … Continue reading "GP041: The Physiotherapy Paradox with Dr. Dave Nicholls (Part 1)"

Welcome to the Global Physio Podcast! This episode features an introduction to the podcast and new host (Allana Beavis), as well as an interview with the former host and creator (Krysta Norwick). We hope you enjoy the podcast! In this episode we talk about: What the mission of the Global Physio Podcast is What's in … Continue reading "GP040: Global Physio Podcast Relaunch with Krysta Norwick"

The regular host of the podcast, Krysta, is the guest on this episode. Listen to her explain how she thinks Telehealth will be used in physiotherapy practice going forward AND how our more virtual world will impact global health work in general. Phil Sheppard is our guest host for this episode and he shares some […]

With whisperings of some communities, provinces and states in North America re-opening certain services, we thought it was timely to discuss what this might look like. We hear insights from both Mike and Phil regarding what we should consider as health care professionals when transitioning back to in-person care. What will our new business models […]

In response to a need for wheelchairs identified by a physiotherapy school in Nepal, Emily initiated a project to help them acquire more wheelchairs. She elicited the help of physiotherapists at an Australian physiotherapy school near her and they are currently in the needs analysis stage of the project. Emily has found a creative way […]

Phil and Mike are back for another COVID-19 Update. We discuss current status of the COVID-19 pandemic, where some countries are at in terms of their response, how we can be better advocates for our role as physiotherapists, what research is being produced, and more! You don’t want to miss this excellent update! Contact Krysta: […]

Alex Sterling is a Clinical Counsellor based in Victoria, BC, Canada. She shares with us some excellent tips on how to help support your friends, family members, clients and your own mental health during this time and as we move through the pandemic together. She has ample experience with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and shares […]

Tune in to our wonderful podcast volunteer, Irena Djordjevic, describe her current work and living situation in France. She describes what it’s like to be on a full lock down and still work from home. She is a Public Health professional who is actively working on the COVID-19 pandemic response. It was such a pleasure […]

An update on the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the role of physiotherapy. Tune in for some practical ways to get involved in this global health emergency. Website: www.ptcovid19.org Twitter: @ptcovid19 E-mail: globalphysiopodcast@gmail.com

Voluntourism is a popular way to volunteer time and resources abroad. It is usually when an individual combines travel with some form of volunteer work. Listen in to understand the intricacies of these voluntourism opportunities and to learn that, despite best intentions, these trips are usually harmful. Emily speaks from the point of view of […]

Bonus episode discussing the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode contains lots of useful information for anyone interested in learning more about the COVID-19 virus. In particular, Mike shares insights on how we, as physiotherapists and rehabilitation professionals can be involved in the management of this health crisis. As physiotherapists we can be leaders in the control […]

Join me in welcoming Dr. Crystal Frazee to the podcast! We talk all about mind-body medicine and how Crystal integrates this into her practice. She believes that there is a place for mind-body medicine in every physiotherapist’s practice. She provides real-life examples on how this approach has helped her clients function in their lives and […]

Tune in as Krysta and Phil reflect on what 2019 was like for them both personally and professionally. They talk about lessons they learned and how they will apply them in 2020. They also discuss the important topic of barriers to participate in global health (GH) work. From financial, to social, to self-imposed pressures. Phil […]

Anik has had an extensive career in Global Health from her first experiences in Haiti, to Afghanistan, Kenya, and more. Her career has the common thread of education including clinical education and training the trainer. Her description of what life can be like on deployment is both captivating and informative. Through her global health work […]

Raphael has done extensive work in the area of health policy and governance including mental health policy in Canada and Tobacco Control Policy across many countries such as Brazil, Philippines, Zambia, Kenya, Malawi, Indonesia and is recently starting a project in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. In this episode you will learn about health governance and how […]

Follow along as Matt describes his career trajectory in Global Health and how he ended up researching bioethics. He shares many words of wisdom and excellent advice for anyone pursuing a career in Global Health and humanitarian work. Resources mentioned: Here are some books about rehab and ethics: Kornblau, B. L., & Burkhardt, A. (2012). Ethics […]

Chantal Camden discusses her efforts in helping provide equitable access to health services for children. She enlightens us on the various barriers to access of services that some children might face and it may surprise you that it’s not just financial and location dependent. She talks about a project she is working on to help […]

Mathieu is currently working on a PhD at McGill University in Canada. He has ample experience working in Global Health and his experiences led him to a desire to answer a big question in his research. Join our conversation as he depicts his research and gives incredible nuggets of wisdom for those pursuing a career […]

James draws on years of experience in Global Health (GH) as an Occupational Therapist to depict to the listener specifics of his GH work with NepalAbility and the burden of disease in Nepal. We go on to discuss how this applies not just to Nepal, but on a global scale. NepalAbility website: http://www.nepalability.org Global Health Division […]

Michèle describes her progression from working as a registered nurse in Canada, to working for Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) abroad, to now going back to school for a Masters of Public Health degree at the University of British Columbia in Canada. She describes the benefit of consolidating her skills working in Canada first […]

We delve into what health coaching is, how it helps your clients and how you can get into health coaching right away and in the future. Dr. Crystal Frazee is passionate about helping women with pain. She has many skills that she implements in her practice, including health coaching. I also take the time to […]

Join the president of the World Confederation of Physical Therapy (WCPT), Dr. Emma Stokes, as she discusses the importance of professional associations, global policy change, young physiotherapists as leaders and where she sees physiotherapy in the future. We discuss some of the many initiatives WCPT is working on and mention the Database of Volunteers and […]

This episode summarizes the advice taken and lessons learned from the many incredible podcast guests. What have we learned from the podcast so far? Find out from your host, Krysta Wark. She shares her key lessons learned from both on-air and off-air interactions with guests. She attempts to answer the question that started the podcast in […]

Yoga can be used by Physiotherapists as a way to teach the movement of the pelvic floor and to treat many pathologies including; pelvic pain, stress urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, constipation, and sexual dysfunction. In an attempt to elevate our knowledge as a profession and share home exercise routines for clients, Shelly Prosko has built […]

Many physiotherapists around the world treat pain. When pain becomes chronic, it can be difficult to treat and often very frustrating for our patients. Neil Pearson utilizes his knowledge of the efficacy of Yoga Therapy in addressing the pain of his patients. He has spent much of his time passing on this knowledge both to patients […]

When returning home from deployments, experiencing reverse culture shock is common. Listen to Johana Amar discuss this important topic with our Podcast Operations Director, Yehia Abdelkader. Apply for the Global Health Division bursary here: https://physiotherapy.ca/awards-grants-bursaries-1https://physiotherapy.ca/sites/default/files/ghd_global_physiotherapy_bursary_0.pdf Contact us: globalphysiopodcast@gmail.com Global Health Division: https://physiotherapy.ca/divisions/global-health-division

Physiopedia offers an online Global Health Course through their Physioplus platform. Listen to one of the co-founders, Rachael Lowe, discuss how Physiopedia strives to improve global health through universal access to physiotherapy knowledge. Her and her team have developed an online Global Health course tailored towards physiotherapists (you can find it here). Prepare yourself to […]

Follow along with Shaun’s description of his journey from field work in Haiti to research in Zambia. Along the way he has gained important insights that he shares with the listeners. Resources: Shaun’s blog: https://disabilitykwabulozi.wordpress.com/2018/08/19/sometimes-it-might-be-useful-to-be-long-winded-maybe/ globalphysiopodcast@gmail.com https://physiotherapy.ca/divisions/global-health-division Please donate: gf.me/u/ijnukv

Join us for a discussion on Telerehabilitation that spans from outreach visits to robots! It’s no secret that Dr. Brenna Bath and Dr. Stacey Lovo Grona from the University of Saskatchewan are passionate about what they do. Resources: globalphysiopodcast@gmail.com stacey.lovogrona@usask.ca https://physiotherapy.ca/divisions/global-health-division gf.me/u/ijnukv

Listen to Gail describe her experience working in rural Canada and overseas. She emphasizes the importance of working as a generalist while growing a list of specialist contacts. Her experience in rural Canadian communities has served her well abroad. Don’t miss this interesting episode! Please help support the podcast at: gf.me/u/ijnukv Check out job postings […]

Hilary developed a long-term working relationship with an organization in India called Samuha. This lead to the start of the Samuha Overseas Development Association (SODA) to provide financial support for the disability programs run by Samuha. You can hear the passion in Hilary’s voice as she describes the life-changing experience of being involved in the […]