The Ask Mike Reinold Show

Limb symmetry index is often used to measure performance and determine return to play.Makes sense, but what if the other side isn’t perfect?We prefer to look at more than just LSI, but there’s a bunch that goes into it. We discuss in this episode.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/is-limb-symmetry-index-our-goal/  Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Rotator cuff tears are becoming more common in younger active patients in their 40s and 50s.Typically, they are small tears at this time, but what should we do with them? Should we consider surgery? Should we avoid it at all costs?We talk about some of the things to consider in this episode.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/rotator-cuff-repair-surgery-in-younger-patients/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

There are a ton of scientific and medical journals these days. Seems like there are more and more each year.We’ve talked over the years about how there are actually some journals you want to avoid, and others that you want to follow.In this episode, we talk about our current favorites plus some other current thoughts on how to stay current.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/our-favorite-journals-to-stay-current Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Blood flow restriction training has been such a great addition to what we do in physical therapy.Just like everything else, the more we use it, the more we refine what we are doing.Here are our latest thoughts on how we are using BFR at Champion.Check out the show notes below to see our latest recommendations on BFR cuffs.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/bfr-update-for-2025-how-were-using-blood-flow-restriction-training/Save $200 off my online shoulder course this week only!  Click here to learn more. Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

We’ve all had the patient walk in the door with acute low back pain. It’s awful. They’re in a ton of pain and can’t function.In this episode, we discuss our strategies for working with people with acute lumbar radiculopathy to get them on the right path as soon as possible.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/how-to-treat-acute-lumbar-radiculopathy/  Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

We all know it’s important to challenge our patients with load during the exercise progression of a rehabilitation plan.Many people like to poke fun at the concept of 3 sets of 10 repetitions, probably because some abuse it, but there is a time and place for everything.In this episode, we discuss set and rep schemes and how we periodize our exercises during physical therapy and even the gym.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/how-to-periodize-a-rehabilitation-program/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Rotator cuff repair surgery is one of the most common procedures in physical therapy, yet the recommended postoperative guidelines vary significantly.Different doctors worldwide disagree on what’s best. Some want to be conservative and delay range of motion and physical therapy to maximize the chance that the repair does not fail.But is that best? Are there negatives?In this episode, we discuss some of the science behind delaying range of motion after rotator cuff repair surgery.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/should-you-delay-range-of-motion-after-a-rotator-cuff-repair/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Our understanding of SLAP tears, or superior labral tears of the shoulder, continues to evolve. In the past, we often rushed to surgical repair of a SLAP lesion, but now we understand that not all SLAP tears need to be repaired. In fact, repairing some types of SLAP tears in the wrong person could make them worse!In this episode we talk about the difference between a “good” SLAP tear and a “bad” SLAP tear.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/update-on-slap-tears-good-slaps-vs-bad-slaps/  Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Rate of force development has become popular in the strength and conditioning world, but not so much in rehabilitation.After an injury, we often work on strength and power, but we must also work on producing force as quickly as possible to benefit athletes.In this episode, we discuss how to measure RFD and how to incorporate it into the rehabilitation process for an injured athlete.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/rate-of-force-development-in-rehabilitation/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

The future of ACL reconstruction and repair is evolving. One of the newer techniques to try to repair the native ACL ligament rather than needing a graft is using a bridge enhancement. This is called the BEAR technique for Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair.This procedure has specific indications, contraindications, and rehabilitation guidelines.In this episode, we discuss this procedure and the difference in rehabilitation between the BEAR technique and a traditional ACL reconstruction.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/acl-repair-using-the-bear-technique/  Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

One of the areas that physical therapists often report feeling a lack of confidence is building a return to running program after an injury or surgery.There are a few things to consider, such as the type of athlete and what their goals are in the long run. But in general, a slow and gradual progression is often best.Here are the factors we consider and how we build our return to running programs.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/return-to-running-after-an-injury/Save $200 off my online shoulder course this week only!  Click here to learn more. Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Many people value getting back to the gym after surgery. They may be athletes needing to prepare for their sport or people who enjoy the gym recreationally.We’re big advocates for getting back into the gym as soon as possible, but after surgery, there are some things to consider. Here are our thoughts on how to best manage this.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/when-to-start-training-in-the-gym-after-surgery/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Cervical spine pain is pretty common. Most of the time, it seems like we only see these patients when their symptoms progress to the point where they are having radiculopathy and loss of strength or sensation down their arm.But what do you do with the younger person who seems to have the beginning of cervical issues? Here are our thoughts.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/strategies-for-cervical-spine-pain/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Finding a good mentor is hard. Many people don’t have access to someone who wants to help them accelerate their career.We often start our careers and have so many questions. We’ve all been there.In this week’s podcast, we talk about what we recommend you do when you aren’t in a spot where you have a great mentor.This is also why we started our new Champion Sports PT Mentorship online program. We know many people don’t have access to great mentorship, and we want to help, so Dan Pope, Dave Tilley, and I wanted to start this program to help you and your career. The first cohort starts in a couple of weeks!Click here to learn more about the new Champion Sports PT MentorshipTo see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/the-most-important-thing-you-must-do-to-accelerate-your-career/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission a

Loss of range of motion after elbow surgery is common. The elbow is a very congruent and unforgiving joint.It’s important to prevent loss of motion with early activities as much as possible. But what do you do when you have a loss of mobility in the elbow?Here are our treatment strategies.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/how-to-deal-with-stubborn-elbow-loss-of-motion/Save $200 off my online shoulder course this week only!  Click here to learn more. Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

The riches are in the niches, or so they say. But in all seriousness, I agree. Most people I know who love their jobs specialize in a niche they enjoy.But how do you get started specializing in a niche? Here are some of our tips.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/how-to-specialize-in-a-niche-population/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

We’ve all seen it before. Someone comes in saying that their “back locked up” on them!They are in a lot of pain, guarded with their movement, and not sure what to do.Here’s how we approach this and some pearls to help them get out of pain and spasm and back into their activities without setbacks.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/strategies-for-acute-low-back-pain/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

One of the more common questions we get from students is knowing when to push someone or back off.As always, the answer will depend on the situation. But, there are some principles to guide you.We discuss what we do and how to avoid the ups and downs.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/how-to-know-when-to-push-or-back-off/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

A common debate in physical therapy is whether we should cue people to “pinch their scapulas” together during exercises.I don’t really think there should be a debate…Here’s why we don’t use that cue and what we do instead.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/should-you-cue-to-pinch-your-shoulder-blades-back/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

We all know that it’s super important to assess strength with our patients and clients. But is manual muscle testing enough?We don’t think so.Here’s why and what we use at Champion.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/how-to-measure-strength-in-the-clinic/ Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube