Untold Physio Stories

Is your "3-visit fix" failing on chronic cases? Maybe it’s not the tissue—it’s the ecosystem. In the latest episode of the Untold Physio Stories Podcast, Dr. Wells and I dive into two cases where standard ortho-manual therapy didn't move the needle, but Lifestyle Medicine did. I share a case of a delivery driver with persistent left-sided neck pain. We tried the resets. We tried cerv...

Ever heard of SAM ? No, not the guy from HR—we’re talking about Sustained Acoustic Medicine . 🔊 In this asynchronous deep dive, Dr. Sean Wells () joins me to unpack this "new" wearable, low-intensity continuous ultrasound device that’s making waves (literally) in the rehab world. It’s being touted for everything from knee OA to chronic low back pain, with some literature even suggesting...

Join Dr. Erson Religioso III and Dr. Sean Wells as they break down a complex hip-to-back connection in a competitive golfer. This episode explores how a childhood hip condition manifests as chronic upper back pain in adulthood through the lens of the "X-Factor" swing mechanics. We discuss the importance of screening the entire kinetic chain, the nuances of bony vs. tonal end-feels in the...

Ever feel like you’re trying to evaluate a fish out of water? 🐟 As PTs, we’ve all been there—mimicking a swimming stroke in the clinic air, knowing it’s just not the same as the real deal in the pool. In our latest episode of Untold Physio Stories, Dr. Wells and I dive into a fascinating case of a swimmer whose coach missed a glaring mechanical flaw: crossing the midline. 🚫 We talk about: The &q...

In this episode of Untold Physio Stories, Dr. E and Dr. Sean Wells break down a case that is all too common in youth sports: a talented 14-year-old baseball player caught between a painful hamstring strain and a coach who won't take "rest" for an answer. Dr. Wells shares the story of an athlete who was forced to "circumduct" his leg just to run, all while his coaching staff...

In this episode of the Untold Physio Stories podcast, Dr. E and Dr. Sean Wells talk about how a simple technique can have a huge impact on shoulder mobility. Dr. E shares a story about his daughter, who had limited shoulder range of motion and trunk rotation after a diving accident. After trying several techniques with little success, Dr. E tried a simple PNF variation of sustained cervical retrac...

How do you determine when a leg length discrepancy requires structural intervention? In this episode of Untold Physio Stories , Dr. Wells presents a case study of an 80-year-old patient managing the long-term effects of a complex total hip replacement. Following a revision surgery two decades ago, the patient was left with a 2cm leg length discrepancy on her right side. While she remained active w...

Ever had a patient ask for a full refund after a rock-solid evaluation? 🤦‍♂️ It happened to me. Even after 20+ years of clinical practice and teaching hundreds of therapists, I realized that "good clinical results" don't always equal a "satisfied patient." In this episode of Untold Physio Stories , I’m joined by my good friend Donis Gil from Professional Seminars. We dive deep into the awkward, f...

Ever feel like the PT world is just one big "small world"? 🌎 In this episode of Untold Physio Stories , I’m joined by a long-time peer and fellow manual therapy "survivor," Dr. Paul Vidal . We take a trip down memory lane to the late 90s and early 2000s—back when the S1 course was 5 days of pure intensity, Stanley Paris was throwing shoes out of windows for wearing jewelry on...

Ever meet a clinician who is so married to their "system" that they stop listening to the person in front of them? 🚩 In this episode of Untold Physio Stories , Dr. Sean Wells and I dive into the murky waters of professional networking gone wrong. Sean shares a story about a virtual meet-up with a "posture guru" that went south the second the word "complexity" was utt...

"Don't Assess Yourself." Gray Cook told me that years ago during an SFMA course, but apparently, I needed a painful reminder. I’ve been dealing with this nagging, chronic left-sided low back pain for a while now. Being the "Modern Manual Therapy" guy, I threw the absolute kitchen sink at it: Dry Needling 📍 Shockwave Therapy ⚡ Specific loading & trunk rotation 🏋️‍♂️ Ge...

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: "The patient’s PSIS is 2 degrees higher on the right, so their pelvis is rotated and that’s why their back hurts." In this episode of Untold Physio Stories , we’re diving into the weeds of the Sacroiliac Joint. We’ve all been taught the intricate palpation models, but when we look at the actual kinematics, we’re often talking about movements so sm...

We've been seeing lots of videos and promotion on MSKUS training for PTs. We all love new toys. And let’s be honest, showing a patient their supraspinatus in real-time looks cool. It builds buy-in. It feels high-tech. But does it change what you do Monday morning? Does seeing the calcification actually change your loading protocol? Does the image change the fact that you need to treat the pers...

Let's get real. Every one of us has been there: the patient who churns, the bad review that stings, the demand for a refund. You think it's because your manual therapy technique wasn't perfect or your exercise prescription was lacking. Wrong. In this must-listen episode, Dr. E sits down with cohost Dr. Sean Wells to dissect the uncomfortable truth about business, clinical practice, and...

Why is "conservative care" treated like the alternative, while surgery is the default setting? 🛑 In this episode of Untold Physio Stories , Dr. Wells shares a case of a patient that highlights exactly what is broken in our healthcare system. The patient reached out with a simple, heartbreaking question: "Am I getting the right care?" Here is the patient's timeline before e...

When an acute ankle sprain hobbles into your clinic, do you treat them all the same? 🛑 If you treat a high ankle sprain like a standard lateral inversion sprain, you are going to flare that patient up. Fast. In this episode of Untold Physio Stories , Dr. Sean Wells and I break down two very recent, very acute cases that walked through the door. Case 1: The Classic Lateral Sprain. Patient presente...

Dr. E here with another asynchronous episode of Untold Physio Stories, featuring the great Dr. Wells! We're diving deep into the trenches of chronic elbow tendinopathies, specifically lateral epicondylalgia, and the surprising speed of response in a couple of recent patient cases. What We Cover in This Episode: The Power of Length and Load: We revisit the concept of using isometric contraction...

You know I preach the Eclectic Approach and empowering patients with Self-Treatment Strategies ... but this one was straight out of the McKenzie Method textbook, almost too good to be true. I recently saw a PT with a five-year history of chronic LBP . He initially felt better with extension (press-ups), but that eventually faded and his flexion became painful and limited . Then, he started noticin...

Is your e-stim unit just gathering dust? 🤔 Or are you still just using it as a passive modality? What if you could turn e-stim into a powerful active treatment to get even better outcomes? On the latest Untold Physio Stories podcast, I had an awesome chat with Dr. Sean Wells. We break down exactly how to stop just placing pads and start driving activation . ⚡️ Untold Physio Stories is sponsored...

Why do some patients struggle with their home exercise programs, no matter how simple? It's a question every physical therapist faces. In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Sean Wells to unravel the complex issue of patient non-compliance. We explore the "5 Whys," a powerful yet simple technique borrowed from industrial problem-solving, and adapt it for the clinic. Learn how to pe...

Dr Wells and Dr E talk about feet, toes, cases, exercises and more. Specifically we cover zero drop shoes, should everyone be in them? toe spacers The Toe Pro Exercise device and more! Let us know what you think and if you have any questions/comments.

Dr Wells reviews a recent case of acute post op ACL repair. May be old hat for many, but neither he nor Dr. E sees post op in their practices. What was surprising to Sean was that the surgeon called for 1 week of complete NWB. Sean did research and was surprised at the amount of variability in many ACLR protocols. They also discuss lifestyle medicine and other rehab topics. What do you do when a p...

In this episode, Dr. E is joined by Dr. Chance Unger. Chance discovered his passion for running in college and found as a DPT, he had a unique ability to help those that needed to keep their passion going. You can find Chance's amazing resource on running here or go to his website Untold Physio Stories is sponsored by ⁠Comprehend PT⁠ - Leave Comprehend PT running in the background or record audio...

Dr. E is joined by Dr. Joe Simon. Joe talks about watching the PT profession change and grow over 20 years and how many of us are struggling. He wanted to use our unique contact points and relationship with patients to give PTs an opportunity to be paid for referring for second opinions. Sign up for early access to his platform which is going live soon here . Untold Physio Stories is sponsored by...

In this episode, Dr. E and Dr. Wells talk about some recent research on walking volume and how it affects chronic low back pain. Volume, intensity, and the sweet spot are discussed. Let us know what you think in the comments. Untold Physio Stories is sponsored by ⁠Comprehend PT⁠ - Leave Comprehend PT running in the background or record audio when you have time. The AI based SOAP note generator doe...