The Shoulder Physio Podcast

#61: What is a physiotherapist?

The Shoulder Physio Podcast

Show Notes

What is a physiotherapist? Strip away the hands, the exercises, the modalities, what's left? In this episode I argue that the "fixer" identity, the clinician who finds what's broken and corrects it, isn't where our profession came from. It's something that was selected into us through a century of professional politics and reductionist thinking. Drawing on the history of physiotherapy, Newell's constraints framework, self-determination theory, and Gopnik's gardener, I make the case for a different identity: the clinician who sets the conditions for an active, adaptive person to recover and even flourish.

Register for the complete shoulder online course

Register for The Complete Clinician Mentorship

Connect with Jared:

Jared on Instagram: @‌shoulder_physio

Jared on X: @‌jaredpowell12

See our Disclaimer here: The Shoulder Physio - Disclaimer

More from The Shoulder Physio Podcast

Oct 20, 2026

Jared is joined by Professor Chad Cook who is one of the great researchers and academics in the field of physical therapy.

Sep 29, 2026

Jared is joined by Professor Jeremy Lewis who really needs no introduction but we will give him one just for fun.

Sep 15, 2026

The supraspinatus is one of the most misunderstood muscles in the human body. This episode aims to correct that.

Sep 1, 2026

A peanut isn't dangerous until it meets someone who can't tolerate it. Same with the upright row exercise. This episode scrutinises the "worst exercise for your shoulder" claim by tracing it back to a theory that's already dead, then shows what determines outcome: the person lifting. Shock. Horror.

Aug 4, 2026

Jared is joined by Tim Cook who is Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at the University of Chichester, Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner in the NHS, and doctoral researcher to discuss their new paper with Prof. Jeremy Lewis in the Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy: "Rethinking strength testing in rotator cuff-related shoulder pain: a clinical tradition that lacks muscle."

See all episodes →