The Sports Physical Therapy Academy Podcast

In this episode, I share 3 tips to get more active patients or "athletes" on your schedule consistently. You don't need to obtain your SCS or complete a residency…or design fancy exercises. Working with athletes is simple. They simply want to work with people who understand them and make recovery seamless. If you're a sports physical therapist and want to work with more athletes in your career, yo...

If you've ever designed a rehab program to address movement impairments and simply added weight or reps to increase difficulty, you might be increasing risk for re-injury. All too often orthopedic PTs skip critical phases of strength development. In this episode, I share how sports PTs can enhance outcomes with 1-2 small changes. If you're a sports physical therapist and want to upgrade your rehab...

If you're on the field covering an event, which member of the medical team responds first…and where does the sports PT play a role from injury to return to play? In this episode, I cover where to get training on acute injury management and emergency medicine and how to work seamlessly with a medical team of doctors, ATC, paramedics and more! If you're a sports physical therapist and want to enhanc...

In this episode I share what NOT to do with injuries in the early phase of healing. One of the worst things to do is apply traditional orthopedic principles to acute injuries.  If you're a sports physical therapist and want to avoid making mistakes working with your athletes, you need to tune into this episode. Enjoy! ______________________________ _______ Are you a physical therapist or physiothe...

Have you ever felt stuck in your career or wanted to advance but didn't know how? After personally planning my next year, I share my outline on how to create a comprehensive plan with realistic targets to maximize your professional development.  If you're a sports physical therapist and want to ensure you're on the right path in 2023, you need to tune into this episode. Enjoy! ____________________...

Today, I share how and when to progress athletes faster. There is risk to advancing athletes quicker, but with preparation and the tips I provide, you'll be able to confidently determine if it's the right time for your athletes.  If you're a sports physical therapist and want to provide accelerated rehab using a safe, trusted protocol, you need to tune into this episode. Enjoy! ___________________...

Today, I how and why sports PTs should implement injury prevention screening on their athletes. I walk you through the annual assessment and quarterly check-ins to ensure athletes are performing at their best. If you're a sports physical therapist and want to add more tools to your toolbox when working with athletes, you need to tune into this episode. Enjoy! ______________________________ _______...

Today, I share five critical things sports PTs need to adapt treat the modern athlete in 2023.  While most physical therapists are looking for more "cool" exercises to give to their patients, tune into this episode to learn simple framework to set you up for success without having to rely on exercises as the outcome.  If you're a sports physical therapist and want to make sure you're on the right...

Today, I share six hard decisions every sports PT will encounter throughout their career. Many PTs think treatment techniques and home exercise program progressions will be the biggest barrier to professional growth.  In this episode, I share effective ways to plan for these hard decisions and simple methods to avoid potential challenges in the future. If you're a sports physical therapist and wan...

Today, I share how physical therapists will need to change their approach when treating the modern patients and athletes of today. More and more, patient and athletes spend hours researching the internet before arriving at the clinic. As a result, they are more informed and aware of their treatment options. How does this change the treatment approach for clinicians? You'll have to tune in to the e...

Today, I share the roadmap of professional development as a physical therapist. There are rules of "4 years" in clinical practice. Your professional development within those four years will be determined by your work environment, mentorship, and your personal drive.  Most clinicians find themselves burnt out and have a difficult time advancing to the next phase. If you want to stay motivated and e...

Today, I interview Roy Holmes, renowned strength and conditioning coach. Roy has worked with professional athletes for over a decade and has developed a unique system to help athlete perform at their best. Roy shares his framework and approach to working with elite athletes and NFL combine preparation. He also shares what he looks for when collaborating with physical therapists to ensure outcomes...

Today, I share the syndrome that will limit the professional growth of physical therapists in their careers.  All too often, physical therapists become complacent in their career and find themselves stuck in a rut, depending on annual CEU course to motivate or inspire them.  In this episode I share this unique syndrome, what it is, why it happens, and what to do to avoid it. If you're a PT who wan...

After practicing for 14 years, I've evolved as a clinician and streamlined my treatment strategy and approach. In this episode I share four things I no longer use that were inefficient, not functional, and caused the patient to lose focus. If you're a PT and you want to avoid wasted time on documentation and unnecessary home exercise program design, you need to tune into this episode. Enjoy! _____...

Today, I share the lesson I learned from working with Lex Gillette, a visually impaired sprinter, and long jumper.  Lex has a tremendous amount of trust in the people he works with and I wanted to share that same experience with my team at Sports Performance.  We recently joined Lex and Jerome Avery for a lesson on guide running, but more importantly, the importance of clear communication. In this...

In this episode, I share my day-by-day rehab progression to compete in a CrossFit competition 5 days after an acute calf strain.  I share the tips and lessons I learned and what I will be applying to future patients and athletes.  If you have little exposure to acute injury management or want to add more tools to your toolbox, you need to tune into this episode. Enjoy! ____________________________...

"What do you commonly recommend for aspiring PTs to accelerate their career path within sports physical therapy? After working in professional sports and mentoring sports physical therapists, there are five trends I see in clinicians who are successful in clinical practice. In the podcast episode, I summarize the five ways to accelerate the trajectory in sports PT. If you're an aspiring sports phy...

"What do PT overlook when working with barbell athletes?" There are three simple concepts that PTs miss when treating barbell athletes. In the podcast episode, I share mistakes I've made so you don't have to. If you're a physical therapist and work with barbell athletes, you need to tune into this episode. Enjoy! ______________________________ _______ Are you a physical therapist or physiotherapis...

"What are your best clinical pearls for managing injuries in Olympic weightlifters?" After working with thousands of Olympic weightlifters, I've consolidated treatment progressions into four categories. In the podcast episode, I share the four categories and the step-by-step approach I use with all injured Olympic weightlifters. If you're a physical therapist and work with barbell athletes, you ne...

"What are your recommendations to get CrossFitters out of pain quickly?" There are four simple steps to get CrossFit athletes out of pain quickly and they have nothing to do with exercise selection. If you're a physical therapists who works with CrossFit athletes and you want to improve patient outcomes, you need to tune into this episode. Enjoy! ______________________________ _______ Are you a ph...

"How do you change your treatment approach when working with powerlifters, Olympic weightlifters, or CrossFitters?" These three barbell athletes have distinct differences in range of motion demands, intensity, and training volume. In this episode, I cover three critical things to include in your approach as a physical therapist to maximize patient outcomes. Enjoy! ______________________________ __...

"What do you do differently when treating a CrossFitter? What do you change in your evaluation or treatment?" CrossFitters are a community of athletes who love intensity. They thrive on the gym community members and the variation across workouts. Physical therapists who work with CrossFitters need to know three critical things to maximize outcomes. If you're a physical therapist who works with Cro...

"What are some of the biggest mistakes, wins, and lessons you've learned over the last 14 years as a sports PT?" After traveling the world with professional athletes and working in professional sports, I've learned a lot of lessons along the way. In this episode, I share 6 lessons to help other sports physical therapists avoid my mistakes and streamline their professional development. If you're a...

"If there is an economic downturn, what does it mean for physical therapists?" In this episode, I share how patients and athletes will view physical therapy and I offer solutions for providers to continue to deliver high-quality care despite the uncertainty. If you want to continue to be successful in your role in a possible recession, you need to tune into this episode. Enjoy! ___________________...

"Have you ever made the mistake of pushing an athlete too slow or too fast when returning to sport? Have you ever felt hesitant because you didn't feel confident that the athlete was ready?" There is an art and science to returning athletes back to sport in a short timeline. In this episode, I share mistakes I've made and mistakes I've seen PTs make when transitioning an athlete back to sport. If...