No Plateau Podcast

In this episode of the No Plateau podcast, host Henry Hoffman sits down with physiatrist and researcher Dr. Paul Winston to talk about cryoneurolysis, an emerging treatment that is gaining attention in neurorehabilitation. Dr. Winston breaks down how this minimally invasive technique works and why it is generating excitement among clinicians treating spasticity. Using a probe that delivers extreme...

In this episode of the No Plateau Podcast, host Henry Hoffman dives deep into one of the most misunderstood and impactful challenges in neurorehabilitation: spasticity. Joined by nationally recognized physiatrist and researcher Dr. Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, the conversation goes far beyond definitions to explore how spasticity truly affects function, quality of life, access to care, and long-term...

In this episode of the No Plateau Podcast, host Henry Hoffman sits down with occupational therapist, researcher, and educator Annie McCluskey to unpack the neurorehab lessons she wishes she had known as a new grad. With over 30 years of experience in stroke and brain injury rehabilitation, Annie brings a refreshingly honest perspective on how practice has evolved and where clinicians still get stu...

In this episode of the No Plateau Podcast, Henry Hoffman sits down with Amber Walter, Clinical Science Director, and Caitlin Wright, Occupational Therapy Advisor at Sheltering Arms Institute, to dig into one of the biggest debates in stroke rehab: should therapy focus on restoring movement, or teaching patients to adapt with compensatory strategies? But on the other hand, if therapy leans too much...

In this episode of the No Plateau Podcast, host Henry Hoffman is joined by Amanda Saylor, an occupational therapist specializing in neurological rehabilitation, to discuss Vivistim Therapy, a groundbreaking treatment for chronic stroke survivors with upper limb deficits. Vivistim combines vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with intensive therapy to enhance neuroplasticity and improve arm and hand funct...

Are you or someone you know working towards recovery and looking for effective ways to break through barriers? In the world of rehabilitation, evidence-based practices are making a significant impact, especially within the field of occupational therapy. "We really have to take the time as educators to be willing to modify our courses, stay up to date on evidence, and make sure that we're using the...

What steps are necessary to establish a program for managing shoulder subluxations in a healthcare facility? In today’s episode, we dive into the topic of creating a stroke shoulder subluxation program in acute and subacute settings. This is a topic of interest for many therapists, yet it's often overlooked in most facilities. To shed more light on this topic, we are joined by Jenna Barber, who ha...

This week, we are talking about activity-based training, what it is, what the benefits are, and how this practice's guidelines and progress compares against stroke therapy and patients. Darci Pernoud is an OT going on 18 years and has immense experience working with spinal cord injury patients in her very own gym. This week on the No Plateau Podcast, she speaks with Henry about ABT, patient recove...

In this episode, we delve into the critical nature of the first few weeks following a stroke and how the type of care and approach can greatly impact the outcome of a patient's recovery. Our guest, occupational therapist Cortney Jessee, provides a detailed overview of the inpatient rehab process, offering useful insights and tips for therapists, caregivers, and patients alike. “The problem is that...

The topic of today's discussion is spasticity treatment after stroke, a condition affecting up to 40% of first-time stroke patients. Our guest, Dr. Samuel Milton, specializes in this treatment and offers invaluable tips to patients and therapists. According to him, spasticity treatment after stroke requires clear objectives, cautious consideration of treatment options, and proper aftercare techniq...

What does aphasia treatment look like? In this episode, we talk with speech-language pathologist Abbe Simon M.A., CCC-SLP, whose professional work has been focused on helping to treat communication disorders, specializing in evaluating and treating aphasia. “One of the most important things I must stress and hope that the listeners take away from this: Aphasia does not affect intellect, one’s inte...

Jessica Miller, neuro-based occupational therapist and founder of Pathways Neuro Rehabilitation & Education, is back for another No Plateau Podcast episode!  If you’re an avid listener, you’ll remember Jessica from the first season when she came to discuss the importance of comprehensive education for caregivers and patients. With her experience as an OT, she’s walked through the transition back t...

After a stroke at 38, Keith Taylor struggled to rebuild some of his life and move through recovery. As he worked to process his identity and the entire experience, a dark season of depression followed. In this episode, he’s joining me to discuss surviving his stroke, picking up the pieces after the fact, and how he came to found Strength After Stroke, a mental health resource and program for fello...

Welcome to Season 2 of the No Plateau Podcast! We’re excited to kick off this next season with speech and language pathologist Teresa Biber LoMonte to discuss how she developed the Biber Protocol and the ways it’s actively helping individuals and stroke survivors recover.  Teresa specializes in working with patients that experience facial paralysis, dysphonia, and dysphagia, and she begins by brea...

What comes after you survive a traumatic stroke, and how do you get the information you need to recover?  Author, graphic artist, blogger, and founder of the Stroke Angel Project Skip Batchelder and his family were met with that same uncertainty after he survived his stroke in 2021. It became evident to Skip pretty quickly in the busyness of his hospital stay that there was a lack of accessible an...

What Austin and his father Chris Harrell thought was a typical July day in North Carolina became a life-changing moment when 18-year-old Austin suffered a stroke.  On today's episode, they discuss Austin’s stroke, Chris’ transition to becoming a caregiver, what he felt when his son was in the hospital, and how their dynamic influenced Austin’s recovery process.  “The idea of walking into the recov...

How do we connect with and support those who have survived a stroke on the long road to recovery?  On today’s episode, career development coach and author of Stroke Dialogues: Conversations with Dad Jeri Goldstein discusses how she cared for her father after his stroke, how her memoir came to fruition, and how her background informed the way she approached his recovery.  “It’s also the enthusiasm...

As medical science progresses, there are more and more resources, tools and education available for stroke survivors and caregivers.  But for OTs, continuing education can be hard to come by, or difficult to apply to the real-life patients they’re assisting.  Today’s guest, Jessica Miller, is an OT and certified brain injury specialist who experienced this firsthand over her 19-year career – and s...

The stroke recovery process can be frustrating and overwhelming. What can survivors do to stay motivated? And how can caregivers know when to give them that little nudge forward?  Today’s guest, Christopher Gaskins, is a neuroscience and cognitive science PhD candidate, a neurorehabilitation OT, a certified stroke rehabilitation specialist, and the founder of two neurotherapy-based companies. He’s...

For many of us, the first time learning about stroke is after one has already happened. And when you’re trying to understand all the complexities, while dealing with doctors and insurance and the day-to-day obligations of life, it can be hard to see a way forward – whether you’re a caregiver, or just experienced a stroke yourself.  Today, we’ll get to hear from two guests whose individual stroke e...

For many stroke survivors and their families, the stroke recovery process can feel isolated. After leaving the hospital, finishing as much outpatient therapy as your insurance (hopefully) allows, and finding an at-home care routine, the road to healing can start to look lonely.  “I could see in his eyes, like he was still with me, you know, even though he couldn't communicate and he had no idea wh...

A lot of us dream of being the best – and unfortunately, a lot of us end up disappointed.  But what if we started dreaming instead of simply being better? Just a little bit, each day, better than we were the day before? For stroke survivors, this small change in thinking can mean a huge difference. It has for our guest Bill Monroe, who survived a blood clot in his basal ganglia in 2017.  Today, Bi...

It takes nerve to start your own company – and when you start a nonprofit, more than a little heart.  Occupational therapist Carolyn Brown is the founder and executive director of StrokeOT, a nonprofit which began as a pilot program during her capstone research as a doctoral student in 2020.  Since then, it’s blossomed into a major resource that helps stroke survivors around the world access inval...

You know what they say about when you’ve seen one stroke survivor?  You’ve seen one stroke survivor.  In other words, nobody who’s had a stroke is the same – and no approach, tool, or exercise is ever quite one-size-fits-all, either. What works for one patient might not be right for another.  As therapists and caregivers know, this can be extremely frustrating.  So today’s episode is for people wh...

In 2022, mobile therapy is the name of the game – not only for patients, but for the OTs who treat them.  Today’s guest, OT Tiffany Topp, started mobile therapy practice Next Dimension Rehab in 2020, and has seen the difference firsthand.  “Patients, when they're coming out of the hospital, they've been told things like, ‘Well, you know, whatever you have after three months is pretty much what you...