In today's episode, I interview physical therapist and ACL rehabilitation specialist, Dr. Wesley Wang, DPT. This episode covers much of the current research regarding ACL rehab and will be helpful to both individuals who have suffered an ACL injury or want to prevent one from happening and practitioners who treat patients who have undergone an ACL recontruction.

Wesley is a physical therapist at Healthy Baller, which is located in Rockville, MD. He specializes in treatment of sports injuries and ACL reconstructions. The majority of his patients are middle and high school athletes as well as athletes from various colleges across the country. Wesley's goal is to develop a trusting relationship with the patient while focusing on treating the source of the pain. Treatments prioritize regaining full mobility, strength and confidence to reduce the likelihood of suffering another injury.

To learn more about Wesley's work, visit his Instagram account (@wesleywang.dpt) or his website.

Today's episode covers sacroiliac or SI joint pain, which is a type of low back pain. The sacroiliac joints are two small synovial joints located on the right and left sides of the low back between the sacrum and the ilium bone of the pelvis. These joints are surrounded by numerous ligaments, which makes them very strong and capable of supporting body weight. Because of their joint shape and the surrounding ligaments, the sacroiliac joints move very little, but are thought to account for a small percentage of back pain cases. Pain associated with sacroiliac joint irritation is usually located on one side of the low back and may radiate into the buttock or back side of the thigh. If you believe you may experiencing pain originating from one or both of your sacroiliac joints, the exercises shown in the video may help.

https://youtu.be/s2bqEP1O6_s?si=MSDpabHhBI58Jae9

Reference: Laslett M. Evidence-Based Diagnosis and Treatment of the Painful Sacroiliac Joint. J Man Manip Ther. 2008. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2582421/

Here are a few exercise tools that can help you recover from this type of pain.

SI Stabilization Belt: https://amzn.to/4gYmkpE

Trigger Point Ball: https://amzn.to/3Ibw0LJ

Loop Bands: https://amzn.to/3G3D6QS

*My new book contains comprehensive rehab programs for the 50 most common injuries and pain issues, including one for sacroiliac joint pain. Click the link below to learn more and order a copy! https://a.co/d/1q3BjgP

In Today's episode, I interview clinician, entrepreneur and inventor, Pete Holman. Pete is a physical therapist, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), international presenter, author, fitness product inventor and former US National TaeKwonDo champion living in Colorado.

He graduated from the University of Colorado with a Master's of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 1997 and went on to work at the renowned Aspen Sports Medicine clinic prior to opening up his own private practice in 2001. His client list has included Fortune 500 hundred business owners from Jones Apparel, Progressive Insurance & Fiji water, as well as, Hollywood stars including Ed Bradley and Kevin Costner.

Pete's dedication to advancing the fitness industry and his entrepreneurial spirit has inspired him to create multiple products that impact fitness enthusiasts and athletes worldwide.

His first product, The Functional Training Rack, was licensed to Perform Better in 2008 and inspired "hoop" platforms for current stability ball rack designs.

His second product, the RIPCORE-FX, was acquired by TRX and is now referred to as the TRX Rip Trainer. The Rip Trainer has grossed over $30 million in worldwide sales and can be seen in commercial gyms and sports performance centers around the world.

Next, seeing a need for Golf specific training modalities, Pete partnered with GolfForever and iterated the Rip Trainer into the GolfForever Swing Trainer (the world's first 2 in 1 Golf training aid.) With custom handles and coaching zones, a lightweight aluminum shaft and weighted ball heads for overspeed training, the Swing Trainer has quickly become the number one Golf training aid sold in Golf Galaxy, PGA Superstores and Dicks Sporting Goods. Endorsed by pro Golfers Scottie Scheffler, Ryan Palmer and Justin Leonard, the Swing Trainer is poised to revolutionize fitness training for Golfers!

In 2018, Pete designed the first ever plate loaded Hip Thrust machine called the Glute Drive. He approached industry leading giants and the Nautilus Glute Drive was spawned. The Glute Drive is Nautilus's number one selling commercial strength product, selling over 3000 units a year.

Pete's latest product is the world's first Loaded Carry/Sled Push combo machine. Growing up on a small farm in Littleton Colorado, Pete hauled road base, concrete, railroad ties and manure around the farm. He attributed his grip, hip and core strength, which later lead to him becoming a US National TaeKwon-Do champion, to his Farm Strong work. He brought the concept to Escape Fitness and the Escape Barrow was created.

Pete works tirelessly on developing education, programming and products that will have a positive impact on health and fitness worldwide. To learn more about Pete's work, visit his website at the following link.

In today's podcast episode, I speak with physical therapist, chiropractor, researcher and educator, Greg Lehman. Greg has been in the rehabilitation field for more than 20 years. Following his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, he was awarded the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Gold Medal for highest academic performance in Kinesiology. This degree allowed him to obtain certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Fitness Appraiser and to work as a Strength and Conditioning coach for Sir Wilfrid University's Men's Basketball team and for Queen's University Women's Varsity Hockey Team.

Greg's success in university resulted in being awarded a graduate scholarship (NSERC) to the University of Waterloo to be one of only two Masters students per year studying at the Occupational Biomechanics Laboratory, a world leader in Spine Biomechanics, exercise prescription and athletic performance.

As a faculty member at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Greg developed a research program that produced more than 20 publications on exercise biomechanics, golf fitness and the science of manual therapy. He has taught more than 25 graduate students in Spine Biomechanics and Research Instrumentation and supervised more than 50 students and 20 undegraduate research theses. He was subsequently awarded a Researcher of the Year award by the Ontario Chiropractic Association.

These days, most of Greg's time with patients is spent one-on-one using exercise, load/stress management, manual therapy techniques and education. Both pain, injury and performance are influenced by a number of factors in an individual's life. Greg's approach addresses the multitude of these contributors and he primarily works with my patients to come up with strategies where they are actively involved in their recovery.

To learn more about Greg and his work, visit his website at the following link.

In today's episode, I talk with functional podiatrist, Dr. Emily Splichal, DPM. As a Podiatrist, Human Movement Specialist, and Global Leader in Barefoot Science and Rehabilitation, Dr. Splichal has developed a keen eye for movement dysfunction and neuromuscular control during gait.

Originally trained as a surgeon through Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City and Mt Vernon Hospital in Mt Vernon, NY, in 2017 Dr. Splichal put down her scalpel and shifted her practice to one that is built around functional and regenerative medicine.

Functional and regenerative medicine and the role of anti-aging science as it relates to movement longevity is where Dr. Splichal's passion is focused. Currently enrolled in a Fellowship for Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), Dr. Splichal's recommendations typically include PRP or stem cell therapy, photomodulation or red light therapy, dry needling or acupuncture, vitamin supplementation, sensory stimulation of the nervous system, fascial work and integrated exercises.

If you are seeking answers outside of the conventional recommendations of orthotics and surgery Dr. Splichal may be able to offer you an innovative, comprehensive treatment option that is built on the foundation of functional medicine and functional movement.

Her Functional Foot Programming stands out from any other Podiatrist and built around evidence-based principles in fascial fitness, foot to core sequencing, and barefoot stimulation.

To make an in-person or virtual appointment with Dr. Splichal please contact 917.825.4297, email ([email protected]) or schedule directly online HERE

In today's episode, I talk with osteopath, Brendon Talbot, BHK, M.OMSc about his educational background, osteopathic training and how he treats individuals with musculoskeletal disorders.

Here is a bit more about Brendon from his website:

"Motivated by the body's innate ability to self heal and self regulate, Brendon prides himself on providing the highest quality of Osteopathic care. Brendon always works with his best efforts, to ensure the patient receives the best possible treatment each session, while working safely within the scope of Osteopathy. Understanding human anatomy and physiology in a collective manner helps Brendon provide a personalized treatment for every patient.

Prior to his osteopathic journey, Brendon's appreciation of collective mechanics stems from his many years as an elite athlete. He expresses undeniable passion and interest for his understanding of the human body.

Treatment outcome aims to reduce symptom expression, improve overall quality of life, speed the restoration of normal function and reduce the impact of illness on home and work life.

"I love to educate patients and encourage a healthy lifestyle to further optimize and improve the patients quality of life."

You can learn more about Brendon on his website or his Instagram account (@bt.osteopathy).

Today's episode is the final installment in the Exploring Pain series. Please make sure to listen to the first two episodes as those episodes lay the foundation for today's episode. In this episode, we explore outdated pain models and false beliefs that are held by many people regarding what causes pain and how pain should be treated. I hope you find the episode to be helpful!

As I mentioned in the episode, my book has rehab programs for the most common pain issues and injuries and each body region has its own chapter. The programs have pictures of me doing the exercises and are broken into three phases, so that you can do your own rehab at home. Here is an Amazon link, if you want to learn more about my book.

Today's episode is a follow-up on last week's pain science episode, so make sure to check that one out at the following link before diving into this week's episode.

In today's episode, we look at the pain loop and how sensory messages (afferent messages) ascend up the spinal cord to the brain and then create efferent responses (movement, pain stress) that descend back down the spinal cord to relevant regions of the body and muscles that will help the person move away from dangerous stimuli.

This episode also addresses the three major types of pain (nociceptive, neuropathic and chronic) and how we think about treating these types of pain.

I hope you find this episode to be helpful! As always, my book has comprehensive programs for the 50 most common pain issues and injuries. Each body region has its own chapter and all of the programs have pictures of me doing the exercises. Click the following Amazon link to learn more about my book.

In today's episode, I introduce the science of pain and what current research has taught us about the physiology of pain. Whether you are a practitioner or someone experiencing pain, this episode will help you better manage painful symptoms. When we understand pain at a deeper level, we are able to identify the factors in our own lives that may be contributing to the pain we experience. Factors such as, sleep (quantity and quality), nutrition, stress levels, exercise and our beliefs about pain can greatly impact how we feel and how much pain we experience.

Thank you for listening to this episode! I hope you find it to be helpful. If you are suffering from a painful condition, my book could be a great resource for you. It has rehab programs for the 50 most common injuries and pain issues and each body region has its own chapter. Each program has pictures of me doing the exercises and guides you through three phases of rehab. If you want to learn more about my book, click this Amazon link.

Sciatica is a umbrella term that refers to pain and/or altered sensation (numbness, tingling, heaviness) that travels into the sciatic nerve distribution or that of one of the lumbosacral nerve roots that makes up the sciatic nerve (L4-S3).

Sciatica is caused by an irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve or one of the nerve roots that forms the sciatic nerve. It is often seen with disc bulges and herniations and spinal stenosis. Sciatica can also be caused by spondylolisthesis and, in rare cases, spinal tumors.

Sciatica has a lifetime incidence of 10-40%, so many of us will experience this issue at some point in our lifetime.

Sciatica is diagnosed via clinical testing such as the straight leg raise and slump tests and a description of symptoms that fits with the sciatic nerve's motor and sensory distributions.

Sciatica is typically aggravated with lumbar flexion (bending forward), rotation or twisting of the spine and coughing.

Treatment typically involves initially reducing acute symptoms with ice and heat, NSAIDs, avoiding provocative positions and activities (usually lumbar flexion) and muscle relaxants, in some cases.

Rehab revolves around behavior modification, short courses of spinal mobilization and/or manipulation, nerve mobilizations and therapeutic exercises that target the hip and trunk with a primary emphasis on reducing neural irritation (centralization). Usually, mobility exercises help most initially and then strengthening exercises are added later.

Most cases resolve in 4-6 weeks. If symptoms don't improve after 6-8 weeks or there is a progressive loss of motor function (muscular weakness), then imaging may be helpful to rule out more severe disc bulges or herniations and other potential tissue causes.

Clinicians should lookout for red flags such as progressive LE weakness, loss of bowel or bladder function, saddle paresthesia as these can point to acute neurological deficits.

Here are links to YouTube videos that can help if you are experiencing sciatica right now.

Sciatic Nerve Mobilization Exercises

Low Back Disc Herniation Exercises

Amazon Link For My Book