Episode 17: Emily Walker - A mediation analysis of patient-led goal setting & pain education for chronic low back pain

This was a fantastic chat with emily about this paper (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40987621/), which was a mediation analysis of a previous trial (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30808666/). Emily was the lead author and walks us through what mediation is and why it is important for clinical trials, what this study found, what it means for clinical practice, and what is next! Emily and I get into some great discussion around relevant clinical strategies that can be derived from this paper (and other relevant literature) as well as some healthy banter along the way. This episode is a great listen & make sure to keep posted for a follow up ep that we talk about toward the end! Emily's bio & where to find her: Emily Walker is a PhD candidate at UNSW and Neuroscience Research Australia, using process evaluation to explore patient-led goal setting and pain science education for people with chronic low back pain. She also spends her time reading about social determinants of pain, health equity, and critical qualitative approaches to health research. Clinically, she works as an exercise physiologist in a multidisciplinary clinic, mainly supporting people with musculoskeletal concerns. She is also an Associate Lecturer at UNSW, where she is involved in subjects on research methods, musculoskeletal health, and special populations. Insta: emwalker_exphys LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-walker-exphys/Blue Sky: emwalkerexphys.bsky.social