Hands On Hands Off

Can Games Make You a Better Manual Therapist? | Hollis Bixby

Hollis Bixby sits down with us to explore how gamification is reshaping PT education — from DPT programs to hybrid residencies to post-professional training. Hollis has spent seven years as a sports physical therapist, is wrapping up her manual therapy fellowship through Regis University, and is beginning a new chapter as Assistant Professor at Campbell University. Through her work with Duke’s Orthopedic Hybrid Residency, she’s helping design gamified learning experiences that boost engagement, motivation, and clinical skill development. IN THIS EPISODE: • What gamification really is — and what it’s not • How game elements improve learning and retention • Strategies educators can implement tomorrow • How fellowship and residency training benefit from playful design • Why PT education needs to evolve for today’s learners • Hollis’s journey from sports PT → educator → innovator This episode is all about teaching smarter, not harder — and making learning fun again.

Manual Therapy in the Emergency Department with Rebekah Griffith

Rebekah Griffith joins the podcast to talk about what it means to be a newly minted AAOMPT Fellow working in one of the most unlikely settings — the Emergency Department. She shares why OMPT-level manual therapy skills are not only relevant in the ED, but essential for rapid assessment, safe decision-making, and efficient patient care. Rebekah explains how fellowship training sharpened her clinical reasoning, helped her manage acute MSK presentations, and expanded her impact within emergency medicine teams. IN THIS EPISODE: • The PT’s role in the ED • How manual therapy speeds clarity and improves outcomes • Examples of OMPT reasoning in acute, high-stakes scenarios • Why fellowship training matters outside outpatient ortho • Reducing unnecessary imaging, opioids, and admissions • Rebekah’s journey through AAOMPT Fellowship and into ED practice Whether you’re a clinician, student, or educator, Rebekah’s perspective will reshape how you think about where — and how — manual therapy skills should be used.

Ken Olson on Safety, Advocacy, and Manipulation

Ken Olson joins the podcast to discuss his work on the IFOMPT/IOPTP taskforce on pediatric spinal manipulation and the ongoing clinical reasoning debate around specific vs. general manipulation.  Ken is a private practice clinician, educator, past-president of IFOMPT and AAOMPT, author of Manual Physical Therapy of the Spine, and recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Lecturer Award. His perspective blends evidence, global standards, and decades of practical experience. TOPICS INCLUDE: • Why the pediatric manipulation taskforce was created • The taskforce’s findings and new position statements • Safety, indications, and advocacy for pediatric manual therapy • The “specific vs. general” manipulation controversy • The value and evidence for specificity in OMPT • What great clinical reasoning looks like in manipulation decisions This is a must-listen for OMPT clinicians, educators, and advocates shaping the profession’s next chapter.

How to Communicate with Confidence in the Clinic: Jason Silvernail

Jason Silvernail joins the show to break down the essential communication and leadership skills clinicians need to thrive—and to protect themselves from burnout, conflict, and misalignment. We explore the principles behind assertive communication, how to establish a confident presence, and what it means to communicate clearly without crossing into arrogance or dominance. Jason offers practical, real-world strategies for handling interruptions, navigating tension, setting boundaries, and keeping conversations focused. EPISODE TOPICS INCLUDE: • Mindset and behaviors of assertive communicators • Body language, tone, and leadership presence • Techniques for clarity in difficult conversations • Active listening and feedback as two-way communication • Holding boundaries in professional interactions • De-escalation strategies for disruption, interruptions, and conflict This episode is for clinicians, mentors, educators, and leaders who want to show up with more confidence and communicate with purpose.

Kids Aren’t Little Adults: Rethinking Pediatric Manual Therapy with Ginny Henderson

Pediatric manual therapy has been built on adult techniques — and that’s a problem. Educator, clinician, and researcher Ginny Henderson joins us to expose the missing guidelines, the hidden dangers, and the new evidence-based techniques designed specifically for growing bodies. We cover: • Why kids’ bones are more vulnerable — and how to mobilize safely • The biggest misconceptions clinicians bring from adult PT • Combining joint mechanics with motor learning for better outcomes • How chronic pain presents differently in children • The powerful (and often overlooked) influence of parent beliefs • When pain is nociceptive… and when it’s actually nociplastic • How PTs can start making better decisions tomorrow with pediatric patients This is one of those “I didn’t even know I needed this” conversations — and it might change how you treat kids forever.