PT Talker

Beginning on January 1st, 2011 over 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach the age of 65 each and every day. This daily trend continues for the next 19 years. To discuss the role physical therapists play in keeping seniors healthy and active, the President of the APTA Section of Geriatrics, William Staples, PT, DHS, GCS joins PT Talker. To address the changing health care environment and the needs of an aging population, Staples sees physical therapists moving away from traditional referral based medicine and moving towards a more preventative role. The expertise of physical therapists makes them well-positioned to design programs to fit the unique needs of seniors wanting to remain healthy, get active or improve quality of life.  One of the key focuses in the APTA Section of Geriatrics is developing some clinical practice guidelines as well as creating informational web pages for consumers highlighting the benefits of physical therapy and exercise.  Learn more about other APTA Geriatric Section initiatives and why you should get involved by listening to the full podcast now.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly 30 million children and adolescents participate in youth sports in the United States. High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries and 500,000 doctor visits each year. One physical therapy clinic is working to reverse this trend with an innovative sports screening program. In this podcast, Anita Davidson PT, President and CEO of Creative Rehab shares details about their program designed to help individuals enhance their play and reduce their risk of injuries. Both junior high and high school students utilize the Creative Rehab sports screen programming. The 30-minute sports screening is done free of charge and looks at the ability of an athlete to control his body through a variety of movements. Athletes will often come to her clinic and state their muscles are tight. Davidson finds the reason for the tightness is often more of a strength and stability issue than a lack of flexibility.  Listen now to learn more about this innovative physical therapy sports screening program and Davidson’s outlook on the future of physical therapy.

As physical therapists, we’re  used to treating knee, back or shoulder injuries. But when it comes to health interventions or preventive care, there is room for improvement according to a recent study.  Today’s expert, Diane Jette PT, DSc, M.S. is the professor of rehabilitation and movement science and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science at the University of Vermont.  She shares the observations made during a study recently done with Dianne V. Jewell. The study, Use of Quality Indicators in Physical Therapist Practice: An Observational Study found that physical therapists may not always see themselves as providers of primary or secondary prevention services. The study also found that patient management strategies associated with preventive care for patients with diabetes or obesity were sometimes perceived as relatively unimportant or burdensome. Learn why it’s critical to play a stronger role in preventative care and health interventions by listening to the full podcast now.

Many athletes dream of the chance to compete on a world stage at the Olympics.  An injury can put the dream out of reach for some athletes.  One physical therapist is helping some Olympic hopefuls overcome injuries in their quest for competing in the 2012 Olympic Games. Today’s expert, Colleen Russell, PT, DPT, OCS and director of the San Luis Obispo clinic shares what it’s like to work with Olympic hopefuls as they prepare to qualify for this year’s games. Physical therapy can help athletes activate muscles that have not been used in their years of training and learn ways to use their bodies more efficiently. She aims to help athletes learn how to best use their entire body instead of just focusing on the area of an injury. Learn more about working with top-notch athletes in this informative podcast.

Direct access doesn’t always mean patient’s have complete access to physical therapy. In states like Illinois, direct access means individuals have the right to go see a physical therapist for an evaluation without a doctor’s referral, but they must have a referral to get any treatment.  One person advocating for better direct access in Illinois is Patricia Naylor, PT, MS. She is the IPTA Direct Access Committee Chair and recently joined PT Talker to discuss the legislative challenges in pushing for greater access to physical therapy. To build public awareness of the Illinois campaign, the IPTA has launched a website IllinoisAdapt.org. The site contains a number of ways you can get involved to help in the fight for greater access to physical therapy. To learn more about the legislative challenges in the process, listen to the full podcast now.

Tired of rising patient co-payments and the challenge of receiving insurance reimbursements?  Today’s guest runs a cash-based, nontraditional physical therapy clinic that maintains a several week patient backlog. The owner and founder of Dynamic Systems Rehabilitation Clinic, Matthew Taylor PT, PhD, joins PT Talker to discuss his mind and body approach to physical therapy. The understanding of the science of movement, pain and human is constantly evolving. Using a mind, body and spirit approach to physical therapy, Talyor uses the latest evidence-based findings to employ simple, practical treatments to best benefit his patients.  His method strives to gain a full understanding of each patient’s unique story and how he can help them effectively deal with it. Take a moment to listen to the full podcast now to discover how this holistic approach could benefit both you and your patients.