PT Good Podcast

Many radiculopathies improve without intervention, many improve with physical therapy, and some do not improve at all. On today's episode of the PT Good Podcast, we discuss management of radicular symptoms that are not affected by movement. This presentation can be difficult to manage as our most effective tool, movement, is not causing a lasting symptomatic response. So, what do we do next? A...

Welcome back to the PT Good Podcast! Today we continue our talk on cervical radiculopathy. We discuss the proposed utility of diagnosing cervical radiculopathy using tools such as the Wainner cluster. We also discuss common treatment methods such as MDT (obviously the best), motor control, mobility, and nerve glides. Many treatments are utilized, but are we as PTs really addressing relevant impair...

On today's episode of the PT Good Podcast, Kane and Mark discuss cervical radiculopathy. They discuss common presentations, the variability in these presentations, and commonly misdiagnosed conditions with overlapping features of cervical radiculopathy. Most importantly, they discuss fully exhausting the cervical and thoracic spines when evaluating patients with upper extremity pain. Disclaimer: T...

Welcome back to the PT Good Podcast. All great clinicians have made mistakes in their professional careers. Kane and Mark are no different, except they aren't great clinicians. Learning from these mistakes is an important part of development. In this episode, Kane and Mark discuss mistakes they made early in their career and what they would focus on if they were to start over. Tips for Clinici...

Lumbar radiculopathy is variable. Symptoms can present in different locations and can be of different qualities. Sometimes, movements or exercises that benefit one person may make another person worse. On today's episode of the PT Good Podcast, Kane and Mark discuss different clinical presentations of lumbar radiculopathy and how each of them are managed. Disclaimer: The views and opinions express...

Radiculopathy! Perhaps the most common presentation in orthopedic PT clinics is people with radicular pain, but what makes it a radiculopathy? Does the assessment or management change if you are dealing with radicular pain, radiculopathy, or both? Kane and Mark discuss these topics and more in regard to radiculopathy on today's episode of the PT Good Podcast! Disclaimer: The views and opinions exp...

The rate of lower extremity joint replacements has steadily increased over time. More and more people with arthritis related knee pain are offered a joint replacement quicker and at younger ages. The quiet knee protocol was recently developed by surgeons at The Hospital for Special Surgery as an alternative to 'standard' rehab. In today's episode of the PT Good Podcast, Kane and Mark dive into the...

Hello, and welcome back to the PT Good Podcast! On today's episode, Kane and Mark discuss running training and preparing clients to run. Beginner to intermediate programing, cross training, and load and volume management are all discussed in this episode, as well as many other topics. If you work with runners or are interested in starting running, this episode is for you! Disclaimer: The views and...

Welcome to the PT Good Podcast! Today's episode marks our first in our series on treating runners and running related injuries. We discuss common injuries, how they're addressed, and fundamentals in running rehab. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our personal beliefs and do not reflect those of our employers or any other professional organizations.

What is Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, also known as 'McKenzie'? Is it a treatment method, assessment tool, or both? Is it just extension? Why does simply bending backwards help some people, but not others? Join Kane and Mark on today's episode of the PT Good Podcast as they discuss MDT and how it has influenced their practice as physical therapists. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed...

Directional preference is a commonly known term and observed phenomenon for most physical therapists. Despite this, the use of directional preference in spine care may not be optimal. In today's episode of the PT Good Podcast, Kane and Mark discuss using directional preference as an impairment to be treated. They discuss placing it at the top of your hierarchy impairments, and exhausting direction...

Today we discuss directional preference, arguably the most important treatment classification. Kane and Mark discuss their thoughts on directional preference being an impairment that much be addressed, similar to reduced range of motion or strength. They each give their own opinions on how they address directional preferences and key aspects of the subjective and objective exam that may signify th...

Today we talk about using the patient classifications in the previous few episodes together. We discuss how each of these presentations can overlap with one another and how patients can fit into multiple categories. Correct classification leads to applying appropriate interventions and better patient outcomes. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our personal beliefs an...

On today's episode of the PT Good Podcast, we continue our series on patient classification. The activity reconditioning category includes many different patients such as those who require graded exposure to movement and those who require general progressive exercise. Like our other categories, symptomatic response, or lack thereof, will guide management of these patients. Disclaimer: The view...

Using exercise to help patients achieve their goals is the foundation of physical therapy. Finding the appropriate dosage for individual patients in order for exercise to be effective is a skill that all clinicians must develop. In this episode of the PT Good Podcast, Kane and Mark discuss the importance of appropriate loading and how to manipulate variables to make exercise effective for your pat...

Welcome back to the PT Good Podcast. Today, Kane and Mark continue their discussion on motor control. They discuss how identifying patients who respond to 'motor control' interventions as defined in the previous episode may lead to better patient outcomes. They also discuss interventions that they use and how they implement motor control exercises for different patient presentations. Discl...

The first episode in our patient classification series! Motor control is a commonly used term in physical therapy practice, but what is it? Is there an agreed upon definition of motor control or is it a poorly defined, subjective term? How is motor control implemented in PT practice? Join Kane and Mark and today's episode of the PT Good Podcast where they discuss various topics regarding motor...

The final episode of our total joint series! Kane and Mark discuss various topics regarding joint replacements such as go to interventions, knowing when a patient has reached their maximum level of function, and if it is realistic to return to high impact activities such as running after lower extremity joint replacement. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our persona...

Welcome back to the PT Good Podcast! In this episode we continue our discussion on total joint replacements. Regaining range of motion is an important goal after surgery. How much motion is necessary and how much do we expect to gain, especially in patients who were limited before surgery? What are the patient's options if range of motion isn't progressing? Kane and Mark also discuss how and when...

Total joint replacements are among the most common conditions seen in a PT clinic. In recent years, the rate at which these surgeries are being performed has increased dramatically and the average age of patients receiving a total joint replacement has decreased. Join Kane and Mark on today's episode of the PT Good podcast as they talk about various joint replacement topics such as the value of pr...

The online rehab world can be hard to navigate. A constant flow of people demonstrating different assessments, exercises, and manual techniques can be overwhelming. Learning how to sift through this information and separate the good from the bad can significantly improve professional and personal development. Join Kane and Mark on today's episode of the PT Good Podcast where they discuss how they...

After months of agreeing with each other, Kane and Mark have decided to talk about their differences. On this episode of the PT Good Podcast, Kane and Mark discuss the differences in their practices and how they both use these differences to learn from each other. Disclaimer: The views and opinions discussed in this podcast are our own personal beliefs and do not reflect those of our employers or...

With endless amounts of interventions and approaches, physical therapy can become confusing not only for the provider, but also for the patient. In this episode of the PT Good Podcast, Kane and Mark discuss the beauty in applying simple concepts and how these concepts can aid in patient care. Disclaimer: The views and opinions discussed in this podcast are our own personal beliefs and do not refle...

With increased access to physical therapists comes increased responsibility. Knowing how to identify red flags and conditions which require immediate medical intervention, or those that simply need to be referred to a different provider, can be difficult. On today's episode of the PT Good Podcast, Kane and Mark discuss red flag identification and when to refer. Disclaimer: The views and opinions e...

Hello and welcome to the pilot episode of the PT Good Podcast. We are your hosts, Kane and Mark. We are orthopedic physical therapists looking to improve the standard of care in physical therapy. In this episode, we discuss our motivations and goals in regard to physical therapy and why we decided to start this podcast. Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this podcast are our personal beliefs an...