I Love Neuro

Have you ever worked with a stroke survivor or patient with spinal cord injury who had swollen limbs and not been sure what to actually do about it? Maybe you tried something, maybe you didn't because you didn't realize you should.  In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS, talks with Rachel Walker, PT, DPT, GCS, CLWT, CBIS about why edema is so common — and so consequential — in the neuro population. Rachel walks through why unmanaged edema leads to pain, joint contracture, and long-term functional loss; how to run a full assessment (girth measurements, skin and lymphedema staging, and a bedside ABI to rule out arterial insufficiency before compressing); and what actually gets patients to stick with their compression, from donning aids to garment length and brand selection. Whether edema management has felt like an afterthought in your practice or you're looking to sharpen your clinical reasoning around it, this conversation gives you a clear, practical framework to start using right away.

Why do two patients with what looks like the same stroke on paper walk out of rehab so differently — and why does a home exercise program built on ankle pumps and heel slides so often fail the people who need it most? In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS, talks with returning guest Dr. Jennifaye V. Brown, PT, MSPT, PhD, NCS, CAPS, a four-time ten-year board-certified neurologic clinical specialist and author of Brace Yourself: Everything You Need to Know About AFOs After Stroke, about why going back to foundational neuroanatomy — knowing exactly where a lesion sits, how large it is, and how edema and brain shift distort the initial picture — is the difference between generic protocols and precision rehab. Dr. Brown walks through how she uses movement observation and cranial nerve testing to localize lesions when imaging isn't available, why upper versus lower motor neuron signs (and even mixed presentations) change her clinical reasoning, and how she builds five-exercise home programs tailored to a specific synergy pattern, flexion contracture, or cerebellar presentation rather than handing out the same generic list to every client. The conversation also digs into intensity: why so many stroke survivors aren't actually reaching the high-intensity thresholds the neuroplasticity research calls for, how Dr. Brown uses culturally relevant, music-paced activities and a color-coded RPE scale to get clients there, and why she separates muscle strengthening from muscle endurance in her programming. She previews a case study she'll present in an upcoming NeuroSpark webinar and makes the case for how clinicians can build self-efficacy rather than aim to see patients forever by using neuroanatomy.
 
Order ebook (Flipbook or PDF): jvbneuropt.com/book
Website: jvbneuropt.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifaye-brown-pt-mspt-phd-ncs-caps/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-0M-apffkZl4vqjAqomd8g
Email: info@jvbneuropt.com
Get Dr. Jennifaye Brown's 90 minute AFO FITT-CORRECT: A Plan to Improve Foot Drop Webinar Just $29.99

What tasks do you keep doing in your business that you secretly hate? In this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS, and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS, talk with returning guest and favorite NeuroBiz coach Emily Duval Ledger about the reflective milestones of her 20-year entrepreneurial journey — from leaving her full-time job, to closing her brick-and-mortar gym during COVID, to running a leaner, more sustainable solo practice today. The conversation moves through the martyrdom trap so many clinician-business-owners fall into, how to actually trust a virtual assistant or new hire with work you've always done yourself, and the emotional nuance of transitioning long-term one-on-one clients to other team members without them feeling abandoned. Emily closes with a challenge born out of a personal practice of pausing before volunteering for anything: identify at least two things you can fire yourself from, and notice how much better you get at the few things you keep. Listeners will feel seen and inspired to take a new path toward freedom in your business rather than working a job you'd never sign up for if it weren't your own business.

What if the biggest gains in your patients' outcomes came from four small, free shifts you could start using tomorrow? In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS, talks with Jamie Haines, PT, DScPT, NCS, who recently left a long career as an associate professor at Central Michigan University for mobile concierge PT in Florida, where she treats patients with a wide range of neurologic conditions in their own environments. Jamie and Erin preview the "amplify your practice" framework, covering aerobic priming to get the nervous system ready to learn, rhythmic auditory stimulation and music-based cueing, the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning (autonomy, enhanced expectancies, and external focus), overground training. Learn how tapping into a patient's identity can be the difference-maker in adherence. You'll also hear that overground training is NOT simply walking overground. You'll take away specific examples of how to incorporate these evidence-based boosts to enhance recovery in your patient sessions.  
Register for the free webinar live on September 10 HERE
Join NeuroSpark during our next opening September 14–17 at www.joinneurospark.com

How much hand function can come back after a neurologic injury, and how do you know whether to remediate or compensate? On this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS, talks with Jenna Barber, MOT, OTR/L, BCPR, an occupational therapist who specializes in neurorehabilitation across acute care, inpatient, and outpatient settings. In the show you'll learn how to assess fine motor deficits through activity analysis and standardized testing, the difference between remediation and compensation and when to use either. We'll also discuss favorite tools like FES, focal vibration, and rocker knives, how to keep the non-dominant hand and shoulder involved even when it's not the primary focus, and discuss emerging tech including MusicGlove, Vivistim, Bioxtreme, VR, and other devices and their place in rehab.
Follow Jenna for tips, tricks and giveaways at @Neuro_OTPT_Nerds on Instagram