Matt Phillips wraps neuroaffirmative MSK series

Matt Phillips has published the final installment of his neuroaffirmative musculoskeletal practice series, closing a run of posts aimed at clinicians working in everyday MSK care. In a September 8 post on X, Phillips said Part 10 was out and linked readers to the piece on Substack. (x.com) The series sits within his broader publishing work on communication, behaviour and neurodiversity in clinical practice. Phillips presents the material as a resource for clinicians rather than a research paper or formal guideline. (mattphillipseducation.substack.com) ### Who is Matt Phillips writing this series for? Matt Phillips’ Substack describes his work as writing about how clinicians understand — and misunderstand — communication, behaviour and neurodiversity in practice. (x.com) That framing places the series inside day-to-day clinical encounters rather than specialist neurodevelopmental services alone. His older Substack biography also says he hosts the STA Clinician Podcast, which he describes as a weekly conversation to help MSK clinicians move toward more modern, evidence-informed practice. That gives the series a clear audience: clinicians in musculoskeletal rehabilitation who are trying to update how they talk, educate and structure care. (x.com) ### What does “neuroaffirmative” mean in this MSK context? The public description on Phillips’ neurodiversity page says the series explores what it means to work in musculoskeletal practice within a neurodiverse world and focuses on how neurodivergent patients experience MSK care. (mattphillipseducation.substack.com) The same page says the project is concerned with what clinicians notice, assume and do in ordinary consultations. That framing suggests the series is less about adding a separate treatment pathway than about changing routine practice. In Phillips’ description, the emphasis is on the clinical encounter itself — communication, interpretation of behaviour, and how care is delivered. (mattphillipsrunchatlive.substack.com) ### What practical shift is Phillips trying to push into routine rehab? The series description says it is about everyday MSK practice, not an abstract discussion of neurodiversity. That makes the project relevant to standard consultations where clinicians explain pain, set expectations, discuss behaviour and guide movement. (mattphillips.education) The card briefing and Phillips’ public framing point to a model built around neurobiology-aware communication, pain education and movement exposure in regular MSK appointments. Those are familiar elements of contemporary rehabilitation, but Phillips is presenting them through a neuroaffirmative lens that centers how patients process information, interaction and sensory demands. (mattphillips.education) ### Why does a 10-part format matter here? Part 10 matters because it marks the end of a structured series rather than a one-off post. Phillips’ neurodiversity page describes the project as a multi-part exploration of MSK practice in a neurodiverse world, indicating that he has been building the argument across successive entries. (mattphillips.education) A series format also lets a clinician-author move from definitions and framing into applied examples. Phillips’ broader Substack positioning — centered on clinician understanding, communication and behaviour — fits that stepwise approach. (x.com) ### Where can clinicians read the final installment? Phillips linked Part 10 through his September 8 X post, directing readers to his Substack. His main Substack publication is listed as “Matt Phillips | Education,” and the neurodiversity material is also indexed through his website. The next concrete step for readers is straightforward: Part 10 is now live on Phillips’ Substack, and the rest of the series is grouped with his neurodiversity-focused writing for clinicians. (mattphillips.education) (x.com) (mattphillipseducation.substack.com)