193: Sowing The Love: Harvesting Wins, Weeding Woes, And Business Shenanigans With NeuroBiz Besties
Release Date: 12/25/2023
309: Using Dry Needling To Reset The Nervous System With Tyler Niemack, PT, DPT, OCS
I Love Neuro
This is the episode that will help you understand the opportunities and functionality of dry needling! Host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS interviews Tyler Niemack, PT, DPT, OCS, Functional Dry Needling Certified Specialist about how dry needling can be used not just to relax tight muscles, but to “reset” the neuromuscular system and improve function. Tyler, who teaches Dry Needling Certification courses for Evidence In Motion explains how PTs approach dry needling differently from acupuncturists, using their orthopedic and neurological assessment skills to decide whether to target spinal...
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308: How NeuroLab 360 Uses A Nonprofit Model To Deliver High Intensity Neuro Rehab
I Love Neuro
Interested in looking at how a nonprofit clinic operates for neuro rehab? In this episode hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS interview co-founder Meagan George, PT, DPT, NCS about how she and her partners built a nonprofit, cash-based neuro clinic in Encinitas, California. After feeling constrained by insurance limitations in hospital systems, the trio incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2021 with a mission to deliver intensive, goal-oriented PT, OT, and wellness services regardless of a person’s financial situation. NeuroLab 360 operates using a scholarship...
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307: Research Update: Treadmill VS Overground Walking In Persons With MS With Herb Karpatkin, PT, DSc, NCS, MSCS
I Love Neuro
In this episode host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS interviews Multiple Sclerosis specialist and researcher Dr. Herb Karpatkin, PT, DSc, NCS, MSCS to discuss how therapy for people with multiple sclerosis must be fundamentally different from approaches used for stroke, spinal cord injury, or TBI. In his research Herb discovered an incidental finding that led to more questions that he and his team wanted to investigate: does treadmill walking carry over to overground walking in persons with MS? In the show he explains the nuances of treadmill walking for persons with MS vs healthy controls and...
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306: Clients Can Maximize Hand Function And Foot Drop At Home With Motus Nova
I Love Neuro
In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS interviews the Motus Nova clinical team—occupational therapists Jamie Kurtz, MS, OTR/L, Keisha Burrous, OTR/L, CBIS, Amie Canning, MS, OTR/L, and Mirasol Jacobs, PT, DPT — about the Motus Hand and Motus Foot robotic devices for neurorehabilitation. The team explains how these FDA Class I medical devices provide active-assistive, game-based training at home to help patients achieve the high repetition doses (500–600 reps per day) needed for neuroplastic change, without replacing traditional therapy. Built on pneumatic “artificial...
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305: How To Overcome The Fear Of Falls Training With Naomi Casiro
I Love Neuro
Do you work with people who have falls? Maybe you’ve seen that just training fall prevention isn’t quite doing enough. In this episode hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS talk with physiotherapist Naomi Casiro, founder of NeuroFit BC and creator of the Functional Movement and Falls training paradigm about why adding falls training to an overall balance plan is imperative. We explore why traditional fall prevention—focused mainly on prevention—has not been enough, and why a two-part approach that includes both prevention and explicit “how to fall”...
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304: Dry Needing For Spasticity With Chris McElderry, PT, DPT, NCS
I Love Neuro
In this episode host, Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS speaks with Chris McElderry, PT, DPT, NCS about how dry needling can be used in neuro rehab, particularly for people post-stroke. Chris explains why he pursued dry needling, how using it in PT differs from acupuncture, and walks through what a typical session looks like, including safety, side effects, and billing considerations. He shares clinical examples of using dry needling to address spasticity, hypertonicity, pain, and range of motion limitations, and discusses current research on short-term effects for spasticity and pain reduction....
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303: Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) + Neuroplasticity = Improved Outcomes For Individuals With Neurologic Conditions
I Love Neuro
In this episode, Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS interviews physical therapist Mariah King, PT, DPT from RISE Healthcare Group and Hiroki (Hiro) Kimura from Cyberdyne about the HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) robotic exoskeleton and its role in neurologic rehabilitation. They discuss how the HAL system reads patients’ intent to move via surface EMG signals and converts those signals into assisted movement to drive neuroplasticity and functional recovery for people with spinal cord injury, stroke, TBI, Parkinson’s disease, and progressive neuromuscular disorders such as MS, SMA, and muscular...
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302: Applying A New Calculation For Max Heart Rate In PD
I Love Neuro
In this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS discuss a new research article, “Refining maximal heart rate estimation to enhance exercise recommendations for persons with Parkinson’s disease.” Parkinson’s is a multi-system condition and changes to the function of the autonomic nervous system are common. At times this can present as a person with PD having trouble reaching aerobic heart rate zones calculated based on age while they’re performing high intensity exercise. Claire explains the challenges they’ve faced using standard heart rate...
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301: Multi-System Approach To Treating Individuals With Long COVID Currently With Jennifer Lazaro, PT, DPT, NCS
I Love Neuro
In this episode of the I Love Neuro podcast, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS interviews physical therapist and neuro rehab residency coordinator Jennifer Lazaro, PT, DPT, NCS about evaluating and treating people with long COVID and dysautonomia. Jennifer notes the similarities in presentation for individuals who have post-COVID those with other conditions affecting the autonomic nervous system, like concussion with cognitive fog, severe fatigue, post‑exertional malaise, dizziness, and orthostatic intolerance. She walks through practical assessment strategies such as active stand testing,...
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300: Clinical Takeaways From Dendrite Expansion Days You Can Apply Today
I Love Neuro
In this 300th episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS invited long-time collaborator JJ Mowder-Tinney, PT, PhD, NCS to join so we could recap the best takeaways from Dendrite Expansion Days (DED), NeuroSpark’s three-day, fully experiential education event for OTs and PTs. We share how Naomi Castro’s “falling well” course progressed clients from floor work to standing falls in one session, describe hands-on equipment stations featuring frictionless sheets, BlazePod, Rifton, Saebo, UprightVR, and more, and highlight real client stories—especially...
info_outlineAs we approach the end of year / new year it’s a great time to think about where you’re going and where you’ve been. Follow along as we discuss what seeds we’ve sown over the past months, what we are celebrating, and what we are removing from our hypothetical gardens with Emily Duval Ledger, Neuro Biz coach. Erin is working to implement the Profit First formula into business and found a company that works as a fractional CFO (aka part time for different companies) for cash based medical companies owned by PTs, OTs, MDs, NDs, etc. Claire is working to implement support groups at Rogue and shares the disappointment of not being selected for a Parkinson Foundation grant. Emily is pausing on her goal of writing the business book she always wanted to have and shares her process for that.
Celebrating the fruits of your labor is always a MUST, so we also share our wins. How are you celebrating your harvest? Erin is celebrating the work put into building collaborative partnerships and how it is a win-win for all of us. Claire is celebrating a new funding collaboration, which may end up being even more abundant. She has partnered with a local non-profit so she can offer scholarships to Rogue members. Emily is celebrating the accomplishments of her coaching clients. Many initially came with specific issues and problems and now have crossed those bridges and are finding more stability and happiness in their businesses.
What are you removing from your life in the next year? Erin is a constant gardener who is always in weeding mode. Claire is building better boundaries around her time and energy. Emily is challenging and removing the limiting beliefs that keep her from growing the way she knows she’s capable.
We’d love to hear your own reflections! We want to celebrate with you as well and hope you take the time to think about the past year and year ahead.
If you have a neuro business and want to join our NeuroBiz Besties free Slack group, fill out this form so we can learn more about you and see if it’s a good fit!
Links mentioned in today’s episode: