A team of physiotherapists at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have transformed insights from the ARC NWC Rapid Conversions of Evidence Summaries (RaCES) programme into practical knowledge-sharing within their service, strengthening evidence-based care for patients experiencing musculoskeletal pain.

Working under the guidance of James Hill, Senior Research Fellow at ARC NWC’s Methodological Innovation, Development, Adaptation & Support (MIDAS) theme, the group developed two research commentaries. The first explored the use of corticosteroid injections for greater trochanteric pain syndrome (a common cause of lateral hip pain), while the second examined shockwave therapy as a potential treatment for coccyx pain.

Their findings were showcased at the Trust’s Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Showcase, where both posters drew attention for combining practical clinical experience with structured academic support.

“We started by looking at the quality of systematic reviews and soon realised how much we could learn from critically appraising them,” said Miriam McCarney, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist. “The process gave us confidence to discuss evidence more deeply and reflect on how it applies to everyday practice. Our work suggests corticosteroid injections can have a useful role earlier in treatment, helping patients engage better with their rehabilitation.”

“With the coccyx pain project, we explored whether shockwave therapy could offer an additional treatment option,” she added. “The research base is still limited, but it’s an exciting area to watch, particularly because it could provide another avenue for patients who haven’t responded to standard approaches.”

For clinicians working full-time, fitting research around patient care can be challenging. The RaCES framework, however, provided the team with structure and mentoring that made it achievable.

“The group worked through each stage methodically, and their persistence paid off,” said James Hill, Senior Research Fellow at ARC NWC. “Their commitment shows how practice-based staff can build confidence in interpreting evidence and, in turn, improve outcomes for patients.”

The team’s findings may also help services work more efficiently. Introducing effective treatments earlier could reduce repeated appointments and empower patients to self-manage symptoms sooner.

The project shows how ARC NWC’s RaCES programme is empowering clinicians to translate evidence into everyday decisions, creating a stronger connection between research and patient experience.