233: Optimizing Outcomes For Patients with Multiple Sclerosis With Researcher And Clinician, Herb Karpatkin, PT, DSc, NCS, MSCS
Release Date: 09/30/2024
I Love Neuro
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What would it look like if your patients stopped fearing the floor? In this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS, and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS, discuss with Naomi Casiro, physiotherapist and founder of Neuro Fit Academy, what happened when her falls training sessions at World Parkinson Congress drew over 100 attendees in a room designed for 40. They dig into why patients with Parkinson's are starting to demand falls training themselves, and how that overwhelming response reflects a massive gap in what clinicians are currently being taught. Naomi recently launched her FMF —...
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In this episode hosts, Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS share their excitement and plans for attending the 2026 World Parkinson Congress (WPC) in Phoenix, Arizona, a unique international conference that brings together people with Parkinson’s, care partners, therapists, physicians, and researchers. Drawing on their past experiences at WPC in Montreal, Portland, and Kyoto, they describe how special it is to attend this event as a full team this year, staying together in an Airbnb and connecting with colleagues and members from around the world. They highlight what...
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Is work-life balance an elusive concept you have yet to master while running your life and neuro biz? In this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS discuss the topic with NeuroBiz Coach, Emily Duval Ledger. Many clinicians start businesses to escape traditional job burnout but then recreate the same patterns by overworking and glorifying busyness. In the show we talk about recognizing when “busy” becomes unproductive, using tools like time-blocking, planners, and realistic daily priorities to focus on high-impact tasks and reduce urgency overload, but,...
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Dive into AI tools in your personal life, work life and business by learning what to use, how to use it and how NOT to use it. In this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS talk with physical-therapist-turned-entrepreneur Dr. Shanté “Movement Maestro” Cofield, PT, DPT, OCS about what AI is and how it can practically support health and fitness professionals. Shanté explains AI in simple terms as powerful computer programs called large language models (LLMs) that use math and probability to predict the most likely next word, making it possible for us to...
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Has your clinic adopted AI for documentation yet? If not (or if so!) check out this episode to learn about how it can transform your time and allow you to do your job unfettered. Hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS interview Sparky instructor Jamie Haines, PT, DScPT, NCS about how AI-powered documentation is transforming her life in the clinic, and how without it she would not have returned to the clinic after being in academia. Neuro physical therapists have long struggled to balance hands-on care with time-consuming paperwork. In this conversation, Jamie, a PT...
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In this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS and JJ Mowder-Tinney, PT, PhD, NCS discuss the critical but under-addressed role of transitional movements in neurologic rehab, especially for people with conditions like MS, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and spinal cord injury. In the show we’ll highlight how traditional therapy often focuses on sitting, standing, and walking, while many real-life challenges involve moving through positions such as supine, prone, quadruped, kneeling, and floor-to-stand. Claire and JJ share clinical experiences showing that...
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Want to learn more about Remote Therapeutic Monitoring in neuro? In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS speaks with physical therapist and former clinic owner turned digital health leader Sarah Anestam, PT, MSPT and practice owner Katie Wadland, PT, DPT, GCS about how the OneStep app and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) are transforming outpatient and home-based rehab. Sarah explains how OneStep uses smartphone sensors to turn everyday walking into objective gait and fall risk data, giving clinicians “gait lab in a pocket” insight into how patients move in real-world...
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If you’ve used music in therapy sessions and found it helpful you’re going to love this one! In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS interviews Brian Harris, MA, MT-BC, NMT/F, FACRM, a board-certified music therapist and founder of MedRhythms, about how music, neuroscience, and technology are being combined to transform neurorehabilitation. Brian shares the powerful clinical experiences that led him from traditional music therapy into developing neurologic music therapy programs at Spaulding Rehab Hospital, where rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) produced remarkable gains...
info_outlineHave you heard some things about working with people with MS that make you question how to approach their care? Are they old school thoughts or based on science? Who can tell?! You’ll know after listening to this episode! Hosts Erin Gallardo and Claire McLean had the privilege of speaking with Herb Karpatkin, PT, DSc, NCS, MSCS, a leading expert in physical therapy for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Herb shared invaluable insights from his decades of clinical experience and research, providing guidance for physical therapists on how to actually support patients with this complex neurological condition so they improve.
A key focus of Herb's research has been exploring ways to help MS patients overcome debilitating fatigue, which often limits their ability to participate in rehabilitation. He has found great success with intermittent training protocols, where patients alternate short bursts of activity with rest periods. Herb shares specific parameters from the research so you can use it now.
Next you must recognize that a significant portion of disability in MS patients may be due to deconditioning, rather than the neurological disease process itself. By implementing targeted reconditioning programs, physical therapists can make a substantial impact on improving functional mobility, even in those with advanced disease.
Herb's research has also demonstrated the benefits of high-intensity interval training for individuals with MS. Contrary to outdated beliefs, many MS patients are able to tolerate and thrive with aggressive exercise programs when implemented thoughtfully. Herb emphasizes the importance of gradually progressing patients to higher intensities, while closely monitoring for signs of fatigue.
To further support the MS community, Herb is actively involved with the Degenerative Disease Special Interest Group of the American Physical Therapy Association. This group has created a Clinician Locator Map to help patients find physical therapists with expertise in treating degenerative conditions like MS.
For your patients and clients with MS: MS Cooling Products Application
Sign up for the clinician locator map:
https://www.neuropt.org/special-interest-groups/degenerative-diseases/ddsig-clinician-locator-map
Register for the free webinar on MS interventions you can apply immediately here! https://www.neurocollaborative.com/ms-webinar