Why are PT wages so low—and more importantly, who’s responsible?

In this episode of the PT Pintcast 6-Pack, we’re joined by Matt Huey, a physical therapist, powerlifter, and healthcare humorist, who isn’t afraid to ask the uncomfortable questions. With five Texas state powerlifting records under his belt and a serious passion for wage transparency, Matt breaks down the forces behind stagnant PT pay—and what we as a profession can do about it.

This one’s for the PTs and PTAs wondering if it’s the APTA, the government, or just us holding the paycheck hostage.

Expect real talk, some laughs, and ideas you haven’t heard before on how to actually shift this conversation—and your income.

Are we being paid fairly for what we deliver?

Join Jimmy McKay, Dave Kittle, and Tony Maritato for a no-holds-barred discussion on:

• Manual therapy vs. movement-based reimbursement
• How Medicare defines (and limits) value
• Charging patients for actual premium care — from certifications to tech
• The tension between doing more and being paid less
• Action figures, AI-generated branding, and your role as a “healthcare hero”

What We Talked About:

• Should PTs be charging for everything “above the minimum standard of care”?
• Is it ethical (or legal) to offer premium services on top of insurance-covered plans?
• How to avoid the burnout that comes from over-delivering and under-charging
• The difference between running a practice and running a charity

Links & Mentions:

You’ve heard the buzz about digital health, but what if we told you telehealth PT isn’t just a pandemic stopgap—it’s a powerful tool for clinical transformation?

In this episode of the PT Pintcast 6-Pack, we tap into the mind of Hali Jones, a physical therapist-turned-health-tech strategist at ViFive, who’s making virtual care smarter, cooler, and way more effective than you think. From objective compliance tracking to geriatric engagement, Hali unpacks six surprising truths about telehealth PT—and why clinicians need to stop sleeping on this massive opportunity.

Whether you’re a clinic owner, tech-curious PT, or just wondering how to future-proof your practice, this conversation is a goldmine of insight, research, and practical next steps.

And yes—there’s actual data behind all of this.

What do cash-based PT, YouTube algorithms, and manual therapy have in common? For Dr. David Middaugh — everything.

In this episode of the PT Pintcast 6-Pack, we sit down with Dr. David Middaugh, a manual physical therapist turned YouTube sensation, who’s helping thousands of people worldwide avoid surgery, injections, and medications through accessible video education and hands-on expertise.

David runs El Paso Manual Physical Therapy, a thriving cash-based PT practice, and has grown his YouTube channel to over 600,000 subscribers — all while raising four kids (and homeschooling them!). He opens up about building his business from the ground up, the messy middle of digging out of debt, and why YouTube is the meritocracy PTs didn’t know they needed.

If you’ve ever thought about leaving insurance behind, scaling your practice, or launching a YouTube channel to expand your impact — this is your episode.

What if your physical therapy clinic could spin off its own startups? In this episode, we dive deep with Dave Kittle on how PT owners can build businesses inside their business, sell them, and scale smarter—not harder.

We cover:

How Dave builds $250k revenue micro-businesses within his practice

The truth about practice valuations and owner transitions

Lead generation as a cooperative effort among local clinics

Structuring acquisitions to avoid post-sale disasters

The emotional marketing genius behind his $499 post-op offer

Why runners don't want you to fix their pain—and what they actually want instead

Whether you're looking to sell your practice, acquire another, or build a lean cash-based empire, this episode is a blueprint for PT entrepreneurship in 2025.

What if your fitness journey wasn’t about fixing, shrinking, or grinding… but about reclaiming joy in movement?

In this bold and empowering episode of PT Pintcast’s 6-Pack series, we sit down with Dr. Marcia Dernie (she/they)—a physical therapist, strength athlete, yoga teacher, and disabled Black creative—who’s rewriting the script on what movement can and should look like.

As the founder of @MoveWithMarcia and co-host of the @DisabledGirlsWhoLift podcast, Dr. Marcia brings a revolutionary lens to the PT world—focusing not on pathologizing bodies, but empowering them. In this episode, we unpack the harm of healthism, deconstruct the fitness industrial complex, and explore what it truly means to make movement accessible for every body.

In this rapid-fire episode of PT Pintcast, we sit down with Hunter McWhorter—marketing strategist and customer experience pro—to talk all things growth, brand, and patient retention.

Hunter shares why referrals are actually the start of the patient journey, not the eval, and what most clinics get wrong when managing that process. We dive deep into branding, Google presence, outsourcing marketing, and how to finally track ROI in a meaningful way.

He also answers:

• Should PTs do their own marketing?
• What’s the real cost of inaction when it comes to branding?
• How can you turn discharged patients into lifelong advocates?

Dave's Golf Marketing Strategy

Shots Fired on LinkedIn?!