Our Top Blog Posts From 2021

By Dr. Sean M. Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, CNPT, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Cert-DN

Our team has gathered copious research and written many blog posts in 2021. From gut biome studies to intermittent fasting, we have perused the literature to bring you the best in regards to nutrition specific for physical therapy practice. Much confusion and controversy still exists within nutrition science, but you, our fellow nutritional PT loyalist, have shown us the content you love the most. As such, we wanted to offer you a nice summary of what you liked the most from 2021.

Intermittent Fasting

Having such robust data on hoppers and mice is great, but what about human studies and the impact on physical therapy practice? A well-done systematic review outlines some of the following benefits for humans who undertake IM:

1. Improved stress response
2. Lowered cholesterol
3. Lowered blood pressure
4. Improved insulin response

Understanbly such benefits could help many patients in cardiac...

By Dr. Sean M. Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, CNPT, Cert-DN

Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient that can be obtained from the sun and has seemingly endless roles in human health. Despite our ability to gain vitamin D from the sun, most Americans are deficient, perhaps due to improper or lacking sun exposure, dietary patterns, or other reasons. Supplementation is simple, effective, and has been shown to have positive impacts on not just our bones -- it can help muscle strength, balance, and even the immune system for some patients.

Yet another role for vitamin D may be in the prevention of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. BPPV is one of the most common neuro-otological conditions DPTs see in clinical practice. BPPV can leave patients with a spinning sensation, inability to sleep, and balance or fall issues. Physical therapists commonly treat patients with BPPV using the evidenced based technique known as the Epley Maneuver. Other treatments include patient education...