I Love Neuro

Today we are thrilled to have with us Dr. Beth Fisher, PhD, PT, FAPTA, a prominent researcher in the field of physical therapy. In this episode, we explore Dr. Fisher's illustrious career and delve into her focus on research. She also shares the questions that are currently driving her research and the exciting new developments in the field.

We discuss the importance of incorporating research findings into clinical practice and what clinicians need to know to make this happen. However, we only scratched the surface of Dr. Fisher's expertise, so we plan to invite her back for future episodes to dive deeper into her research areas.

If you have any questions for Dr. Fisher or about her research, please send us an email at [email protected]. Don't forget to tune in for part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Fisher!

In today’s show Claire shares the latest updates from inspirational speakers at the Michael J Fox Foundation’s weekend celebration. She shares new information about upcoming products and diagnostics that could change the landscape for people with Parkinson’s and those who may become diagnosed. Her enthusiasm sharing stories of the speakers will inspire you to get into action and we’ll tell you how!

Michael J Fox Foundation: https://www.michaeljfox.org

Find clinical studies through Fox Trial Finder: https://www.michaeljfox.org/trial-finder

Biomarker press release: https://www.michaeljfox.org/news/breaking-news-parkinsons-disease-biomarker-found

In this episode, Claire and I discuss reversible dementia after receiving an email from the APTA Geriatric section, which provided a helpful fact sheet. According to their research, about 12% of people with dementia symptoms have treatable and reversible causes. We go through the sheet, which has a helpful mnemonic of DEMENTIA, and provide more information about each type. According to their research about 12% of people with dementia symptoms have treatable and reversible causes. Naturally, we wanted to learn more so we could help our clients, patients, family and friends be on the lookout for reversible causes! 

DEMENTIA is a helpful mnemonic that stands for:

• Drugs
• Emotion
• Metabolic
• Eyes, Ears and Sleep
• Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
• Tumor
• Infection
• Atrial Fibrillation / Alcohol

We would love to hear from you or other professionals you may know to expand on this or any other cognitive or mental health topic! We greatly appreciate resources like this one and know we are barely scratching the surface. Don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected] if you have a connection that will help us deepen the conversation.

You can download the fact sheet here:

https://aptageriatrics.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Reversible-Dementia-Fact-Sheet-5.pdf

Association of Proton Pump Inhibitors with Risk of Dementia article from JAMA 2016:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2487379

In this episode, we sit down with a special guest who is not only a neuro physical therapist but also an entrepreneur running two businesses. She shares with us how she stumbled upon the idea of creating a program for women with MS navigating motherhood and the challenges she faced starting and managing two businesses while being a mom herself.

• Our guest shares how she became a neuro PT and what motivated her to start her own cash-based therapy and wellness business.

• She talks about the challenges of running a business and how she had to adapt and be flexible to make it work.

• Our guest then dives into how she came up with the idea of creating a program for women with MS navigating motherhood and how she has been developing it.

• She talks about the unique challenges women with MS face when becoming mothers and how her program aims to provide support and resources to help them through it.

• Our guest shares how she balances her time between running two businesses and being a mom herself. She emphasizes the importance of giving oneself grace and finding a support system to help manage everything.

• She also discusses the benefits of cash-based therapy and wellness, including more personalized care and a focus on overall wellness rather than just treating symptoms.

In this episode, we learned about the inspiring journey of a neuro PT and entrepreneur who is creating a program to support women with MS navigating motherhood. We also gained insights into the challenges and rewards of running a cash-based therapy and wellness business. Thank you for listening, and we hope you join us for the next episode!

Find Irina at:

IG: @neuromamatribe

website: https://www.neuromamatribe.com and  https://www.mnwpt.com

In today’s show we talk about our experiences of hiring. The lessons, the mistakes, and the things we know now. We’ll discuss each of our approaches to hiring and what we think matters most. Learn what to consider and what to avoid when looking for new talent as a neuro business owner. You may think you’re not ready, but you might just be! You may think you can’t compete with those larger companies, but we beg to differ!

On today’s show we interview Samantha Laswell, a PTA and longtime Sparky, about the Geriatric Section of the APTA’s Cognitive and Mental Health Special Interest Group Toolkit that she helped put together. Sammy is a life-long learner with curiosity and a heart of gold that has propelled her to learn more about how to best help anyone with a disability. She’s going to share her experience putting together the toolkit, how she accidentally got involved in creating it, and her experience speaking at the national PT conference, CSM, for the first time. At the end of the show Sammy shares her top tips for working with individuals with psychiatric disorders as well as the common mistakes most clinicians make. This toolkit is a helpful gem with tables, assessments, screens and references that is sure to be handy for everyone on your interdisciplinary team!

Download the free toolkit here: https://aptageriatrics.org/sig/cognitive-and-mental-health-toolkit/

We had a very special guest on the show today who brought the knowledge bombs!! Mike Studer is a well known speaker and educator in neuro physical therapy and boy did he come to teach today! Always thinking of the next helpful thing for clinicians and patients, Dr. Studer shared his framework for improving how we deliver and measure cognitive training during dual tasks in order to offer a comprehensive approach.

He believes cognitive training should be subdivided into holding information, processing information, generating, and recalling. He describes what each of these looks like and provides examples of how to implement them into your practice during dual task assessment and training. Dr. Studer reports testing should have a specific method, but treatment can be free and fun. 

He also shares how often you should do assessments vs free flowing treatment by following behavioral economics, or the study of human decision making and choice. Additionally, we get into the ways to help patients beat fear through the 4 P’s: play, productivity, progress, and personalize.

Get out your notebook for this one! Save it to relisten (on slow speed, lol) because you’re going to get so many great takeaways that you can apply to your practice immediately.

You can learn more about Mike and follow him here:

website: www.mikestuder.com

Instagram: @mikestuderdpt        

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikestuderbrainbodyrehab/

Download PDF file HERE!

Today we interviewed Dawn Gaimaro, a PT of 30 years who has worked in a variety of settings, but has her heart in acute care where she believes the trajectory of recovery is set. She discusses her philosophy on intensity and early mobility as well as how acute care has evolved. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by working in acute care, Dawn will give you guidance and strategies to lose your fear. Students, new grads, and seasoned professionals alike, let’s get out there and help patients have the best start possible and get away from sitting them up in a chair as their acute/ICU therapy program.

On today’s show we interview Dr. Angela Rusher, PT, DPT, NCS. She is a certified specialist in neurologic physical therapy and PWR! certified therapist who has worked in a number of different practice settings including acute rehab and outpatient neuro. Currently she is full time faculty at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, CA and is also a doctoral candidate at Pacific University. She is getting her PhD in Educational Leadership with a Health Care Professions Education Track. She is currently working on her research proposal titled:

Bridging the Gap by Smudging the Lines: Physical Therapy Leadership Practices and Transformational Exercise Innovation for People with Neurologic Disability

The primary purpose of this study is to define the emerging landscape of neurologic Health Promotion and Wellness practices created by physical therapists in the United States embedded within the medical model, or functioning outside of it, by identifying the types of programs, who are creating them, and understanding what leadership practices contributed to their development.

In the show we discuss what a transformational leader is and how do you know whether you are one. We discuss the gaps in care that impact society and people living with neurologic conditions and discuss how Angela’s research is a step in the right direction to finding solutions.

If you identify as a neuro physical therapist please fill out her survey by mid March 2023! It only takes a few minutes of your time.

LINK TO SURVEY: https://samuelmerritt.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_djtgBvo56bSr0Bo

This week we discuss with our favorite NeuroBiz coach, Emily Duval Ledger, how to break out of old habits and not create a workplace that reflects all of the things you hated about your old job. It can be difficult to break old patterns of how much you’re supposed to work, what hours, what you’re supposed to do in the day, etc when you become a business owner. You may have just created the job from hell when all you really wanted to do was create more freedom and flexibility for yourself. Or you may be inadvertently replicating the things you didn’t like about your old job or how your old boss did things because you’re not sure what you do want or how to create it.

Listen for Emily’s words of wisdom and Claire and Erin sharing their strategies for ensuring we all create the businesses and workplaces of our dreams!