2023 Wrap Up
What's been happening in 2023 at DrAlisonGrimaldi.com & what's to come in 2024!
It's been another busy year at dralisongrimaldi.com. Our Hip Academy community continues to grow with hip lovers and hip learners from all over the world. I've had the opportunity to meet some members personally, and many other hip learners on my international travels to Canada and the USA earlier this year, and my extended teaching tour through the UK & Europe in the second half of the year. Around my clinical and staff mentoring roles, I managed to fit in website and social media content development, conferences, workshops, podcasts, ongoing reseach involvement and was awarded my fellowship by the Australian College of Physiotherapists. A very rewarding year, and 2024 is shaping up to be just as busy and exciting.
If you'd like to read a little more about what I've been up to this year, and what's in store for 2024, here are the highlights:
- Another year of 12 HIP Days of Christmas! 12 Top Hip Papers from 2023 + a special Hip Academy offer!
- Achieving Fellowship of the Australian College of Physiotherapists
- Research & Writing
- 2023 Conferences
- 2023 Podcasts
- 2023 Workshops
- Celebrating Hip Academy's 3rd Birthday! And looking at everything new in Hip Academy in 2023!
- Top Hip blogs of 2023
- Talking Hips with Dr Ali topics covered in 2023
- New Foot and Ankle Course + Foot and Ankle Practical Workshop with Dr Melinda Smith!
Let others know why you like dralisongrimaldi.com
I have had some lovely feedback on my teaching travels this year - health professionals letting me know how much they value my website and social media content, and how it has changed their clinical practice in a very positive way.
I'd love to know if you have found value from all the work that I put into bringing this high-quality information to you.
5-star reviews on Google help to improve the reach of a website, so I can also help other professionals and people with hip pain. If you have a spare minute to write just a couple of sentences, I'd really appreciate your review!
12 HIP Days of Christmas 2023!
It's that hip-happy time of year again! The 12 Hip Days of Christmas where I recap 12 key hip papers that have been published over the previous year - 2023. These are papers that have contributed to our understanding of hip conditions and/or the assessment or management of hip, groin or buttock pain.
If you missed the original 12 Top Hip Papers from my 2021 series or the 12 Top Hip Papers of 2022, you can always pop back and brush up on where the reseach has been heading. You can also download free ebooks of each of these series, so you can keep them on file and have them at your fingertips for easy reference. (Just click on the pink text in this paragraph)
The 2023 mini-blog series will contain a specially prepared infographic and key learnings for each paper. These papers are must-reads!! So mark your calendars and join me over the 12 Hip Days of Christmas 2023!
This Series Begins on the 13th of December
+ I have prepared a SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT - find it in the blogs, but only during the 12 Hip Days of Christmas.
Achieving Fellowship of the Australian College of Physiotherapists
In March this year, I was successful in achieving Fellowship of the Australian College of Physiotherapists. The fellowship by original contribution pathway is a 2 year process. It involves the development of an extensive document ( a little like another thesis!) that details the physiotherapist's research journey and how that research has contributed to the physiotherapy and wider community. My 'thesis' centred around 11 papers and a journey of improving understanding, diagnosis and management of gluteal tendinopathy. While time consuming, it was fulfilling to write about this journey and reflect on how far we've come with our knowledge around gluteal tendinopathy - but still much more to do! Thanks to the ACP for recognising the contribution of this work. And thanks to Professor Bill Vicenzino, my fellowship mentor, and all the researchers, physios and patients involved in this fantastic body of work.
Research & Writing in 2023-2024
JOSPT Best Tendon Paper
It was great to see our Moderators & Mediators of LEAP trial effects paper cited as best tendon paper of 2022, in a paper from the recent special tendon edition of JOSPT: The Tendinopathy Game Changers: Five papers from the last five years that just might change how you manage tendons. Our LEAP moderators and mediators paper also won best oral presentation (senior) at the recent international tendon conference (ISTS23) - read more on this below.
In January this year, we also published another secondary analysis from the LEAP trial - an economic analysis. This showed that education plus exercise for persistent gluteal tendinopathy improves quality of life and is cost-effective compared with corticosteroid injection and wait and see - a great message for health administrators, insurers and governments.
I have also just submitted an invited review for Rheumatology Advances in Practice, the official journal of the British Society for Rheumatology, for a special series on Current and future advances in practice: tendinopathies - written with a great bunch of tendon folks. Coming out next year!
This year, I have been working with the Core Outcome Set for Gluteal Tendinopathy steering committee to bring together our work of the last few years - a scoping review, a systematic review and analysis of clinimetric properties of outcome measures for gluteal tendinopathy (great work Tony Nasser!), a Delphi study of expert health professionals, and a patient focus group. We presented this body of work at the recent ISTS conference (read more below), and are hoping to soon have the findings and recommendations published.
Our core LEAP Trial team has also continued to work with Dr Helen French and her team in Dublin on the LEAP Ireland project. The feasibility trial is in full swing with 50% of participants recruited so far. This trial will assess the feasibility of a 6-session LEAP style intervention for gluteal tendinopathy, which we are hoping may then progress to a full-scale trial.
I was also invited to be involved in an interesting project - the CREATE study, being led by Dr Robert Jan de Vos (Erasmus University, Netherlands) and his team, and involving many tendon research experts from around the world. The project is aiming to develop credible explanations of tendinopathy for patients, so we can hopefully develop some consistency in the way information is provided to those with tendon pain. There is much to be done, but the project should a a valuable contribution to the field.
These projects will all be progressing into 2024, so there will be another interesting year ahead.
2023 Conferences
It's been fantastic this year to travel again, and participate in live conferences - so great to see the people you are talking to! It's also nice to be able to mingle, chat and enjoy a conference dinner with other enthusiastic clinicians and researchers. And where that wasn't possible, it's still amazing to be able to contribute online from across the globe.
Keynote at the Orthopaedic Symposium in Winnipeg, Canada, for the Orthopaedic Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, Winnipeg, Canada, 29th April, 2023
- Opening Keynote: Gluteal Tendinopathy – Steps Towards Success
- Panel on Hip & Pelvic Pain with Dr. Kelli Berzuk and Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum
Keynote at OMT Kongress, Stockholm, Sweden, 13-14th October, 2023
- Understanding & Diagnosing Gluteal Tendinopathy
- Management of Gluteal Tendinopathy
It was wonderful to visit Sweden again after so many years. It has such a beautiful old town 'Gamla Stan' - well worth a visit. I hope it is not as long before I can visit again.
6th International Scientific Tendon Symposium (ISTS), Valencia, Spain, 9-11th November, 2023
3 podium presentations, 2 original papers and a symposium.
- Tendon pathology in participants of the LEAP 3-arm randomised clinical trial for gluteal tendinopathy
- An analysis of moderators and mediators of an education plus exercise approach for gluteal tendinopathy
- The symposium - Core Outcome Set - Gluteal Tendinopathy- A Delphi study - was presented by 3 of the COS-GT team - Assoc Prof Angie Fearon, Dr Anthony Nasser and myself.
Best Oral Presentation (Senior) at the 6th International Scientific Tendon Symposium, Valencia, Spain, 9-11th November, 2023
It was a great surprise and honour to be presented with the Best Oral Presentation award for a senior researcher at ISTS in Valencia. This was presenting the secondary analysis on moderators and mediators of the effects of the LEAP trial interventions. Kudos to the research-author team, particularly chief investigator Bill Vicenzino, lead author Rebecca Mellor and Jess Kasza - stats wizard!
Norwegian Institute of Sports Medicine Hip Conference, Oslo, Norway & Online, 23-24th November, 2023
- Understanding & Diagnosing Gluteal Tendinopathy
- Management of Gluteal Tendinopathy
Unfortunately these presentations were online, having just returned from 2 trips to Europe in the last 2 months. Great to be able to contribute from afar though, for over 200 Norwegians who came together in person and online in this great Hybrid hip conference.
2023 Podcasts
It was a busy year for podcasting, and I managed to fit in 4 interviews between clinical practice and teaching. Thanks to all these hosts for the opportunity to Talk Hips! If you missed any of this, click the links or thumbnails to catch up on these podcasts.
Hip & the Pelvic Floor with Alison Grimaldi
Recorded by Carrie Pagliano, Active Mom Podcast
Topics discussed: Establishing collaborative care, relationship between pelvic floor & hip, strengthening the pelvic floor, stress incontinence, using real time ultrasound, “ban the clam”
Dr Alison Grimaldi: Gluteal Tendinopathy – Time to put evidence into Action
Recorded by Karen Litzy, Healthy Wealthy Smart Podcast
Topics Discussed: Painful gluteal tendons; recognising gluteal tendinopathy; load gluteal tendons actively; education and exercise first; reducing provocative positions; improving patient-specific function; listening and tailoring the program; insurance limits treatment options; investing in continuing education.
The pelvic tilt debate: a closer look with Dr. Alison Grimaldi
Hosted by James Armstrong, Physio Network
Topics Discussed: Exploring pelvic tilt and acetabular loading in relation to a paper that was recently published; the dynamic assessment of pelvic tilt and how this can affect other structures around the hip joint; how changing an individual’s pelvic tilt can impact their pain and range of motion during functional tasks such as squatting.
The Physical Performance Show: Dr Alison Grimaldi – Gluteal Tendinopathy Rehabilitation
Recorded by Brad Beer, Pogo Physio
Topics Discussed: Lateral hip pain - gluteal tendinopathy - greater trochanteric pain syndrome definition, symptoms and who is more likely to experience it; The greater trochanter of the hip; How best to assess lateral hip pain; gluteal tendinopathy - greater trochanteric pain syndrome recovery, exercise therapy.
+ LOTS MORE!
2023 Workshop & Lecture Events
In 2023, I presented a hybrid mix of online and practical workshops in Australia, North America, UK, Europe, and Asia.
2023 Online Hip Workshops
Once again this year, I ran 2 online hip workshops, centred around assessment and management of:
These were attended by over 150 health professionals from around the world, benefitting from the flexible format and evidence-based, clinically-relevant content. Even online we can have an interactive environment allowing practice of many techniques, exercises and opportunity for case-based learning. I'll be running these popular workshops again in 2024.
2023 Australian Practical Hip Workshops
All 3 of my one-day practical workshops were presented in Brisbane again this year, with both local and remote clinicians attending.
- Mastering Movement of the Hip & Pelvis - F-2-F
- Anterior Hip & Groin Pain - F-2-F
- Lateral Hip & Buttock Pain - F-2-F
It was also great to be able to visit Coffs Harbour, a regional centre, for 2 days of hip workshops in August.
2023 North America Teaching Tour
It was lovely to visit North America in their spring this year - last time I saw New York it was covered with snow! After the conference keynote in Winnipeg, it was fun to present a post-conference workshop and then head across Canada to New York for 2-days of teaching at Knosis Physiotherapy & Wellness. I'm looking forward to returning in the later half of 2024 for another 2-day workshop.
2023 UK - Europe Teaching Tour
My UK - Europe teaching tour was hectic with 5 days teaching in London, 2 days in Haslemere, and 2 days in Brescia, Italy, all in the first 11 days of the tour. After a short break, I also provided workshops in Zurich, Switzerland and Sandnes, Norway before finishing the trip in Stockholm, for the OMT Kongress.
I also managed to fit in some live online hip workshops for a group in Korea in April, and webinar-workshops into Yamba, Australia and Italy in June. It was great to promote a combined approach to hip and pelvic pain in a lecture for the APA Women's Health group, and do some inter-disciplinary training for the Australian Chiropractors Association. And, as always, I enjoyed guiding the University of Queensland Masters students in problem based learning sessions for the hip region. Always such an engaged group of bright minds and a fantastic post-grad physio course.
2024 Online & International Hip Workshops
In 2024, I will be returning to the UK and Europe and North America. I'll be visiting Europe & the UK in June to present workshops in Norway, Birmingham, London, Windsor and Ipswich. Then I'll be heading to IFOMPT in July to present a symposium and a pre or post conference workshop. In the northern hemisphere Fall, I'll be heading to North America, with dates and locations still to be confirmed but I'll definitely be visiting Vancouver and New York.
Make sure you are on my mailing list to get updates on dates, locations and where to book. You can also visit my events page, to follow updates and venues and dates are confirmed.
For those who are unable to attend a practical workshop, I will also be running my popular live online workshops again for Assessment & Management of Anterior Hip & Groin Pain, and Assessment & Management of Lateral Hip & Buttock Pain.
You can find the confirmed dates so far for scheduled workshops below:
Hip Academy Turned 3!
A Growing Global Community of Hip Lovers & Learners!
Wow! It's 3 years this December since the launch of Hip Academy - my online learning hub and global community. There are still a large group of members who have been in Hip Academy since it's inception, and we've welcomed many new members from all over the world during the last 3 years.
Members have the luxury of gradual learning and reinforcement with ongoing access to all hip courses and video and pdf resources, as well as the live online member meetings where we expand on key topics, tackle tricky issues and provide opportunity for members to share cases.
Thanks to all the members who attended and contributed to the Hip Academy meetings this year! We discussed some great topics, and had some thought-provoking discussions in our case-sharing meetings! All meetings and sessions are recorded, so members can also review past lectures/meetings at any time, resulting in another large library of valuable video content.
I have many more live member sessions planned for 2024, so I'll look forward to seeing members again next year!
In 2023, we continued to build the resource library for Hip Academy members. Below I have provided a breakdown of some of the Hip Academy highlights of 2023. You can also find some of the lovely feedback I have received from our members.
Dr. Alison Grimaldi Hip Blogs of 2023!
Did you catch these cornerstone blogs from 2023? If not, head over to these deep dives into anterior hip pain, lateral hip pain and the pros and cons of hip injections.
This blog explores the causes and contributing factors of Anterior Hip Pain, which are important for optimal outcomes of interventions. The blog discusses the clinical relevance of pathology, morphology and more.
This blog provides an overview of causes, diagnosis and treatment of lateral hip pain. Bringing together some key information on this topic and signpost where you can find more details, and an extensive reference list.
This blog steps through the general risks of injections for hip pain, injection options, benefits, and risks of both intra-articular and extra-articular hip injections.
Talking Hips Series
2023 Episodes
In 2023, I continued with my Talking Hip Series. A weekly video on a wide scope of topics relating to the Hip! These videos contain info-bytes and top hip tips and provide you with information on where you can find further information on these topics within my free blog series.
Mastering Movement of the Foot and Ankle
- New Course + Practical Workshop!
Brand New Foot and Ankle Course
In 2023 we launched a brand new Online Course for the foot and ankle: Mastering Movement of the Foot and Ankle! Dr Melinda Smith, foot and ankle expert clinican-researcher updated and greatly expanded my original Dynamic Stabilisation of the Foot & Ankle Course.
You can now benefit from over 9 hours of bite-sized evidence-based, clinically applied lectures, that you can gradually absorb over 6 months. Mel covers all the details about functional anatomy, assessment and training of both the intrinsic and extrinsic foot and ankle musculature.
Foot and Ankle Blog
This foot and ankle blog, written by Dr Melinda Smith, provided a little taste of the depth and quality in her online course. She reviewed the contribution of foot intrinsics to foot and ankle function and why these small but mighty muscles should be considered in your clinical practice.
Our New Foot and Ankle Practical Workshop
Some of you may have previously attended the foot and ankle ultrasound and exercise workshop I have presented some time ago now. In conjunction with the redevelopment of the foot and ankle online course, Mel and I developed a new 1 day foot and ankle workshop - Mastering Movement of the Foot and Ankle Practical Workshop - presented for the first time in Brisbane this year.
It was a great day talking about muscle and movement of the feet and ankles - one of my other great loves outside the hip! Course participants discovered toes do a lot more than fill up your toebox! Thanks to Dr Melinda Smith for a fantastic and highly practical workshop. Everyone went home with a whole new respect for the foot and a broad new library of assessment strategies and exercises for the foot and ankle. A huge thank you also to everyone who attended our new practical workshop! It was great meeting you all.
Sign up to my mailing list for updates and my MONTHLY HIP FACT FILES - with clinically relevant facts, stats, and featured papers.
