JOSPT Insights

Can you tell a bone stress reaction from a stress fracture? What is safe cross-training for the athlete with bone stress injury? Dr Stuart Warden joins Drs Chelsea Cooman and Dan Chapman to map out the key principles for rehabilitation of low-risk bone stress injuries: (1) manage load, (2) consider healing supplements, (3) maintain fitness, (4) address muscle function, (5) recommence and progress...

Delivering quality musculoskeletal rehabilitation practice is a balancing act of art and science. Dr Jason Beneciuk, physical therapist and clinical research scientist at Brooks Rehabilitation and University of Florida, understands the challenges—and he’s here to offer practical solutions. Find the article "What does best practice care for musculoskeletal pain look like?" (Lin et al 2020) here: ht...

Concussion can loom as an intimidating and daunting challenge—there’s much to consider from headaches to heart rates, vision to vestibular function. Dr Kathryn Schneider is at the front line of clinical practice and research in return-to-sport after concussion. Today, she shares her tips to help the JOSPT community feel confident, not confused, about concussion. For more, check out the Berlin Conc...

Dr Tracy Blake joins us from a pre-Olympics training camp to give us an inside look at how she and her high-performance team have supported Canada’s men’s volleyball team to reach Tokyo in peak condition. Lockdowns, travel bubbles, COVID tests, and long stints living out of a suitcase: the life of a pandemic-era team physical therapist.

Dr Todd Davenport joins Drs Chelsea Cooman and Dan Chapman to share the headlines from the fresh, updated clinical practice guideline (CPG) for lateral ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability. We discuss the advantages of prophylactic bracing, how ankle dorsiflexion influences mechanics, the importance of neurodynamic control, and why ice is no longer #1. Download the CPG here: https://www.jos...

How many times have you reached for the explanation that pain hurts when the brain concludes that the body’s tissues need protecting from an external threat? Specialist clinician and pain educator Laura Rathbone wants to challenge the nociception view of pain and invite clinicians to cultivate a philosophy of pain. For more, check out these links: NoiJam blog: https://bit.ly/35RFH02 Philosophers C...

Quality musculoskeletal rehabilitation covers more than whether the athlete can run, jump, and land without pain or swelling. But how comfortable do you designing a rehabilitation program to train the brain as well as the body? Ohio University’s Dustin Grooms explains how to harness neuroscience in your sports injury rehabilitation programs and shares his tips for using the latest virtual reality...

Physical therapists Linda Truong and Christina Le share their evidence-based approach to group rehabilitation for athletes of all ages and abilities. The Functional Agility Strength Training (FAST) program is a tailored approach that balances and promotes the physical and mental sides of recovery after serious injury such as ACL tear. Tune in for tips on how you can set up your own group-based pro...

Dr Rob Landel boils down the 75 pages of the concussion clinical practice guideline (CPG) into a 25 min podcast episode. He highlights the key points from the CPG—including how to plan and deliver effective assessment (complete with chart), an efficient way to organize clinical information—and offers practical tips on how to educate patients and take irritability into consideration when choosing i...

More than 10 million people across the world are living with the long-term consequences of COVID-19. But the crushing fatigue experienced by so many with long COVID—the postexertion malaise—is not new. People have lived with postviral illness and postexertion malaise, and they've faced stigma and harm for decades. Sabrina Poirier and Dr Simon Décary are working tirelessly to ensure the mistakes an...

Have you pivoted to telerehabilitation during the coronavirus pandemic? Are you wondering what the digital future of musculoskeletal rehabilitation is? Professor Kim Bennell leads a multidisciplinary team designing, implementing, and studying telehealth for musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Join her for a run-down of the key issues to consider when you’re planning and delivering telerehabilitation a...

Dr Saurab Sharma knows first hand the challenges and opportunities of working across different cultures and in different resource settings. From his work as a physical therapist in Nepal, to his research at University of Otago, and his current work at Neuroscience Research Australia, Saurab is committed to improving the lives of people living with chronic pain. Tune in as Saurab shares his ideas f...

“If we’ve learned anything from all these different studies, it’s that different meniscus tears behave differently, require different treatment, and ultimately have a different prognosis.” Dr James Dreese is an orthopedic surgeon at MedStar Health in Baltimore, MD, who joined Chelsea and Dan to share his thoughts on how different meniscus tears in different locations in the meniscus might influenc...

How do you start a clinical consultation, and what do you do with the information that comes from the patient’s story? Jo Belton and Professor Pete O’Sullivan are tireless advocates for patient-centered care in the truest sense of the phrase. They share their insights on building authentic connections with patients—how to be a human to a human.

The Dutch COMPARE trial landed in BMJ at the end of February 2021, adding much needed weight to the nuanced discussion of best treatment for ACL injury: early surgery versus exercise therapy first with the option for late ACL reconstruction if needed. Leading clinician-researcher Dr Hege Grindem dissects the key results and shares her views on who succeeds without ACL reconstruction.

When 2 in every 3 people with a musculoskeletal condition also have at least one other underlying health condition, it’s time for rehabilitation clinicians to up our game in understanding complex health needs. Thankfully, Professor Søren Skou is here to help. Who is best placed to help patients manage their complex health needs? And is exercise—the veritable polypill—always the answer? Link to the...

Dr Claire Minshull joins Drs Dan Chapman and Chelsea Cooman to unpack rate of force development (RFD): what it is, what it isn’t, and how to measure it. We take a deep dive into how fatigue affects RFD, differences between the sexes, potential implications for injury, and the best ways to incorporate RFD training into your rehabilitation plans.

Join IFOMPT Vice President Paolo Sanzo for his interview with IFOMPT President Laura Finucane on assessing and managing red flags in practice, and how you can add the international framework for screening for serious spine pathology to your practice tomorrow. Over 50,000 people have downloaded the framework for free from the JOSPT website (https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2020.9971). Thanks...

Sports podiatrists and researchers Dr Katrine Kryger and Dr Athol Thomson raise the profile of footwear for improving athletes’ health and performance. Today’s episode jumps into the impact of footwear in sport—how the right footwear can help athletes avoid injury, what athletes should look for when selecting footwear, and the long overdue investment in footwear specifically for women athletes.

A healthier society for less cost? Value-based health care aims to achieve just that by focusing on what matters to patients. Dr Chuck Thigpen from ATI Physical Therapy unpacks value in musculoskeletal care, the rehabilitation clinician’s role in delivering best care, and why you need to be a good team player.

What happens when your ACL rehabilitation plan isn’t going as well as you hoped? In this follow up to episode 25, Dr Erik Meira shares his thoughts on some of the more challenging issues in ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation. We discuss rehab after second and third ACL tears, sleepy quads, underdosing, and concurrent meniscus repair, and aim to help you find concrete solutions.

If you thought concussion was all about big hits in collision sports like rugby and American football, then think again. Dr Kerry Peek— physical therapist, strength and conditioning coach, and researcher—is committed to protecting the next generation of young soccer/football players. Tune in for the latest on exercise programs to prevent concussion in youth athletes.

Dr Sarah Haag brings her engaging brand of practical tips and her down-to-earth demeanor as she demystifies how to assess and treat the pelvic floor, whatever the clinical setting. No longer fear the pelvic floor—instead, head into the clinic this week confident in your skills.

Dr Erik Meira joins Drs Dan Chapman and Chelsea Cooman to discuss ACL rehabilitation at every stage: acute, strengthening, plyometric, and returning to sport. Dr Meira breaks down the typical timelines and priorities, shares his favorite interventions, and outlines progression criteria for each stage of rehabilitation.

Don’t let managing Achilles tendon rupture become your Achilles heel. In Part 2 of this 2-part series on managing Achilles tendon problems, JOSPT Editor Dr Karin Silbernagel outlines the foundations for quality rehabilitation planning, load progression, and return to high performance in sport. Achilles tendon rupture need not sound the death knell on the athlete’s career.