This episode zeroes in on a scenario many physical therapists face: patients diligently following their exercise routines but not seeing the expected progress or recovery.  We discuss thorax, foot, and knee drivers as examples and why there can be holes in someone's program even after they've been doing advanced exercises. Being able to identify the patient's impairments is a good start.  We discuss common strength holes along with typical overactivity patterns in these patients. Susan and...

What is the difference between food allergies and food sensitivities?  Join Susan as she discusses the importance of following the science and taking the guess work out of the food allergy vs. sensitivity issue and why this is important for systemic inflammation.   A glance at this episode: [3:19] Dietary elimination for gut health and food intolerances [9:18] Gluten sensitivity and its impact on IBS symptoms [13:14] Gut microbiome's role in digestion, immunity, and weight gain ...

This episode presents what should be a straightforward case of a significant nerve root irritation. Unfortunately for this client, her situation was not addressed adequately and has left her in a lot of pain for over 3 months.  Join us as Susan presents this client case, what went wrong, and the assessment and intervention with a rich discussion of the path forward.  Here is a Hint: center of mass and chronic loading play a strong part in this story!   A glance at this episode: [2:21]...

In this episode, Erica speaks about prescribing specific exercises based on the difficulty level relative to the region of the body driving the patient's symptoms.  NOT the pain generator.  NOT the area of symptoms.    If someone has knee pain, and their driver is their foot, then the exercise program is geared towards the foot, NOT the knee. SLR's and quad sets won't work here.    She also explores the significance of personalized exercise prescriptions in optimizing recovery outcomes....

In this episode, we discuss the case of a very active woman grappling with SI (sacroiliac) joint pain. These symptoms manifest while walking and with hip external rotation.  Furthermore, the episode unravels the complexities surrounding assessments, especially when individuals seek consultation for a single visit. We also delve into why and when using a pelvic belt is helpful.  Also, for the non-pelvic health therapists out there, we discuss how you can palpate relevant muscles externally...

In this short episode, Susan presents a good algorithm for the examination and interventions in clients with GI dysfunction.  Follow along as she discusses different nuances and considerations in the presence of pelvic and abdominal aspects of GI dysfunction.   A glance at this episode: [0:01] Interventions for GI dysfunction and abdominal pain [2:03] Manual therapy for abdominal and pelvic issues [6:19] Abdominal massage for constipation and pain relief [9:59] Breathing,...

This episode presents a client with a seemingly straightforward diagnosis in pelvic health of overactive bladder (OAB). The history and physical presentation tell a different story.  Join Susan and Erica as they explore why often a regional approach will not help the client progress to their highest levels of function without symptoms. We discuss the various drivers viscerally and MSK regionally and why tendon function and the client's stage of life require the utmost consideration.  Join...

In the episode, Erica explores the strategic use of open and closed-chain exercises for upper extremity dysfunction. She discusses the distinct benefits and applications of each type of movement, shedding light on how these exercises can be tailored to meet specific needs to enhance performance.  She uses an example of a tennis player who suffered from right shoulder pain with radiculopathy. She also tackles the critical question of when to load open-chain versus closed-chain exercises,...

In our latest episode, we explore the fascinating stories of two individuals navigating the challenges of mastering the push-up despite their unique injury history. Both individuals had different pain experiences with this movement.  Remember-What set them up?  What kept them there?  We explore why the push-up experience varied greatly between these 2 people and why it was so unique in these 2 individuals.  "Push" is a part of daily life whether we realize it or not from pushing open an...

This episode is a short compilation of an algorithm in looking at basic outcome measures and pain in GI Dysfunction. Susan explores the basics of the history which can give great insight into the addition of more sophisticated outcome measures and pain exploration. Start with the basics and then expand!   A glance at this episode: [0:01] Evaluating and managing pain in people with GI dysfunction [1:18] Abdominal pain and its relationship to GI dysfunction [4:47] Visceral pain and...

Join us in episode #200 where Susan and Erica explore the potentiality of the balance system as a primary or secondary driver. With a client's history of injury or illness, there is an event that sets up their system for adaptation. Oftentimes, in regional-specific rehab, the balance system is not considered as a driver. What keeps the client in this adapted pattern may be the primary driver; however, the balance system adapts to keep the entire body and physiology upright against gravity....

In this episode, we explore the profound connections between personal narratives and the origins of someone's injury. Join Erica as she delves into the stories of individuals who've experienced persistent injuries, and learn how to find clues in their narrative to help you prioritize the movement assessment and eventually find their driver(s). You will learn how to make the connections between the story and their movement patterning. Through the lens of their injury and movement history, we...

How important are past events to present movement patterns and restrictions? What about past events of herniated lateral discs or hypermobility on the current presentation of the movement system? Clients can heal with faulty movement systems that can show up as new and different presentations in the future. This podcast is from a presentation that links the neuromuscular systems together and provides insight for evaluation and interventions.   A glance at this episode: [0:01] Lumbopelvic...

In this empowering episode, we dive deep into the realm of fear-based movement and explore strategies to help patients conquer their anxieties, helping them move towards a more confident and pain-free existence.  Anxiety and fear of movement are real things and can prevail even when we are termed "fit to play", "fit to move" or "pain-free". Just because someone is pain-free, it doesn't mean that they can move well or move without fear.  We discuss the implications of movement anxiety and...

Discover the art of being an active listener who can pick up clues in your patient's narrative to help you find their driver quicker. This will save you lots of time in your movement assessment. Listen in as Erica discusses how to reframe your patient's story to help you maximize your time with them in the clinic. She discusses clues in their "subjective" that can aid you in prioritizing regions of the body to assess in your movement analysis. This is done with 3 case studies from her...

Welcome to the New Year and one of the topics always discussed by Healthcare providers is burnout and imposter syndrome. Join Susan in this short podcast - Part 2 Taking back your mental fitness. Learn how to identify the voices of your inner Judge and Saboteurs, how to limit their voices, and find a pathway to your Sage Brain!   A glance at this episode: [3:21] Mindfulness techniques for neural plasticity [6:48] Mindfulness and neural pathways for busy people [10:33] Cultivating...

Welcome to the New Year and one of the topics always discussed by healthcare providers is burnout and imposter syndrome. Join Susan in this short podcast episode - Part 1 Taking back your mental fitness. Learn how to identify the voices of your inner Judge and Saboteurs, how to limit their voices, and find a pathway to your Sage Brain!   A glance at this episode: [4:38] Saboteurs in the brain and their impact on decision-making [9:11] Personality types and their impact on work...

Hip pain can be brutal. And more often than not-it's chronic. Not like an acute ankle sprain or even acute low back pain.  People who suffer from hip pain, for whatever reason, sink into the chronic side of musculoskeletal pain.  Let's face it-consideration of lateral hip pain requires a thoughtful clinical reasoning process to discover the physiology/movement patterns as well as neural contributions required to make a diagnosis and successfully build an intervention that lasts.  One size...

In this episode, Susan and Erica discuss the many ways the thorax can be the driver for a multitude of upper and lower extremity issues.  This important region of the body tends to cause a lot of movement dysfunction we often see.  As an example, the thorax is an important component in driving foot pain as well as issues in the pelvic girdle.  Suppose you can get the thorax to move differently. In that case, this can help people down-train old movement patterns that do not serve them and...

Many times, clinicians find that people with correlative GI system dysfunction are very overwhelming. The complexity makes it difficult to know where to begin to intervene.  Join us as Susan discusses some very simple mediations to help improve the GI system with stress, exercise, and sleep. Complex clinical pictures can often change when we address the foundations of health with simple interventions.   A glance at this episode: [1:38] Stress, its effects on the body, and exercise as a...

Susan and Erica welcome Kelly McClain to the podcast to discuss a very complex client with pelvic health, orthopedic, and neurological issues.  Follow along as the client case is presented and we pursue a rich discussion of tying together the systems involved as well as the red flags. Digging deeper into the client's story is key here to help with obvious referrals and also to recognize other systems and issues deeper into the client's history to gain insight.   A glance at this episode: ...

Why doesn't my groin pain go away?  When someone is an athlete, you must understand what regions of the body are challenged with their sport. With soccer, you think of the thorax, foot, hip, and pelvis from the get-go.  Listen in as Erica discusses the movement she and her patient chose to assess and what they discovered.  Short-term treatment of someone's symptomatic region may help in the short term, but getting them back in the game is another matter entirely. When a person has an issue...

Why would someone who is 3 months post-fibular fracture get worse after a basic theraband ankle exercise?  Not everyone needs inversion and eversion theraband exercises.  Right?  This is an in-depth clinical discussion on understanding the "why" hidden in the patient narrative.  And a specific process for assessing the whole foot, not just the ankle.  We also discuss why this patient's center of mass is biased toward her involved side and what implications this has for treatment.   A...

We continue with our GI dysfunction theme in this podcast about food intolerances/sensitivities vs. allergies.  Join Susan as she takes you through the algorithm to understand how to recognize what is the underlying information behind why certain food bothers us and when we should eliminate food.   A glance at this episode: [3:49] Elimination diets for digestive health [7:42] Gluten sensitivity and its effects on the body [11:56] Gut microbiome's role in IBS symptoms and...