As clinicians, we are all looking for ways to improve our patient interactions when using telehealth. For some, harnessing the many options offered by this emerging technology may be intimidating. But technology doesn’t have to be a barrier to using telehealth successfully. Whether you are new to telehealth or simply interested in advancing your use [...]

A physical therapy exam typically includes an assessment of alignment, movement analysis, symptom modification procedures, range of motion, and muscle performance. But in the many exams you have likely performed, when was the last time you assessed speed? When we think of speed, a picture of an elite sprinter frequently comes to mind. However, speed is [...]

Ten years ago, if you talked about meeting your significant other online, ordering a meal through an app, or asking your car for the fastest way home, you were definitely outside the norm. Today, however, technology is prevalent throughout our social and workplace activities. It should be that way for our healthcare activities too. [...]

Telehealth has come to the forefront as a viable option in this defining moment in health care. Faced with our current public health reality, many clinicians are struggling to transition their years of in-person treatment to virtual care. Although there are similarities between telehealth care and in-person care, there are also significant differences. Addressing these differences [...]

We are often tasked with rehabilitating athletes who have return to sport or intense physical activity as their primary goal. Are we adequately challenging these people in the rehab setting enough to smoothly transition them back into their sport or hobby and mitigate reinjury? Participation in athletic competition has grown over the last 30 [...]

As therapists, we use manual muscle tests to assess a patient’s strength on a daily basis. But does the standard manual muscle test (MMT) give us all the information we need to assess patient strength with regards to function and sport? What additional muscle testing strategies can we use in combination with standard [...]

A Brief History of Strength Testing Manual Muscle Testing Manual muscle testing (MMT) is a widespread, nearly universal test used by physical therapists and other allied health professionals to determine muscle strength and weakness in their patients. Henry and Florence Kendall standardized and popularized the test in the 1940s during polio outbreaks. MMT was [...]

How many times have you found yourself assigning similar exercises to patients with various conditions? Think about how many times you have prescribed basic exercises, such as clamshells or bridges to strengthen the gluteal muscles, without determining whether or not it was the most appropriate exercise. Therapists can often lose sight of the art [...]

We are always looking to provide the best, most specific treatment for our patients. With both special tests and symptom modification procedures in your toolbox, you can educate your patients on what anatomical structures are impacted, why these structures are irritated, and how to best address the underlying cause of the dysfunction. The Place of [...]