Ep256: 'How To Read A Research Paper' with special guest Ben Cormack

The tagline of the Sports Therapy Association Podcast, heard at the beginning of every episode, is "Putting The Evidence Back Into Soft Tissue Therapy". One way of becoming more evidence informed is to keep up with the latest research, but how easy is it to understand a research paper, to be able to judge its quality, reliability, and significance in what we practice in clinic?

In this episode, host Matt Phillips, freshly back from the recent 'Hands On Hub & STA Conference' in Exmouth, is joined by special guest Ben Cormack, founder of Cor-Kinetic, and co-founder of the Better Clinician Project. Ben explains how clinicians can approach and interpret research papers, breaking them down into study types (RCTs, observational, systematic reviews), key method checkpoints (sample size calculations, blinding, recruitment), and how to read results (p‑values, effect sizes, between‑group vs within‑group changes). It's a super valuable listen to any soft tissue therapist who finds the idea of reading a research paper slightly daunting, and also help the already confident therapist go a little deeper into potential red flags that suggest how the study could have been done better. 

The episode also gives information on Cor-Kinetic courses, including the online 'Mentorship Program' that starts on September 29th, and 'The Better Clinician Project'.  

Ben Cormack is a musculoskeletal therapist with a clinical background/qualification in sports therapy, rehabilitation & exercise,  stretching back over 20 years, with a special interest in pain and its relation to movement. His Cor-Kinetic courses have run in over 25 countries globally, working with individual health care professionals, clinics, health services & hospitals, elite sports teams & pain services/organisations. 

Chapter Markers

• 00:00:18 - Welcome to Episode 256 of the Sports Therapy Association Podcast
• 00:01:28 - Reflecting on the Hands On Hub & STA Conference
• 00:02:28 - Supporting Evidence-Based Practice
• 00:03:38 - Introducing Ben Cormack
• 00:04:31 - How to approach Read a Research Paper
• 00:05:48 - Challenges of Understanding Research
• 00:09:10 - Identifying Quality Research Papers
• 00:09:54 - The Importance of Evidence in Therapy
• 00:11:21 - Diving into Research Methodology
• 00:21:37 - Understanding Research Results
• 00:44:10 - Discussing Research Limitations
• 00:53:50 - Announcing Cor-kinetic Mentorship Programs
• 00:57:50 - Closing Remarks and Future Events

Useful Links

• Cor-Kinetic Website
• Instagram: @Corkinetic
• Facebook: @Corkinetic

Next Podcast Episode:

• 8pm Tuesday September 30th: 'Reflection On The Hands On Hub & STA Conference' with Anna Maria Mazzieri, Andy Hosgood and Gary Benson.  

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