Boswellia: A PT Game-Changer in Managing Knee Arthritis?

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

In the quest for alternative and effective treatments for knee osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint condition marked by pain, swelling, and diminished mobility, Boswellia serrata, commonly known as Indian frankincense, is emerging as a promising solution. Many of my physical therapy patients have asked about Boswellia, and honestly it was never covered in PT school so the depth of my answer was limited. Fortunately with my continued education, writing textbooks, and research advancements, Boswellia appears to be a possible solution for helping our PT clients with arthritis. Let's understand what it is, how it works, and if it is something you should discuss with your clients.

Tackling Inflammation at its Core
With its potent anti-inflammatory properties, Boswellia has shown remarkable potential in subduing the chronic inflammation associated with knee...

Recently I presented at the Florida Physical Therapy Conference at Disney World in Orlando, FL. My discussion was focused on Nutrition Recommendations for PTs. Needless to say the response was overwhelmingly positive! Here's a picture of the 190 chairs in the room before my presentation:

About 5 minutes into my discussion the event staff had to bring in more chairs as there was standing room only and people spilled out the door. The engagement of the PTs and PTAs in the room was amazing, and the feedback after the discussion was extremely positive and supportive. Overall, it is very clear that physical therapists and physical therapy assistants are hungry for more knowledge on nutrition for rehabilitation and PT outcomes.

As such, we are excited to announce a new course addition to our already fabulous line-up of nutrition courses for physical therapists and rehab professional: The Nutrition Crash Course for PTs. We understand some PTs may not want our full CNPT, 3 Course...

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

The Holidays Are Coming!

We have Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Passover/Kwanza, and New Years coming. Data show that most Americans will on average gain about 0.4% of body fat during this time, most coming just after Christmas. While 0.4% does not seem like much fat, consider some quick math: a 175 lb man would essentially gain 3/4ths of a pound during the holidays. This small weight gain seems insignificant unless you add this weight gain with other gaining periods in the year, and compound the weight gain every holiday season. In other words, consider if this 175 lb 20 year old gained 0.4% every year for the next 20 years. This would equate to an extra 7 lbs of fat just gained in a few months over 20 years!

How does any of this matter for physical therapy practice? Time and time again my team and I are asked, how can we as physical therapists (PTs) educate our clients to lose weight?...

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

The gut biome has been all the rage for the last several years. If you haven't heard about the gut biome, then you either live under a rock or haven't researched about how your body works. The gut biome, often interchangeably called the gut microbiota or flora, are trillions of small bacteria, archaea, and fungi that live in your intestines. We have these critters all over our body (e.g. nose, hands, mouth) but the most reside in our gut. What these small bugs do for us is truly amazing.

Data show the microbiome is capable of protecting our immune system, producing healthy short-chain fatty acids, and could be linked to many disease states like cancer, heart disease, and allergies. Recently I began listening to a great podcast by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz on gut health on the Rich Roll Podcast. Dr B, as he's commonly known as, pronounced easy methods to protecting and nurturing our gut. Some of his top tips:...

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

Physical therapists (PTs) are stepping up their game and focusing on important in the clients' lives: social determinants of health (SDOH), wellness, alcohol and drug use, sleep, and nutrition. As we venture into a newer world of PT practice, clinicians need to be armed with useful tools and resources to help them along the way. Let's outline some of our team's favorite nutrition apps that have helped us help many clients.

Nutrition Guide for Clinicians

Published by the well-known Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians is a simple app that all Doctors of Physical Therapy (DPT) should have installed on their phones. The app allows a clinician to easily look up a condition or diagnosis, and then scroll through easily summarized data on simple nutrition tips that can contribute or treat the disease. Authors of the app list copious studies in their references...

It's exciting to see our team has been active in the community and online. Dr. Wells was featured in the online blog, Eat This Not That, over the past few years. Here are few excellent articles focused on nutrition, physical therapy, weight loss, and health.

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

Weight Loss and Physical Therapy

Traditional physical therapy (PT) does an amazing job at treating dysfunction, pain, and problems. Preventative care and wellness, such as weight loss, was once taboo and often ignored by many physical therapists. However, today's Doctors of Physical Therapy (DPTs) are truly embracing more holistic treatments like nutrition, mindfulness, and sleep habits. Having physical therapy patients lose weight can help reduce inflammation, prevent health issues, and may improve PT outcomes. But what about stopping the weight gain in the first place? Weight gain prevention is vitally important, as it is much more difficult to lose the weight than it is to gain it. Given such interest in these topics, our team found it relevant to consider a recent study looking at weight gain and arthritis -- let's make the case for more PTs to start talking about patients preventing weight.

The Oath

As many PTs and healthcare providers know and affirm: first, do no harm. Taken from one of the most widely known Greek Medical Texts, this oath commits doctors and healthcare providers to offering their best in care. The more modern version of this oath expounds:

"I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant: I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow."

Many physical therapists (PTs) have taken a similar oath. In DPT schools around the country, many student PTs (SPT) swear an oath to provide their best care prior to going into internship or clinicals. Upon entering the profession and joining the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), we as PTs swear by the APTA code of ethics, which outlines: "Above all, do no harm." The APTA code of ethics also asks PTs to provide our best ability and judgement, among other requirements.

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Physical therapists (PTs) are movement experts that help patients with Parkinson's regain function, activities, and engage better in life. Parkinson's disease (PD) affects the smoothness and ability to initiate movement. PTs can offer a myriad of exercises, activities, balance training, and walking interventions with decent results. The disease is usually be progressive, although intense exercise can delay this progression. What if PTs could offer an even greater edge for the patients to "beat" PD?

An early trial showed that a plant-based diet was able to lower the patients Hoyen-Yahr stage (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21535916).   Research has also begun to show that eating certain plant-based foods rich in nicotine containing compounds, like sweet peppers, may be important to preventing PD (see our other posts on this topic). Another review study highlighted the benefits of plant nutrients in improving or ameliorating neurodegeneration and chronic...