What's one example of a collaboration between physiology and another scientific discipline that led to a breakthrough in your work?

Physiologic tests help physicians to diagnose and treat functional diseases of the body. In neurology, there are many neurophysiologic tests examining peripheral nerves and muscles with electromyography and nerve conduction studies (EMG/NCS) as well as the central nervous system with evoked potentials (EPs) which can assess the visual pathways, somatosensory tracts, auditory pathways, and corticospinal tracts. These tests all have their indications including reassuring patients with intact testing, ensuring these tracts are not damaged during intraoperative neurosurgical monitoring, and detecting lesions which might change a patient's diagnostic and therapeutic management plan. With the help of collaborators in the department of medicine, I independently retrospectively assessed the utility of EMG/NCS and EPs for changing patient management, which was defined as ordering or cancelling tests due to results of testing, stopping or starting medications based on testing, or affecting the patient's disposition to or from the hospital. We found that EMG/NCS are more likely to change management in the inpatient setting when the admission indication matched the indication for testing as well as if symptoms were present for over 3 weeks to maximize diagnostic potential. For EPs, we found that acute onset symptoms of less than 1 month and location of testing performed in the inpatient setting were more likely to change management than for chronic symptoms or symptoms detected as outpatient at our center. We hope to use this data to suggest appropriate times to order this testing and reduce the overall burden of cost on the medical system for those tests which are highly unlikely to change patient management.

One standout example of collaboration between physiotherapy and another scientific discipline in my career was the integration of sports biomechanics into the rehabilitation of elite judo athletes. While touring internationally with the Australian Judo team, I worked closely with sports scientists and biomechanists to analyze the specific physical demands and movement patterns of the sport. Judo involves complex, high impact throws and grappling techniques that require a balance of strength, flexibility, and coordination. By combining my expertise in musculoskeletal health with their data-driven insights, we developed tailored rehabilitation and injury prevention programs that addressed the unique biomechanical stresses athletes face. For example, by identifying asymmetries in hip rotation or landing mechanics, we implemented targeted strengthening and mobility exercises to optimize performance and minimize injury risk. My 30 years of experience in physiotherapy and a strong foundation in sports injury management were instrumental in translating this biomechanical analysis into effective, practical solutions for the athletes. These insights also extended to refining their post-injury return to sport protocols, ensuring they were not only physically ready but also mentally confident to compete at the highest level. This multidisciplinary approach exemplifies the power of collaboration, combining the precision of biomechanics with hands on physiotherapy expertise to achieve outstanding outcomes for athletes. The principles we developed during this collaboration continue to influence the way I approach both sports and general physiotherapy at The Alignment Studio.