If you had to pick one injury to be good at treating what would it be?! …A LATERAL ANKLE SPRAIN!!!!! I remember in my physical therapy training, one of my professors stating that if you could treat a lateral ankle sprain, you could use variations on this theme to treat any other musculoskeletal foot or…
Load Those Quads!
Quadriceps weakness often persists as a robust finding in patients with knee pain. This is true in overuse type injuries such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (Willy, 2019) and especially after knee surgeries like anterior cruciate ligament repair (ACL-R) (Baron, 2020; Current Concepts, 2016; Thomas, 2016; Logerstedt, 2017), and total knee arthroplasty (TKA, i.e., knee preplacement…
Effective Treatments for Low Back Pain: What Helps the Most
How many people do you know who have had low back pain at some point in their life? My guess would be A LOT! Low back pain is incredibly common and is the leading cause of disability world-wide (Hartvigsen, 2018). Because it is so ubiquitous, low back pain has been referred to as an “epidemic” and has even been…
Physical Therapist’s Role in Medical Screening for Low Back Pain
The majority of individuals who come to physical therapy for a recent episode of low back pain have an excellent prognosis. In other words, there is a good chance that they will get better over time with the help of low-risk treatments such as physical therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and early return to work…
Improving Physical Therapy Education: Make Learning Stick!
Are you interested in learning more about ways to apply the science of learning to physical therapy education? Check out this recent article series that I wrote with my Dad, Dr. Mark McDaniel and co-author of “Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning” that was just published in The Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation….
Telehealth Physical Therapy: Challenge Accepted for Patients and Providers
Before this year, I (Leda) never even considered the possibility that I would be asked to evaluate and treat patients who were not physically in the same room as me. The idea of working with a patient over the computer just did not appeal to me. Part of the reason that I got into orthopedic…
PT Day of Service: Investing in Community
October is APTA’s national physical therapy month and part of bringing awareness to our profession is giving back to our communities during the annual “physical therapy day of service” (PT DOS). PT DOS (this year fell on October 10th, 2020) and the week before and after are dedicated to serving those in need and participating…
Managing Stress Fractures and Shin Splints in Runners: Part 2: Treating Bone Stress Injuries
A runner who has suffered a bone stress injury will likely have one question front and center in their mind: “When can I get back to running?” To answer this question, there are some factors that can help predict a realistic healing timeline and inform injury prognosis after bone stress injuries (BSIs). Knowing what factors…
Managing Stress Fractures and Shin Splints in Runners: Part 1: Classifying “Bone Stress Injuries” and Tips for Prevention
Within any group of runners–long distance runners, track runners, recreational or competitive runners—some of the most commonly reported injuries are “shin splints” and stress fractures in the leg or foot (Nattiv, 2012). As you may expect, the majority of stress fractures, estimates 80% or greater occur in the lower body (Kahanov, 2015; Matcuk, 2016). So,…
What are The Best “Glute” Exercises?
One of the aspects of physical therapy that I really love is prescribing and teaching exercises. Over the past few weeks of clinic work and teaching, I have been pushed to justify and adapt my exercise selection for patients presenting with lumbopelvic pain. Many of these patients present with some weakness in hip and core…
“Studying in Place” During COVID-19: Free NPTE Prep Resources!
Congratulations to the 2020 graduating class of Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) Students! Also, a big congratulations to those who have already taken (and passed!) their 2020 NPTE board exams. I wanted to reach out to those who are still studying for July 2020 NPTE board exams and also DPT students thinking about future board…
Exercise Rx: More Than Just Sets and Reps
Prescribing exercise in physical therapy is almost a given. As physical therapists, our profession encourages us to describe ourselves as “Movement Experts”. Furthermore, despite there being a current “movement” (see what I did there?!) to broaden the scope outside of just exercise–related movement, for the majority of our patients (e.g., incorporating regular small bouts of…
sapiens movēs 