The trapezius is one of the most talked about muscles and, yet, is so often misunderstood. Tune in to learn more about scapulohumeral rhythm, force couples, and the OIAs (origins/insertions/innervations/actions) of this muscle. Nik also gives her hot takes on training the upper traps, and on burritos and friends.

In this episode, Nik discusses graduation and life after physical therapy school followed by a deep dive into the deep core. Learn about how the transverse abs go way beyond being one of the body’s primary stabilizers. The Soda Can Model and a touch of respiration mechanics 101 kick off the inaugural episode of Anatomy Bites’ fourth season. And of course, what would the AB be without a healthy dose of the OIAs of the TA? N/A says Dr. A. Hey hey hey! Want some more? Come right this way.

In this episode, Nik returns on graduation eve to deliver tried and true tips for how she passed the National Physical Therapy Exam on the first try. Don’t freak out, we’re here for you! You got this, bb. From exam prep materials to structuring time to controlling test day jitters, Nik’s here to help you put your best foot forward in the quest to be ONE and DONE.

What’s in a name? Well, a lot apparently. Learn about the sisters of the adductor group, the Adductor Longus and Brevis, and their cousin Pectineus, and why communication about this area has to be crystal clear to avoid a whole lot of awkward conversation. Origins, insertions, innervations, and actions included — of course!

Welcome back to the Bites! Nik takes us on our inaugural journey of 2022 with Big Baddie Addy. Find out why this muscle is the rockstar of the adductor group, why soccer players need strength here, and how AdMag doesn’t need help doing the heavy lifting of three muscles. Origins, insertions, innervations and actions are just the beginning.

In this episode, Nik reveals a candid struggle with finding the right learning technique as a grad student. She discusses visual vs. kinesthetic. vs. auditory learners and how she finally found the optimal study tool for her during COVID. Zoom-School was finally good for something! Womp Womp. Listen and learn how she figured out how to learn… right at the end of her graduate school career (Doh!) … in this funny and earnest self-reflection.

The Bites are back, bishes, and we’re coming in strong with fibularis longus and brevis. Nik talks origins, insertions, innervations, and actions of these lateral leg muscles. She discusses why crural is a ridiculous word along with how the peroneus longus works with tibialis posterior in a very functional way! Gait and pronation go hand in hand (err.. foot?) with this discussion as well as a movement analysis and biomechanical debate on knee valgus. Bonus content: Nik talks a very fun adaptive sporting event called Life Rolls On and recaps why and how to stay connected to your “WHY!” Tune in and join the fun, nerds! It’s anatomy time!

Join Nik as she reports back from the trenches of her first two weeks in the clinic! As a 3rd year DPT student, she already has some clinical pearls or life lessons to impart from her first full-time clinical experience. Her top two pieces of advice are condensed in a bite-sized chunk, and one of them may surprise you! We’ll be back with more anatomy in the next episode! This episode is recommended for physical therapy, medical, nursing, or other health or pre-health students.

Love crunching numbers? Maybe physical therapy should be on your list of career choices... Join Nik as she explains how physical therapy is as much a science as it is an art. Learn how PT is more than cool exercises... it’s fun for data nerds as well. The scientific method is alive and well when you consider how each patient is a living experiment. Learn about how research and outcome measures are vital to the physical therapist in how interventions are determined and progress is measured. Today, we peek inside the industry to explain what makes PTs different from personal trainers, coaches, and massage therapists. Connect with Nik on social media @nikkidashrae.

On the inaugural episode of Nik’s 3rd year of PT school, she shares the OIAs of 3 muscles that (after all the cadaver labs in year 1) continue to elude her. The deep posterior leg muscles (Tom, Dick, and Harry, or is it Dick, Tom, Harry?!) seem to somehow end up in a game of Twister in her mind. If Post Tib, FHL, and FDL trip you up too, you’re not alone. She also discusses how first year students can deal with perfectionism and why it matters early in your medical and allied health graduate school career. Muscle origins, insertions, innervations, and actions are always part of the journey! Good (and bad) study techniques for newbies are also discussed. So come along and dive deep... into the crural waters behind the tibia and fibula with Nik and her two snoring dogs Vida and Zoe.

Nik is a 3rd year Doctor of Physical Therapy Student in sunny Southern California, USA. Find her on social media at @nikkidashrae.