Move Forward Radio

February 18, 2016: Kobe Bryant called her his secret weapon.  And as head physical therapist of the Los Angeles Lakers, Judy Seto not only works to keep the 18-time NBA All-Star healthy and on the court, but his teammates as well.   Her responsibilities span a 82-game regular season, plus preseason, postseason, and the offseason. In this episode of Move Forward Radio, Judy gives us a glimpse of what NBA players go through to perform on the court night after night in city after city. And she also provides tips for amateur basketball players who want to stay on the court. Download the podcast on iTunes. Learn more about physical therapy at MoveForwardPT.com. 

February 4, 2015: There are numerous reasons someone can be admitted to an acute care hospital, such as an injury that require emergency care, or a planned surgery. Whatever the case, a patient in an acute care setting is going to encounter numerous medical professionals, at least one of which is likely to be a physical therapist. What’s the role of an acute care physical therapist? In this episode of Move Forward Radio, a physical therapist will describe and highlight some of the benefits of physical therapy for the acute care setting, not just for rehabilitation but also prehabilitation. Download the podcast on iTunes. Learn more about physical therapy at MoveForwardPT.com.

January 21, 2015: Improving strength is a typical component of physical rehabilitation after injury. But often standing in the way of all the muscle building necessary to recover from an injury is the injury itself. While working at Brooke Army Medical Center, physical therapist Johnny Owens, MPT, saw wounded warriors who needed to improve strength in injured limbs without further compromising vulnerable joints or soft tissue. So he and his colleagues began experimenting with a relatively new treatment method that’s gaining in popularity: blood flow restriction training, or BFR. The technique, which involves applying a tourniquet to an injured limb to partially restrict blood flow, allows patients to make greater strength gains while lifting lighter loads, thereby reducing the overall stress placed on the limb. In this episode of Move Forward Radio, Johnny Owens, MPT, describes how blood flow restriction training works, shares his vision for the potential of the technique within health care, and discusses where research is ongoing. Download the podcast on iTunes. Learn more about physical therapy at MoveForwardPT.com. 

January 7, 2016: As a teenager in Taiwan, basketball was Jonathan’s identity. His athletic ability made him a team leader, and the team’s championship goals gave him purpose. He knew his role and his value.  A knee injury changed all of that for Jonathan, but ultimately, for the better. In this episode of Move Forward Radio, Jonathan shares how he plans to help others return to doing what they love, whether it is basketball or other daily activities.  Download the podcast on iTunes. Read more about Jonathan's transformative story at MoveForwardPT.com.

December 17, 2015: Isabella had been passionate about dance for as long as she could remember. When she was 12, she was excited to attend an intensive summer program at the Joffrey Ballet in New York. But a hip injury got in the way. Isabella’s hip problems took her away from the thing she loved most. But a physical therapist helped her return to dance, and over the course of her recovery Isabella redefined her passions. In this episode of Move Forward Radio, Isabella shares her story of enduring an injury that almost sidelined her dreams, and how she worked to get back to doing what she loves.  Download the podcast on iTunes. Read more about Isabella's transformative story at MoveForwardPT.com.

December 3, 2015: Laura was 30 years old and anticipating the birth of her second child when pregnancy turned to paralysis in a matter of hours. An emergency C-section led to an infection in her spinal cord, which led to Laura being unable to feel or move her legs. She was told she’d never walk again. With a toddler and a newborn at home, Laura refused to give up.  In this episode of Move Forward Radio, Laura shares the story of her 3 year journey.  From giving birth, to being told she would need a wheelchair for the rest of her life, and persisting the help of a team of physical therapists, Laura has  made it to her feet again, and can now participate in her children's lives. Download the podcast on iTunes. Read more about Laura's transformative story at MoveForwardPT.com.  

November 19, 2015: At one point in his life Scott wondered if he was about to lose his ability to walk. He was only 50 years old, but he weighed more than 500 pounds and he had chronic venous wounds on his legs. His health and quality of life were deteriorating rapidly. Fortunately, Scott met someone who changed his life: a physical therapist who not only treated his immediate condition but also gave him the encouragement and confidence he needed to make essential and drastic changes.  In this episode of Move Forward Radio, Scott shares his story of how his life was transformed by physical therapy. He is now less than half of the 500-pound man he used to be, and competing in CrossFit Games. And his happiness has grown tremendously. Download the podcast on iTunes. Read more about Scott's story at MoveForwardPT.com. 

November 5, 2015: For infants, crawling is not only the typical step before walking, it's a gateway to exploration – exploration that encourages a child’s physical, mental, and social development. But what happens when a child can’t crawl because he or she doesn’t have the necessary strength or coordination? That’s a situation typically faced by infants with cerebral palsy. In this episode of Move Forward Radio, physical therapists Thubi Kolobe, PT, PhD, FAPTA, and Peter Pidcoe, PT, PhD, DPT, discuss their collaboration on a device that provides crucial movement assistance for children with cerebral palsy and other developmental delays. The Self-Initiated Prone Progression Crawler (SIPPC)  is still evolving, but was was one of 13 projects recognized by the Smithsonian Institution’s “Innovation Festival”  in September 2015. Download the podcast on iTunes. Read more about physical therapist's interventions for children at MoveForwardPT.com. 

October 15, 2015: Throughout October, National Physical Therapy Month, the American Physical Therapy Association is providing resources to help people learn how to #AgeWell.  One of the things the #AgeWell campaign makes clear is that you shouldn’t wait until you’re feeling the effects of aging to start thinking about your long-term health. In this episode of Move Forward Radio, a physical therapist talks about trends he sees in the clinic and provides age-specific advice for healthy aging. Download the podcast on iTunes. Read the full list of physical therapist tips for healthy aging at MoveForwardPT.com. 

October 1, 2015: October is National Physical Therapy Month, and this year the American Physical Therapy Association is recognizing the occasion with a campaign to educate the public about healthy aging, and releasing a list of  nine physical therapist tips to help you age well. In this episode of Move Forward Radio, a physical therapist  discusses some of the themes from that list, which includes information on chronic pain, diabetes, falls, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and several other conditions that currently effect staggeringly large numbers of older adults. Download the podcast on iTunes. Read the full list of physical therapist tips for healthy aging at MoveForwardPT.com. 

September 17, 2015: If you’ve ever pulled your bike out of the garage for the first time all summer and then gone on a long ride, or if you’ve ever hit the weight room hard on January 1, trying to achieve a year’s worth of fitness goals in single day, you’ve probably experienced delayed onset muscle soreness, otherwise known as DOMS. It's a long name for something that's quite common, and also preventable. In today's episode of Move Forward Radio, the director of research at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York, shares his perspective on the effectiveness of many current treatments for DOMS and his predictions for possible prevention methods in the future. Download the podcast on iTunes. Learn more about physical therapy at MoveForwardPT.com.

September 3, 2015: Chronic diseases are widespread in this country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that almost half of adults have at least one chronic health condition, and a quarter of adults have two or more. Chronic diseases are also often deadly – responsible for seven of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S., and expensive – accounting for 86% of our nation’s total health care costs. The good news is chronic diseases are largely preventable. In today’s episode of Move Forward Radio, a physical therapist talks about chronic disease prevention, both in terms of a physical therapist’s role in preventing chronic disease, and in terms of our own role taking responsibility for our long-term health. Download the podcast on iTunes. Learn more about physical therapy at MoveForwardPT.com.

August 20, 2015: This summer, the United States Women’s National Team clinched the World Cup trophy with a 5-2 win over Japan. As the team hoisted the trophy at the end of the match, forward Amy Rodriguez was in middle of it all, celebrating with her teammates. Not only did this moment allow Amy to add a World Cup title along side her two Olympic gold medals, but it was made sweeter because of her well-earned return to the team roster after having a baby not quite two years earlier. Pregnancy and childbirth are easy to take for granted, but it’s a physically challenging experience – even for an elite athlete. The changes to a woman’s body during and after a pregnancy can make any everyday activity a challenge, let alone playing a high endurance sport at a professional level. In this episode of Move Forward Radio, Amy describes how she approached her pregnancy and her return to sport. While it may be comparatively high achieving, Amy’s story reflects a journey attempted by moms of any athletic ability who look to regain a physically active lifestyle after childbirth. Download the podcast on iTunes. Read more about women's health issues MoveForwardPT.com. 

August 6, 2015: The number of total knee replacement (TKR) surgeries has more than tripled over the past two decades.  Despite the growing popularity of the procedure and the improved outcomes, TKR is an invasive and expensive procedure. One physical therapist has watched patients and families struggling to cope with the information overload that accompanies TKR surgery, and decided there had to be a better way to prepare families and improve expectations.  To fill that void, she has written a guide book for families called “Granny Gets a New Knee: and a whole lot more.” In this episode of Move Forward Radio, she discusses some of the things patients and family caregivers should know about total replacement surgery – perhaps most crucial of which are the benefits of seeing a physical therapist before the procedure. Download the podcast on iTunes. Read more about TKR on MoveForwardPT.com. 

July 23, 2015: In the July 2015 issue of Redbook magazine several physical therapists were asked to share the advice they give their friends. The answers were diverse; from encouraging children to try multiple sports, rather than specializing at a young age; to reminding women that a physical therapist can help them strengthen pelvic floor muscles to avoid problems like urinary incontinence. In this episode, Move Forward Radio follows Redbook’s lead. Over the course of this episode you’ll hear from seven physical therapists about the advice they find themselves most commonly giving their friends or their patients – those things they wish everyone knew. Download the podcast on iTunes. Read more about physical therapy on MoveForwardPT.com.