Miracles of Therapy
Stepping away from direct patient care and into leadership isn’t just a career move—it’s an identity shift. And for many rehab professionals, it comes with grief, guilt, and confusion.
You’re not alone.
Whether you’re becoming a director, manager, educator, or innovator, the leap from clinician to leader requires more than a new title. It requires a new mindset—and a whole lot of unlearning.
Continue reading “From Clinician to Leader: How to Shift Your Identity Without Burning Out”
We stretch them, we squat them, we foam-roll them into submission. But what if your glutes have been trying to communicate with you all along?
As a physical therapist, I can tell you: your glutes are speaking volumes—in every ache, imbalance, and compensation pattern your body has adopted. The problem? Most of us just aren’t listening.
Continue reading “5 Things Your Glutes Are Trying to Tell You (But You’re Not Listening)”
In recent years, the phrase “mind-body connection” has become a buzzword in wellness circles—but in physical therapy, it’s far more than a trend. It’s a clinical reality. And it’s time for physical therapists to step forward as leaders in the mind-body movement.
We already understand the body through a biomechanical lens. But now, neuroscience, psychology, and integrative care models are calling us to look deeper—into how the brain, nervous system, and emotions shape healing.
Continue reading “Why Physical Therapists Should Lead the Mind-Body Rehab Movement”
In the evolving world of neurological rehabilitation, cranial nerve testing is quickly becoming a hot topic—and for a good reason. As physical therapists expand their expertise into neuro rehab, understanding and evaluating the cranial nerves isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.
Continue reading “Cranial Nerve Testing: The Unsung Hero of Neurological Physical Therapy”
Why a Physical Therapist?
Physical therapists aren’t just for injuries anymore. We’re trained movement experts who can help you achieve your fitness goals in a safe and effective way. We understand the biomechanics of the body and how different exercises impact your muscles, joints, and overall health. This makes us well-equipped to guide you through a personalized weight loss plan that’s tailored to your unique needs and abilities.
Here’s how a physical therapist can help you reclaim your body after the holidays:
1. Create a Sustainable Exercise Plan:
Forget crash diets and fad workouts. We’ll work with you to create a realistic exercise plan that fits your lifestyle and preferences. This might include a combination of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises. We’ll gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts as you get stronger and fitter.
2. Address Pain and Injuries:
Overindulging and neglecting your exercise routine can lead to aches and pains. We can help identify any underlying physical limitations that might be hindering your progress, such as muscle imbalances or joint dysfunction. We can then provide targeted exercises and stretches to address these issues and prevent future injuries.
3. Improve Balance and Coordination:
As we age, our balance and coordination naturally decline. This can make it more difficult to lose weight and stay active. We can incorporate exercises that challenge your balance and coordination into your routine, helping you prevent falls and improve your overall fitness.
4. Provide Motivation and Support:
Losing weight can be challenging, and it’s easy to get discouraged along the way. We’ll be your cheerleader, providing encouragement and support throughout your journey. We’ll also track your progress and make adjustments to your plan as needed to keep you on track.
Remember, it’s not about achieving quick fixes or unrealistic goals. It’s about building healthy habits that you can sustain for the long term.
Here are some additional tips for post-holiday weight loss:
With the right approach and support, you can shed the holiday weight and get back on track to your health and fitness goals. And remember, a physical therapist is here to help you every step of the way.
Happy holidays and happy healthy living!
I hope this article has been helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as medical advice. Please consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program.
Embarking on a career as a new graduate physical therapist in a nursing home setting can be both rewarding and challenging. This comprehensive guide is designed to provide guidance and practical hints to help new therapists successfully navigate their roles in this unique environment, fostering both professional growth and impactful patient care.
Hip replacement surgery, also known as arthroplasty, is a common procedure performed to alleviate pain and improve mobility in individuals with hip joint dysfunction. After the surgery, it is crucial to engage in physical therapy and exercise in order to regain strength and range of motion. The following exercises are commonly prescribed to individuals who have undergone hip replacement surgery and should be done under the guidance of a physical therapist.
Continue reading “Exercise guide for successful hip replacement recovery”
Mental Health is not absence of Mental Illness! Since May is Mental health awareness month, I decided to write this blog to promote awareness on this important topic.
Continue reading “Mental Health is not absence of Mental Illness!”
May is considered an arthritis month.
Arthritis is a common term used to describe joint pain, swelling and reduced range of motion.
There are more than 100 different types of arthritis. Out of which, Osteoarthritis is the most common type. Another common type is Rheumatoid arthritis.
Continue reading “Arthritis : A well-known term with multiple myths”
Cervicogenic headache is a secondary headache with the primary cause being a pathology in the neck. This means a problem in the neck is causing a headache as a symptom.
The cervicogenic headache typically starts from the back of neck/back, travels up to the front of the head. It usually is on one side of the head. And therefore, this type of headache is a referred pain to the head.
Cranial nerve testing is an important part in the neurology evaluation. Recently, I did a thorough article on how to perform an efficient neurology evaluation in physical therapy. In this article, I want to discuss cranial nerve testing in little depth.
Continue reading “Cranial Nerve Testing: A crucial part of Neuro Physical Therapy Evaluation”
Corona Virus has made its way globally. At this point, we all are aware of COVID 19 and the majority of symptoms caused by COVID 19. While every nation around the globe is fighting hard to design some method that can either manage symptoms or viruses, exercise remains one important factor. This includes various options like vaccines, medicines, antibodies, blood transfusions, etc. In this article, I am going to share some proven exercise strategies, and core outcome measures for patients with COVID 19.
This article is all about how to perform a neurology evaluation. Neurology evaluations are long and sometimes time-consuming. It is not really possible to perform every single item during a session.
A while back I did a Physical Therapy general evaluation format. This was more of a general intake form. Here I want to go a little deep in a specific neurological diagnosis/ category in physical therapy.
For me, I go over the categories and check if there are any deficits, and I move to another category. If a patient is unable to answer or shows deficits in one area, then I will perform a detailed assessment of that area. This helps me to go over the eval quickly and also allows me to concentrate on the areas that are weak.
Continue reading “Neurology Evaluation for Physical Therapy”
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the US and a leading cause of disabilities. There are two main different types of strokes. As we know, the neurological recovery and returning of functions after stroke mainly depend on the type and severity of the stroke. There are a few other outcome predictors like age, prior level of function, and how long it took for a patient to receive medical treatment, etc, that can also assist us in determining the outcomes. But none of these predictors can tell us the level of function a person will achieve in six months or in a year post-stroke. The goal of this post is to discuss how to predict the functional recovery of a patient after a stroke!!
Since I have been in physical therapy, I have been looking for a tool that can predict an outcome for a patient after an injury. Almost every field in medicine is able to predict some sorts of outcomes for their patients after a disease or an injury. Unfortunately, the therapist did not have that ability.
The ability to predict outcomes after any injury is crucial. This not only helps the patient to set the expectations right but also assists in preparation for the discharge. The level and independence at discharge determine the house modification, assistance required, and so on.
You will be surprisingly happy when I tell you that you can really predict a functional return of your patient within 7 days of a post-stroke!! Yes, you read that correctly, a therapist can predict functional recovery of 6 months or 1 year in the first 7 days of stroke onset. Isn’t that COOL!!!
So here how it goes!
Currently, there are two algorithms that can help you determine the functional recovery of the upper limb for a patient after a stroke. They are called PREP algorithms.
Both PREP algorithms use the SAFE score of a paretic upper extremity. The SAFE score is a total score of manual muscle testing of shoulder abduction and finger extension.
As we know, manual muscle testing score ranges from 0 (no trace of contraction) to 5 (full range of motion, against gravity, against maximal resistance). So the maximum possible SAFE score is 10.
The algorithm begins with a simple bedside assessment of upper limb impairment and progresses to neurophysiological and neuroimaging assessments if required. The SAFE score is recommended 72 hours after stroke.
The term for recovery determines the amount of recovery a person will have after 12 weeks of rehabilitation. That also assists therapists to develop appropriate goals and plans of care.
You can find the full definitions of recovery and the type of goals a therapist can have at tbe end of the article.
This algorithm predicts upper limb functional outcome at 3 months post-stroke. The most beneficial thing about this algorithm is that it takes age into the account. Also, we do not have to rely on a strong diagnostic tool like MRI to predict the outcome with this algorithm.
Therefore, PREP 2 not only makes it easy for clinicians to use but also makes it realistic in a day to day clinical setting to utilize such an important tool.
Just like original PREP, PREP 2 also starts with a SAFE score on day 3 post-stroke.
Along with the SAFE score, a clinician may have to use Transcranial Magnetic stimulus (TMS) to determine Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) status in the paretic upper limb.
If the MEP can not be elicited, a clinician will go further into the algorithm to use the NIHSS score on the third-day post-stroke.
You can PREP 2 attachment where I discuss the definition of the recovery. Additionally, I have included NIHSS and Berg scale.
As you just read, the PREP algorithm only talks about upper limb recovery after a stroke. It does not assist a therapist in determining if community ambulation is going to be a realistic goal or not.
Another research done using the Berg balance scale (BBS) during the first week of stroke onset, helps us to determine just that!! The Berg balance score done at the admission during inpatient rehabilitation stay significantly predicts independence with ambulation.
As we know, BBS is a 14 items scale, with a total score of 56. The cut-off score of 29 on admission predicts that an individual will be a community ambulator. While a cut-off score of 12 at admission predicts a non-ambulatory to regain unassisted ambulation.
As I mentioned earlier, I have attached a full BBS with the slides.
Hope this information helps you to develop your plan of care and answers any questions your patient or families have! As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.
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