Good Outcomes: What They Don’t Teach You in PT School

"You don't have to feel awful. I did for 16 years and you don't have to either." - Brian Herbert, PA-C

For years, Brian Herbert chalked up his exhaustion to the demands of a career as an Army Ranger in special operations. It wasn't until a fellow soldier sent him a podcast about military hormone health that he had his own labs checked and discovered what had actually been true since he was 24 years old: his testosterone had been critically low for over a decade, and no one had ever told him.

That experience turned into a mission. Now a physician assistant who's spent nearly a decade specializing in hormone replacement therapy, Brian joins Dr. Dave to break down what most providers get wrong about hormones and why so many men and women are told their labs are "normal" while feeling anything but.

In this episode, Brian and Dr. Dave dig into:

• Why standard lab reference ranges are so wide they're nearly meaningless and how a "normal" testosterone level can still mean you feel like an 80-year-old
• The critical difference between total and free testosterone, and why most providers only look at the number that doesn't matter
• How sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) driven up by common medications like Adderall, antidepressants, and antipsychotics quietly makes testosterone unusable in the body
• Why teenage steroid use is showing up as hormone dysregulation in men in their early 20s, and the fertility risks patients don't see coming
• The bioidentical vs. synthetic hormone debate, and why the same medical system comfortable prescribing birth control to teenagers hesitates on HRT for symptomatic adults
• What the data actually shows about estrogen, bone density, and Alzheimer's risk in postmenopausal women
• Why "it's just aging" isn't a reason to leave a treatable problem untreated
• How to find a provider who actually knows what they're doing in a hormone clinic industry that's exploding in popularity often faster than proper training can keep up

About Brian Herbert

Brian Herbert is a physician assistant based in Pensacola, FL, and a 26-year Army veteran of special operations. After a career-long personal experience with undiagnosed low testosterone, he transitioned into hormone replacement therapy nearly a decade ago and now specializes in helping patients, many of whom were told their labs were "fine". His mission in life is to help clients identify and treat hormone imbalances the right way so they can live their lives the way the Lord has intended. 

00:00 — The Number That's Lying to You

01:17 — Brian's Own Low-T Discovery

02:57 — What Hormones Actually Are

03:12 — Chemical Signals vs. Nerve Signals

03:52 — Why Optimal Ranges Matter

04:29 — Why Reference Ranges Are So Wide

05:30 — When Treatment Actually Makes Sense

05:36 — Testosterone's Link to Energy

07:20 — The Stigma Around Female Hormones

08:15 — What Men Complain About Most

09:51 — Why Weight Loss Is Harder for Women

11:05 — Symptoms Unique to Women

12:37 — Stress, Cortisol, and Testosterone

13:34 — Faith, Stress, and Hormone Health

17:25 — The Training Gap in Medicine

18:40 — Two Labs, Two Different "Normal"

20:57 — The Prostate Cancer Testosterone Myth

23:30 — The Study That Scared a Generation

24:36 — Estrogen, Alzheimer's, and Broken Hips

29:24 — Why Low Hormones Are More Common Now

30:25 — High School Steroids, Adult Consequences

32:44 — How the Feedback Loop Breaks

34:37 — Gambling With Future Fertility

39:31 — The Piece Medicine Keeps Missing

39:42 — Total vs. Free Testosterone Explained

42:07 — A Speed Limit of 15 to 90

44:18 — The Paycheck-and-Bills Analogy

47:07 — Does a Vasectomy Lower Testosterone?

47:49 — Hormone Ranges for Women

52:16 — Should Women Supplement Estrogen?

53:52 — Is Low Hormones "Just Aging"?

58:19 — Why Pellets Are a Bad Bet

59:58 — Injections, Creams, and Trade-Offs

1:00:40 — The Heart Risk Nobody Mentions

1:02:29 — Solving the Blood Thickness Problem

1:08:18 — Does Insurance Cover HRT?

1:12:42 — What a Good Outcome Looks Like

1:15:13 — Screening Labs Before the First Visit

1:17:41 — The Real Goal of Treatment

1:22:29 — Advice for Anyone Feeling Off

1:26:09 — How to Become a Patient with Brian Herbert

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

Follow Renew on social:

https://www.facebook.com/ReNewPensacolaPT 

https://www.instagram.com/renewintegrativept/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@Renew-Integrative

Follow Dr. Dave on social:

https://www.facebook.com/david.harvitz.9 

https://www.instagram.com/dr.davedpt/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@drdaveharvitz 

"After my stroke when I was in ICU, the paperwork… said ‘Death likely’. And here I am." - Sarah Schreiner

In January 2017, Sarah Schreiner was a healthy, active 30-year-old mother of two, fresh off a ski trip. Within days, what seemed like the flu spiraled into bacterial meningitis and two strokes. She woke up in the ICU unable to walk, feed herself, or remember how she got there, with doctors warning she might never drive or work again.

That was only the beginning. Six months later, Sarah developed rheumatoid arthritis. For nearly a decade she cycled through medications that made her sick, chronic pain that hit 7-9 out of 10, and a hand tremor so severe she couldn't put on mascara or write her name. "I felt like a guinea pig," she says of years spent searching for real relief.

In this episode of Patient Perspectives, Sarah sits down with Dr. Dave to walk through her full journey: the stroke, the RA diagnosis, the mental health toll, and the moment everything changed: a single fascial counterstrain session targeting drainage pathways in her head. Her tremor, present for years, visibly turned off in real time. Today, Sarah isn't just pain-free, she's lifting heavy weights regularly for the first time since high school.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Sarah's sudden decline from flu symptoms to bacterial meningitis and two strokes
• Relearning to walk, talk, and function after a life-threatening brain injury
• The unexpected rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and years of trial-and-error treatment
• How functional medicine and neurofeedback helped her come off antidepressants
• The moment her decade-long hand tremor stopped mid-session with Dr. Dave
• Why chronic pain patients often struggle to "isolate" their pain and why that matters clinically
• Sarah's perspective on faith, hope, and grieving the athlete she used to be
• Why a multi-disciplinary approach (functional medicine, PT, and traditional care) mattered more than any single treatment

00:00 – Intro & Welcome
02:04 – The Ski Trip That Changed Everything
03:07 – Misdiagnosed and Sent Home
03:17 – The Spinal Tap That Confirmed Meningitis
04:04 – Two Strokes and an Emergency Airlift
04:22 – Waking Up in the ICU
05:18 – Relearning to Function
06:11 – Rehab and the Hard Emotional Work
08:18 – A New Diagnosis: Rheumatoid Arthritis
10:17 – Turning to Functional Medicine
11:06 – Healing Beyond What She Expected
13:38 – Leaky Gut and Learning to Eat for Her Body
15:31 – Blending Functional and Western Medicine
17:25 – Discovering Fascial Counterstrain
19:24 – Living in Chronic Pain: The Coping Mechanism
20:58 – The Tremor No One Expected to Fix
21:05 – The Tremor Turns Off
23:34 – Understanding the Inflammation Behind It All
24:24 – From Fear of Migraines to Lifting Heavy
26:28 – "You Were Lied To" Reframing the Medical Narrative
28:38 – Faith, Hope, and Defying the Odds
29:26 – A Message to Anyone in Chronic Pain
30:13 – The Power of a Multi-Disciplinary Approach 

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

Follow Renew on social:

https://www.facebook.com/ReNewPensacolaPT 

https://www.instagram.com/renewintegrativept/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@Renew-Integrative

Follow Dr. Dave on social:

https://www.facebook.com/david.harvitz.9 

https://www.instagram.com/dr.davedpt/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@drdaveharvitz 

"There was a time my wife was struggling with things I couldn't help her with and it was Fascial Counterstrain that got her out of it." - Dr. Dave

Fascial counterstrain isn't voodoo, it's neuroscience. In this episode of Clinician's Corner, Dr. Dave breaks down the neurological model behind fascial counterstrain: how trapped inflammatory proteins (cytokines) get stuck in your tissue after an injury, how the body's own protective response ends up causing chronic pain, tightness, and dysfunction, and how a gentle, indirect technique can flip the switch and turn it off, often instantly.

Whether you're a patient wondering if this treatment is right for you, or a clinician curious whether it's worth learning, Dr. Dave walks through the full picture: the science, the technique, who it works for, and where its limits are.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• The neurological model behind fascial counterstrain and why the mechanical model alone falls short
• How cytokines get trapped in your tissue and create lasting inflammation
• The cascade of effects: pain signals, blood flow shutdown, muscle guarding, and fascial tightening
• How the cranial scan and convergence help locate trapped inflammation before a patient even mentions it
• Touch inhibition and the neuroscience of light touch
• Why releases can bring instant, permanent relief and when the pain can return
• Who this treatment actually works for (and the honest caveats including when you still need a knee replacement)
• What counterstrain is not: myofascial release, massage, or joint manipulation
• Dr. Dave's personal story of watching this technique change his own family

Chapter Markers:

00:27 – What Is Fascial Counterstrain?

01:50 – How Cytokines Cause Chronic Pain

03:05 – Where Trapped Inflammation Hides

04:35 – The Inflammation Cascade Explained

05:45 – The Hidden Cause Of Tightness

06:55 – Finding It: The Cranial Scan

07:40 – Convergence: Why Your Head Hurts Too

08:45 – Predicting Symptoms Before You Speak

09:35 – Touch Inhibition Turns Off Pain

13:15 – Direct Vs Indirect Treatment

14:45 – Inside The Lymphatic Pump

17:45 – Instant Relief, No Tissue Damage

18:45 – Does The Pain Come Back?

20:30 – Dr. Dave's Personal Turning Point

21:55 – Who This Treatment Works For

23:55 – What Counterstrain Is Not

25:05 – The "Idiopathic" Diagnosis Problem

25:55 – A Personal Note On Healing

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

Follow Renew on social:

https://www.facebook.com/ReNewPensacolaPT 

https://www.instagram.com/renewintegrativept/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@Renew-Integrative

Follow Dr. Dave on social:

https://www.facebook.com/david.harvitz.9 

https://www.instagram.com/dr.davedpt/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@drdaveharvitz 

In this interview episode of Good Outcomes, Dr. Dave sits down with Brian Tuckey PT, the creator of Fascial Counterstrain and one of the last physical therapists personally trained by Dr. Lawrence Jones, the osteopathic physician who developed strain counterstrain in the 1950s.

Brian traces the full origin story, from his early disillusionment with "no pain, no gain" manual therapy, to the moment Dr. Jones stumbled onto counterstrain almost by accident with a single patient, to the decades of pattern recognition and clinical trial-and-error that grew that discovery into more than 1,200 techniques used by practitioners worldwide today.

The conversation covers the science behind trapped inflammation and why it drives dysfunction well beyond the musculoskeletal system, how a "wrong theory" about the brainstem accidentally led to the discovery of the cranial scan, and what it actually takes to master a technique this complex. Dr. Dave and Brian also discuss the role faith has played throughout this journey, and where the future of counterstrain training is headed.

In this episode:

• How Dr. Jones accidentally discovered counterstrain with one patient
• Brian's own turning point discovering the technique
• The science behind trapped inflammation and muscle guarding
• How a "wrong theory" led to the breakthrough cranial scan
• Why "pain is a liar" and what that means for chronic pain patients
• What it really takes to become an elite counterstrainer
• Where Fascial Counterstrain training is headed next

About Brian Tuckey, PT:

Brian Tuckey, PT began training under Dr. Lawrence Jones at the Jones Institute in 1992 and was one of only four physical therapists certified to teach strain counterstrain. Since then, he has developed approximately 1,200 fascial counterstrain techniques and teaches practitioners internationally, including in the U.S., France, Italy, Germany, and Australia.

Resources Mentioned in Episode:

Main website to look up practitioner near you - www.countertrain.com 

Class Registration link: The Jones Institute  

PT Brian Tuckey’s Website with Research Cited: Fascial Counterstrain Research and Information- Tuckey & Associates 

2021 Article mentioned - Impaired Lymphatic Drainage and Interstitial Inflammatory Stasis in Chronic Musculoskeletal and Idiopathic Pain Syndromes: Exploring a Novel Mechanism 

2025 Article mentioned - Fascial Counterstrain: A methodological advancement in indirect osteopathic manipulation 

PTSD Article mentioned - Rapid Reduction in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity after Three Fascial Counterstrain Manual Treatments: A Proof-of-Concept Study 

Social Media platforms for Brian Tuckey, PT: 

The Jones Institute (@jicounterstrain)

The Jones Institute | Carlsbad CA 

Chapter Markers:

00:31 – Meet Brian Tuckey, PT, Origin of Counterstrain

01:44 – Disillusioned by "No Pain, No Gain"

02:54 – Dr. Dave's Own Counterstrain Awakening

06:17 – Who Discovers Fascial Counterstrain (and Why)

08:38 – Why "Okay" Isn't Good Enough

11:19 – What Fascial Counterstrain Actually Is

12:49 – The Published Research Behind Trapped Inflammation

12:57 – What "Flushing Out" Inflammation Means

20:41 – Pain Is a Liar

22:04 – Phantom Limb Pain Explains Everything

24:11 – How Dr. Jones Discovered the Technique

28:27 – Birth of the Cranial Scan

31:34 – Managed Care Forces a Breakthrough

35:26 – The Mastoid Process Discovery

38:19 – (Residency Program Ad Break)

40:04 – Proving Fascia Is Contractile

44:40 – Diagnosing an Entire System in 30 Seconds

48:26 – Defining a True Good Outcome

51:05 – Faith, God, and Clinical Epiphanies

56:07 – Curing Trigeminal Neuralgia

1:01:18 – Why Specialization Fails Patients

1:05:33 – The Testimony That Means the Most

1:07:10 – Reversing PTSD in a Pilot Study

1:09:27 – The Body Traps the Score

1:18:39 – When Patients Say "You're My Last Hope"

1:21:45 – What Makes an Elite Counterstrainer

1:26:43 – Why the Curriculum Keeps Evolving

1:31:51 – Scaling Counterstrain Training Worldwide

1:33:29 – The Fear of Becoming a Novice Again

1:35:37 – Where to Find a Practitioner

1:39:54 – A Generational Vision for Healing

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

Follow Renew on social:

https://www.facebook.com/ReNewPensacolaPT 

https://www.instagram.com/renewintegrativept/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@Renew-Integrative

Follow Dr. Dave on social:

https://www.facebook.com/david.harvitz.9 

https://www.instagram.com/dr.davedpt/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@drdaveharvitz 

"Unbelievable. Every time I come in, that's the word that comes into my mind, unbelievable."

For over a decade, Tim Krug, owner of Dude Wash and a Pensacola local business owner, dealt with chronic back and neck pain that chiropractors couldn't explain and regular exercise based physical therapy couldn't fix. In this episode of Patient Perspectives, Tim sits down with Dr. Dave to walk through his entire healing journey: from a basement gymnastics injury at 16, to years of "pop and pray" chiropractic adjustments, to finally discovering what was actually wrong with his body through Counterstrain therapy.

Tim opens up about pain so severe it kept him up at night, chiropractic explanations that never made sense ("your back is out of place", but what does that even mean?), and the moment his neck moved freely again after years of being locked up. He also shares how getting out of pain didn't just change his physical health, it changed his sleep, his business, his family life, and gave him the confidence to start CrossFit in his late 20s.

Dr. Dave breaks down the science behind why traditional thrust adjustments provide only temporary relief, what joint lubrication actually means, and why his diagnostic model using Fascial Counterstrain cut his average plan of care from 8 visits down to 5.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Tim's original back injury at 16 and years of misdiagnosis
• Why "your back is out of place" isn't a real explanation
• The difference between thrust adjustments and mobilization
• How joint lubrication works (and why pain gets worse at night)
• Tim's cranial bone flare-up and the diagnostic process behind it
• Why Dr. Dave believes in multiple treatment models, not just one
• The value of paying out-of-pocket vs. traditional insurance-based PT
• Advice for anyone dealing with chronic pain, wherever they live

Timestamps:

00:00 Bending My Neck Instantly

00:45 Meet Local Business Owner Tim

01:53 The Backbreaking Truth About Pressure Washing

02:38 The Backflip That Broke Everything

03:33 Sixteen Years Old, First Chiropractor

05:29 Chasing Relief, Chiropractor After Chiropractor

06:31 The Foot Pressure Machine Theory

07:43 Why Physical Therapy Never Stuck

09:18 A Story He Never Told

10:32 Debunking Spinal Alignment Myths

12:56 The Real Diagnosis Revealed

14:54 Finally, Prolonged Pain Relief

16:54 What's Next After Healing?

20:16 Stop Blaming Your Mattress

23:54 From Faith To Feeling Results

26:40 How Touching His Head Fixed His Back

28:10 Is Paying Out Of Pocket Worth It?

30:00 Cutting Visits By Forty Percent

31:43 How Cranial Bones Caused Back Pain

33:47 Giving God The Credit

35:06 Advice For Chronic Pain Sufferers

36:43 How To Find A Counter Strain Practitioner

38:02 What Is Allopathic Medicine?

41:27 The Google Review That Went Viral

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

Follow Renew on social:

https://www.facebook.com/ReNewPensacolaPT 

https://www.instagram.com/renewintegrativept/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@Renew-Integrative

Follow Dr. Dave on social:

https://www.facebook.com/david.harvitz.9 

https://www.instagram.com/dr.davedpt/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@drdaveharvitz 

"Getting fired was the best thing I ever did for my career."

That's how Dr. Dave opens up about the moment his home health job pulled his salary out from under him, right before a pandemic that no one saw coming.

In this episode of Good Outcomes' Clinician's Corner, Dr. Dave shares the real story behind starting Renew. You will find:

• How a 2019 Medicare policy shift (PDGM) quietly cut PT pay industry-wide
• Why his company slashed his salary by 40% with only a few months' warning
• The moment a friend's dislocated hip led him to try cash-pay physical therapy on the side
• Getting walked into his boss's office and fired one week before COVID shut down the country
• How a leap of faith and God’s timing turned a layoff into a thriving chronic pain practice

This episode is a candid, funny, and honest look at losing a job in the midst of chaos, especially when it feels like all the odds are stacked against a good and successful outcome. 

00:00 – Why I Got Fired

00:16 – Medicare Slashes Home Health Pay

02:22 – Record Profits, Then My Pay Cut

02:41 – Only Three Months Notice Given

03:20 – Zero PT Jobs In Pensacola

03:56 – Truth About Physical Therapist Salaries

05:35 – Too Scared To Start My Own Practice

06:07 – Friend Suggests Going Cash-Pay

07:28 – Asking Clients For Reviews

08:05 – Fired One Week Later

09:43 – Confessions Of A Squeaky Wheel

10:24 – Why I Clash With Bad Leaders

11:00 – Fired Right Before COVID Hit

11:50 – Best Career Move I Ever Made

12:29 – Telling My Wife I'm Jobless

13:20 – God Told Me To Quit

13:43 – Kicked Off The Edge To Swim

14:18 – My Wife's Surprising Reaction

15:05 – Fully Booked Within A Month

15:38 – Why I Chose Chronic Pain

16:35 – Looking Back At God's Plan

17:35 – Healing Is Possible

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

Follow Renew on social:

https://www.facebook.com/ReNewPensacolaPT 

https://www.instagram.com/renewintegrativept/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@Renew-Integrative

Follow Dr. Dave on social:

https://www.facebook.com/david.harvitz.9 

https://www.instagram.com/dr.davedpt/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@drdaveharvitz 

How do 20 seemingly unrelated symptoms sometimes trace back to one root cause? 

Dr. Dave sits down with Jessica Ham, FNP, of Regenesis Performance in Pensacola for a Clinician's Corner deep dive on two of the most commonly missed chronic illness triggers: mold toxicity and Lyme disease. 

Jessica walks through why these conditions share so many overlapping symptoms, how she tests and confirms each one and what treatment actually looks like.

Jessica Ham is a Family Nurse Practitioner who completed a fellowship in anti-aging and regenerative medicine in 2017. She practices at Regenesis Performance, an integrative medicine practice in Pensacola, FL.

You’ll hear:

• The core difference between allopathic ("what") and integrative ("why") medicine
• The genetic (HLA) susceptibility behind why some people get sick from mold and others don't
• Innate vs. adaptive immune system and why chronic inflammation gets missed
• Mold testing: VCS test (vcstest.com), Herxme dust test, urine mycotoxin panels, Shoemaker biomarkers
• Home inspection red flags for hidden mold (AC units, plumbing leaks, water stains)
• How binders work (and common options: charcoal, bentonite clay, cholestyramine, food-based binders)
• The Herxheimer reaction and how to manage detox symptoms
• Why Lyme disease is so hard to test for and treat (spirochete/cyst/biofilm forms, co-infections)
• A dramatic case study of a patient who got off opioids and benzodiazepines within six months of removing a hidden mold exposure.
• The Horowitz MSIDS questionnaire for tracking Lyme treatment progress
• The cell danger response and nervous system/limbic retraining (DNRS, Gupta Program, Primal Trust, EMDR)
• What "dormancy" means for chronic infections and realistic recovery expectations
• Advice for clinicians curious about integrative medicine and for patients seeking a diagnosis

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

G U E S T:

https://www.regenesisperformance.com/home 

https://www.facebook.com/RegenesisPerformance  

https://www.instagram.com/regenesisperformance/  

 1:48 Her Path Into Integrative Medicine
 4:25 Building The Symptom Timeline
 5:15 Why Specialists Miss The Big Picture
 6:25 The Mold Symptom Checklist
 7:36 Mold's Perfect Storm
 8:32 The Genetic Mold Susceptibility
 9:40 Innate Vs. Adaptive Immunity
 10:50 Testing For Mold Exposure
 14:02 Diet And Toxin Clearance
 15:22 Where You're Exposed Matters Most
 15:42 Do Mold Types Matter
 16:46 Turning Off Exposure First
 16:53 Testing Your Home For Mold
 20:24 Dr. Dave's Own Mold Story
 21:33 How Binders Pull Out Mycotoxins
 22:55 What Counts As A Binder
 25:06 How Fast Do Patients Improve
 25:37 Case Study: Ten Years Disabled
 27:35 Off Opioids In Six Months
 29:31 The Herxheimer Reaction Explained
 30:36 Introducing Lyme Disease
 31:09 Why Lyme Evades Treatment
 31:49 How Lyme Is Actually Transmitted
 32:59 The Co-Infection Problem
 34:37 Migratory Pain: Lyme's Hallmark
 35:28 More Lyme Symptoms To Watch
 36:11 The Horowitz MSIDS Questionnaire
 38:20 Antimicrobials And Biofilms
 38:54 Why Some Patients Never Fully Recover
 39:45 The Cell Danger Response
 40:49 Retraining The Nervous System
 41:18 What Is EMDR
 42:14 Faith In The Healing Process
 42:44 How Often She Sees Lyme Patients
 44:14 What A Good Outcome Looks Like
 46:47 Building Trust With Patients
 48:20 Can You Ever Fully Clear Infection
 49:35 Advice For Curious Clinicians
 50:49 Advice For Patients Seeking Answers
 51:05 Finding A Qualified Practitioner

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

Follow Renew on social:

https://www.facebook.com/ReNewPensacolaPT 

https://www.instagram.com/renewintegrativept/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@Renew-Integrative

Follow Dr. Dave on social:

https://www.facebook.com/david.harvitz.9 

https://www.instagram.com/dr.davedpt/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@drdaveharvitz 

"I used to sit in my house and not leave, nights and nights in a row, because I was afraid of what was gonna happen."

For over a decade, patient Jen Superdock lived with a cascade of conditions that doctors struggled to connect: chronic pelvic pain, gastroparesis, GERD, Barrett's esophagus, and sudden, unexplained loss of bladder control. She tried physical therapy, pelvic floor therapy, medications, and eventually a surgically implanted bladder stimulator with underwhelming results.

In this episode of Patient Perspectives, Jen sits down with Dr. Dave to share her story and how fascial counterstrain helped her reclaim her life. 

In this episode:

• Jen's 13-year history with GERD, gastroparesis, and Barrett's esophagus
• The onset of sudden bladder pain and incontinence and the silence that often surrounds it
• Her experience with a sacral nerve/bladder stimulator implant
• What brought her to fascial counterstrain after traditional treatment plateaued
• The surprising connection between eye muscle tension and pelvic floor dysfunction
• Canceling a scheduled hemorrhoid surgery after treatment
• Her advice to anyone who feels like they've run out of options

 1:31 Jen's background: Pensacola, military upbringing, life with Jax
 2:29 The beginning: GERD, gastroparesis, Barrett's esophagus
 4:33 Traditional PT, medications, and the bladder stimulator decision
 5:01 The implant trial and painful recovery
 5:35 Life before illness: roller derby, softball, the gym
 5:49 Post-implant life: still having episodes, waiting for results
 6:19 A second surgery: battery malfunction and replacement
 6:40 What brought her to Renew: lower back pain after surgery
 10:00 First session: pelvis adjustment, soft tissue, a reason to return
 10:31 The second session — counter strain changes everything
 11:10 Eye muscles and the pelvic floor: the neuroscience behind it
 12:57 Layer by layer: peeling back trapped inflammation
 13:17 Reclaiming her life — emotional moment
 18:32 From 16 supplements to fewer than five
 18:38 Treating the whole picture, not just the symptom
 19:10 When PT and functional medicine work together
 20:42 Finding providers willing to collaborate
 20:50 The problem with medical specialization and siloed care
 21:52 Final words: don't give up, be your own advocate

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

Follow Renew on social:

https://www.facebook.com/ReNewPensacolaPT 

https://www.instagram.com/renewintegrativept/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@Renew-Integrative

Follow Dr. Dave on social:

https://www.facebook.com/david.harvitz.9 

https://www.instagram.com/dr.davedpt/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@drdaveharvitz 

“I don’t want your money if I’m not fixing you.”

In this Clinician's Corner episode, Dr. Dave breaks down the three core reasons why so many patients remain in pain despite treatment.

You’ll hear:

• Why the phrase "you can't help everyone" is a clinical cop-out
• How insurance reimbursement structures push clinicians toward volume over outcomes
• Why pain is the last thing to happen in a pain sequence — not the first
• What a "root cause" actually means in the chronic pain world (hint: there's usually more than one)
• The three systems most PTs never treat: the fascial, visceral, and autonomic nervous systems
• Why manual therapy must come before exercise — and what happens when it doesn't
• How Dr. Dave's practice built an incentive structure that actually aligns with patient outcomes
• What real mentorship looks like — and why most "residency programs" are marketing ploys

0:00 Why Chronic Pain Rates Are Abysmal

1:12 "You Can't Help Everyone" Is a Cop-Out

2:45 The System Is Built for Speed, Not Outcomes

4:30 What Physicians Actually Have in Their Toolbox

6:10 High Volume Kills Good Clinical Thinking

8:00 Manual Therapy Has to Come Before Exercise

10:15 Pain Is the Last Thing That Happens, Not the First

12:40 What a Root Cause Actually Is

15:20 The Circuit Breaker Analogy

17:45 Why PT Diagnostic Testing Is Flawed

20:00 Residency Ad — Renew Integrative PT

21:10 The Three Systems Most PTs Never Treat

24:30 Fascial Counterstrain Explained

27:15 The Autonomic Nervous System & PT

29:50 Why the Incentive Structure Kills Clinical Mastery

33:20 What Real Mentorship Looks Like

36:40 Big Box Clinics & the Mentorship Marketing Ploy

39:55 Paying PTs More When Patients Get Better

43:10 How to Actually Motivate Your Patients

45:30 The Money-Back Guarantee

47:00 Sell Disney World, Not the Flight 

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

Follow Renew on social:

https://www.facebook.com/ReNewPensacolaPT 

https://www.instagram.com/renewintegrativept/ 

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What keeps mainstream physical therapy from ACTUALLY healing patients?

You're not imagining it. The system is broken. In this episode, Dr. Dave sits down with David Bailiff, DPT, a 30-year veteran of the profession and co-founder of the Uncaged Clinician, to talk honestly about why so many PTs are burned out, why patient outcomes are suffering, and what a different path actually looks like.

David was one of the earliest mobile concierge physical therapists in the country, going all-in on a cash-based practice back in 2013 before most PTs had even heard the term. His story is a real account of discontentment, a door that opened unexpectedly, and the courage it took to walk through it.

You'll hear:

• Why reimbursement rates have been declining while education costs have skyrocketed 
• How the insurance model is structurally designed to prioritize function over pain
• Why manual therapy is the lowest-reimbursed service in the insurance model
• The "uncaged" philosophy: using the full scope of what you've been trained to do to actually change lives
• What the common denominators are among PTs who build a thriving cash-based caseload in 3–4 months vs. those who struggle for years
• Why going directly to the consumer is often more effective than chasing physician referrals

Guest: 

https://uncagedclinician.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/uncagedcliniciangroup 

https://www.instagram.com/uncagedclinician 

https://www.youtube.com/@TheMobilePTLeague 

00:00 – Is the Healthcare System Actually Broken?

02:15 – The PT Who Went Cash-Based Before It Was Cool

06:45 – What Happens When You Stop Asking Permission

11:30 – The Real Reason Reimbursements Keep Dropping

17:00 – Squeezed From Every Direction: The Cost of Running a Clinic

22:10 – What "Uncaged" Actually Means

28:45 – Insurance Gets You in the Gate. That's It.

34:20 – Why Your Hands Are the Lowest-Paid Tool You Have

39:50 – The Step-Up Exercise That Had Nothing to Do With the Patient

45:15 – What If We Treated People Before They Broke?

51:30 – Who Really Founded Modern Medicine (And Why)

57:00 – The PT Who Was Full in 3 Months vs. the One Still Waiting

1:02:45 – The Day Dr. Dave Got Fired and Everything Changed

1:08:00 – What It Actually Takes to Go All In

Want more info on a residency with Renew Integrative Physical Therapy? Click here for more information: https://renewintegrativept.com/join-our-team/

Follow Renew on social:

https://www.facebook.com/ReNewPensacolaPT 

https://www.instagram.com/renewintegrativept/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@Renew-Integrative

Follow Dr. Dave on social:

https://www.facebook.com/david.harvitz.9 

https://www.instagram.com/dr.davedpt/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@drdaveharvitz