The Spine PT Podcast

E88. How To Master Low Back Pain Rehab & Pattern Recognition

T⁠⁠ [https://www.spineptuniversity.com/intensive-waitlist]o learn more about The LBP Intensive™ ⁠⁠⁠Click Here [https://www.spineptuniversity.com/intensive-waitlist] - Most clinicians don’t miss patterns because they’re bad at exams. They miss them because they stop listening too early. In this episode, Mez pulls a live clip from the Low Back Pain Intensive to walk through one of the most underdeveloped skills in spine rehab: high-level pattern recognition between the subjective & objective exams. You’ll hear how small, seemingly irrelevant details can completely change your hypothesis, plan of care, and outcomes. This episode is about slowing down, thinking like a strategist, and avoiding the trap of throwing good interventions at the wrong bottleneck. If you’ve ever felt confident in your tools but unsure about your plan… this will help you tighten your thinking and simplify your decisions. 👉 Click here [https://www.spineptuniversity.com/intensive-waitlist]to learn more about The LBP Intensive™

E87. Can Extension be an Injury Mechanism for a Lumbar Disc Herniation? | A Case Study Discussion

👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.spineptuniversity.com/intensive-waitlist] to learn more about The LBP Intensive™ Most of us were taught that disc herniations are a flexion problem. Extension is supposed to be about nerve roots. Then a patient shows up who doesn’t follow the rules. In this episode, Mez continues a live case discussion from episode 86, when he's asked by a fellow PT about how and why their extension sensitive patient herniated their lumbar disc. Mez anchors the discussion around the use of pattern recognition to think critically when extension flares symptoms and how to stay clinically grounded when the "flexion textbook" model falls apart. If extension-sensitive low back pain makes you hesitate, confused, or overthink your plan of care in any way... this episode will help you simplify your decision-making and treat what’s actually in front of you. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.spineptuniversity.com/intensive-waitlist] to learn more about The LBP Intensive™

E86. How Do You Help a Patient with an Acute Lumbar Herniation in the Clinic? | A Case Study Discussion

👉 ⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.spineptuniversity.com/intensive-waitlist] to learn more about The LBP Intensive™ Acute lumbar disc herniations create pressure fast, on the nerve root, the patient, and the clinician. And most treatment plans fail because they’re built on fear, generic restrictions, or overcorrecting too early. In this episode, Mez walks through how to think clearly during the acute phase of a lumbar herniation, what actually matters in early decision-making, and how to avoid flaring symptoms while still creating meaningful change. If really acute lumabr cases make you feel rushed, anxious, or unsure what to do, this episode will help you slow-the-flip'-down, assess, and treat with more of a level head. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.spineptuniversity.com/intensive-waitlist] to learn more about The LBP Intensive™

E85. Spine Mobility & Segmentation: Why "Chasing Rotation" Keeps Back Pain Lingering

👉 ⁠Click Here⁠ [https://www.spineptuniversity.com/intensive-waitlist] to learn more about The LBP Intensive™ Most “stiff” spines don’t need more rotation. They need better sagittal plane control. When flexion and extension aren’t organized, the nervous system has no reason to allow clean movement anywhere else. In this episode, Mez breaks down segmental spine mobility, why hinging shows up at the TL junction, and how restoring basic control often unlocks rotation without forcing it. If spine rehab has felt unpredictable, this will help you simplify your thinking and get cleaner results with low back pain and sciatica. 👉 ⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠ [https://www.spineptuniversity.com/intensive-waitlist] to learn more about The LBP Intensive™

E84. A Critical "Cardio" Mistake PT Clinics Make When Rehabbing Back Pain

The LBP Intensive program for PT clinics --> Click here [https://www.spineptuniversity.com/intensive-waitlist] Most PTs still treat “cardio” like an optional add-on in rehab, but aerobic capacity is one of the biggest missing links in back pain treatment. Not mobility. Not motor control. Fitness & aerobic capacity In this episode, Mez breaks down why so many patients flare on week 2 of lifting heavier again, not because they’re “unstable” but because they’re metabolically deconditioned. Their muscles can’t use oxygen or fuel efficiently enough to tolerate load, and the nervous system eventually hits the panic button. You’ll learn how to rebuild aerobic capacity using strength training and zone 2 cardio work to upgrades tissue tolerance and reduce re-flare risk. Mez also covers the biggest mistake made with higher-intensity interval training (HIIT) If you want your patients to tolerate load again, stop flaring when they get back to hard training, and actually finish a plan of care stronger than they started, this one’s essential.