Let's Get Physical (Therapy)

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If you are working on the frontlines of rehab today, you know that treating patients is only half the battle. Every day, we’re dealing with the business realities of healthcare—from prior authorization delays and compliance fatigue to reimbursement cuts and burnout. 

But behind the scenes, there is a massive effort underway to protect our industry and stabilize our future. 

Our guest today is at the absolute center of that fight. Joining us is Christie Covington, the Executive Director of the National Association of Rehabilitation Providers and Agencies—better known as NARA. 

Today, Christie is pulling back the curtain on how high-level advocacy impacts the daily lives of treating therapists and clinic owners. We’re diving into what NARA is doing on Capitol Hill to fight Medicare Advantage hurdles, how they're preparing us for the shift to value-based care, and how they support the organizations keeping this industry moving forward. 

www.NARANET.org 

Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!

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In this episode of Let’s Get Physical (Therapy), we’re joined by Carrie Krug, an experienced pelvic health physical therapist and leader who has dedicated her career to advancing pelvic health care and mentoring the next generation of clinicians. We discuss what pelvic health physical therapy really involves, pathways to specialization and certification, the importance of mentorship, and the many opportunities available for therapists interested in this rewarding and growing specialty.

Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!

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ACL rehab isn’t just about what happens in the clinic—it’s also about what happens in the kitchen. 

In this episode, we’re joined by registered dietitian Grace Duffy from Fit with Food to break down the critical role nutrition plays in ACL recovery. From fueling before injury even happens to optimizing healing after surgery, Grace dives into what athletes and clinicians need to know to truly support recovery. 

We explore key topics like protein needs, minimizing muscle loss during downtime, and the often-overlooked impact of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). Whether you're an athlete, clinician, or coach, this episode will challenge you to think differently about how nutrition can influence outcomes every step of the way. 

Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!

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ACL rehab is a grueling journey, but the hard truth is that standard physical therapy protocols often fall short. In this episode, we’re breaking down what physical therapists get wrong, from rushing the biological healing process and skipping critical milestones, to ignoring movement mechanics and completely forgetting to train the opposite leg. 

Joining the show to separate fact from friction is physical therapist and sports residency graduate, Jordan Cargile. Jordan brings her elite, frontline expertise in high-level athletic recovery to reveal why we need to slow down, respect the healing process, and completely reframe how we approach ACL rehabilitation. 

Whether you're a clinician looking to level up your protocols or an athlete navigating your own recovery, this episode is a masterclass in doing ACL rehab the right way. 

Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!

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In this episode, I sit down with Dylan Carmody, PT, to discuss how force plate testing can be used throughout the rehabilitation process to provide objective data and guide clinical decision-making. We talk about what force plates actually measure, where testing fits into different stages of rehab, and Dylan’s go-to tests that provide the most useful information for clinicians working with athletes. 

We also dive into which metrics really matter, how force plate data can uncover asymmetries or deficits that may not be obvious during traditional assessments, and how this information can help guide return-to-play decisions. Dylan shares practical insights on how he communicates this data with athletes and offers advice for physical therapists looking to integrate force plate technology into their practice. 

Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!

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The surgery is only the beginning. For an athlete, the real battle happens in the months of grueling work that follow, bridging the gap between "medically cleared" and "game-ready." 

In this episode, we sit down with a premier Strength and Conditioning Coach to deconstruct the high-stakes journey of ACL recovery. We’re diving deep into: 

• The Hand-off: When should an athlete move from the PT table to the weight room? 
• The "Quad Gap": Practical strategies for rebuilding explosive power and muscle volume. 
• Movement Cheats: Identifying the hidden compensations that lead to re-injury. 
• The Mental Wall: How to rebuild an athlete's trust in their knee when the game is on the line. 

Whether you’re an athlete in the thick of the grind or a coach refining your protocol, this is your roadmap for the long road back. 

Listen in as we define what it truly takes to return to play, and stay there.

Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!

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An ACL tear doesn’t automatically mean surgery, and not every ACL-deficient athlete is the same. In this episode, I’m joined by Kellie Loehr, ATC, who shares her personal journey of tearing her ACL and choosing non-operative management, alongside physical therapist Samantha King, PT, to break down what it really means to be a “coper.” 

We discuss how clinicians identify potential copers, the role of strength and neuromuscular control, psychological readiness, and how to determine who may successfully return to sport without reconstruction. This episode challenges the all-or-nothing narrative around ACL tears and emphasizes individualized decision-making and high-quality rehab.

Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!

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In this episode, I’m joined by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Dreese to explore the additional injuries that can accompany an ACL tear, including MCL, LCL and posterolateral corner injuries, PCL involvement, meniscus repair versus meniscectomy, and cartilage damage. 

We discuss how these associated findings influence surgical decisions, rehab precautions, and long-term outcomes. If you’ve ever had two ACL patients who progressed very differently, this conversation explains why it’s rarely “just an ACL.”

Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!

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ACL repair is showing up more in clinics, but a lot of PTs are still unsure how different it really is from reconstructions, and whether rehab should actually change. 

Today we’re breaking down what ACL repair really is, who it’s for, and where clinicians can get into trouble by treating it like a ‘lighter’ ACL surgery. 

I’m joined by Dr. Douoguih, an orthopedic sports surgeon, to talk candidly about patient selection, early loading, failure risk, and how PTs can better collaborate with surgeons when managing ACL repairs. 

If you’re seeing ACL repairs in your clinic—or expect to soon—this episode will give you a clearer framework for treating these patients with confidence. 

Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!

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We talk about ACL injuries today with a lot of confidence, risk factors, injury rates, prevention strategies, but that understanding didn’t just appear overnight. It evolved through years of research, debate, and plenty of early assumptions that didn’t always hold up. 

In this episode, we’re stepping back to look at how the epidemiology of ACL tears actually began and how our thinking has changed over time. 

I’m joined by Dr. Richard Hinton to unpack the origins of ACL injury research, the major shifts in how we understand risk, and what clinicians still tend to misinterpret when applying population data to individual patients. 

Please be sure to follow us on Instagram @medstarhealthpt and email: [email protected] with any questions or podcast ideas! Thank you for listening!