Most providers start the cranial nerve screen with CNII, but that has been changing since COVID-19 entered the scene. The primary presenting symptoms of loss of taste and smell have re-anchored the sensory systems in the neurological screening and the cranial nerve exam. Both smell and taste are transmitted via cranial nerves so this screeningContinue reading “Can I Touch Your Face? – Screening the Cranial Nerves”
Author Archives: DoctorBthePT
Did Anyone Else See That?
Do you ever wonder, “did anyone else see that?” We find those red flags sometimes, don’t we? We see something odd in a physical exam and it completely changes our perspective on the patient. The key to seeing it, though, is to look for it. You may be thinking, “another thing I need to addContinue reading “Did Anyone Else See That?”
More Than Just A Respiratory Disease: The COVID-19 Toolbox
Isn’t COVID-19 just a respiratory disease? If only that was true. We are good at treating respiratory infections. We have lots of drugs for viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections of the lungs. Most of them work really well! We also have several backup treatments, inhaled medications, and adjuvant therapies (like rehab!) that make primaryContinue reading “More Than Just A Respiratory Disease: The COVID-19 Toolbox”
The Donut Hole in Primary Care PT
The occurrence of federal legislation that heavily impacts the practice of Physical Therapy typically comes from changes to the Medicare and Medicaid system. These laws don’t normally change how we practice, but moreso change how we document and bill for things. However, several bills recently introduced to Congress could significantly impact how Physical Therapists provideContinue reading “The Donut Hole in Primary Care PT”
COVID and Clotting: How to Identify, Assess, and Treat Clotting Disorders in COVID-19 Survivors
Treating patients with acute and chronic clotting conditions is not new to rehabilitation professionals. We even have clinical practice guidelines around how to do so safely. However, what is new is the increased risk of newly acquired clotting conditions among post-COVID-19 patients. Those of us practicing in acute, subacute, emergency, and outpatient settings are uniquely tasked withContinue reading “COVID and Clotting: How to Identify, Assess, and Treat Clotting Disorders in COVID-19 Survivors”
Monoclonal Antibodies: A Designer COVID-19 Treatment Requires Designer Rehabilitation
This article can be read for free on MedBridge! Click the link below! Could the cardiotoxic effects of monocloncal antibody treatment be contributing to the ongoing effects experienced by those with long COVID? Let me know what you think in the comments!
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Altitude Medicine: Rehab at the Peak
I took a trip to Denver recently and, right around the same time, was consulted regarding the use of a pulse oximeter at high altitudes. It all got me thinking: how different could it really be to practice at 9,000ft? So, I did some work on this and I have to tell you, finding thisContinue reading “Altitude Medicine: Rehab at the Peak”
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Chronic Disease Management 3: Urinary Incontinence – Part 2
Alright, so I left you with a pretty serious cliffhanger on that last post. Here is the big ending! This is going to go pretty deep into the BASICS of management techniques for urinary incontinence. Like I keep saying, I’m not a pelvic floor therapist, but I do know enough about the basics that IContinue reading “Chronic Disease Management 3: Urinary Incontinence – Part 2”
Blow Out the Candles…
If there is any treatment that I feel like gets used in a cookie-cutter fashion, it’s pursed-lip breathing. As much as I hate seeing this technique used for every single patient that has shortness of breath, it does have clinical usefulness. So let’s talk about how to implement pursed-lip breathing properly based on patient presentationContinue reading “Blow Out the Candles…”
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Emergency Response Screening
I hope, at this point, you’ve all heard of the FAST acronym for identifying signs of a cerebrovascular accident (aka stroke). My in-laws even have a magnet on their fridge with a great comic strip describing the FAST acronym. I have run in to a couple different versions of it in the last few years,Continue reading “Emergency Response Screening”
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Doctor B (the PT) 