Clinical PT Talks: Recent Episodes
Dr. Mark White, PT, DPT, BA, OCS
Many patients with chronic neuromusculoskeletal problems, including pain and disability, have been through the healthcare system and reached the dreaded impasse where 6 discouraging words tell them all they need to know about the path they are on: "We've done all we can do...." By this time, they have utilized more healthcare dollars and visits than other patients. The amount of improvement they experience when they are helped is often small and short-lived despite the time and effort and dollars. Still, some small improvement is better than no improvement. And, very likely, it signals that more can be achieved. Despite these experiences, it is possible in many cases to create dramatic improvements. The kind that exceeds expectations. Join me in this podcast short as I discuss what is possible.
Pressure pain tolerance algometry can help with phenotyping pain, identifying responder patients likely to improve with a given intervention, aid tracking and monitoring changes in patients, and much more. Join me in this podcast short as I discuss what is perhaps the most underutilized, yet useful, tool in the neuromusculoskeletal toolbox.
Musculoskeletal residuals. What are they? Join me in this podcast as I provide an introductory discussion of what they are, and provide some important ways to think about them which helps frame our understanding of their role in a rehabilitation science and clinical context. This is especially critical with regard to unrealized recovery. Know the right questions to ask, and what do with the information you acquire. Knowing how to look for and interpret the presence of residuals can provide guidance for what to do next.
Sometimes the origin of a problem can be unexpected, and sometimes treatments don't go according to plan. It's easy to get flustered, frustrated, and lost. But paying attention to important clues along the way, such as responses to special tests, and detailed symptom behavior, can help anchor our understanding of what is actually happening. Sometimes, it even offers us a glimpse of the bigger picture, one that ties the rehab process together in new or unexpected ways. When this happens, it can reveal deeper connections that lead to useful revelations. Part of the process to gain such insight is understanding what normal recovery should look like, even when we are confronted with novel circumstances. Join me in this podcast short as I discuss these issues in context to an unusual case.
This is our fifth story in an ongoing series. It illustrates lessons learned from a transformative moment in a PT's career. Like all of our stories, it is drawn from real-world experience.