The Spine PT Podcast

Dr. Ramez Antoun PT, DPT, PNF, OMT, FRCms

Teaching Physical Therapists practical tips for assessing and treating back pain so that they can help their patients get back to training and peak performance.

  1. JAN 27

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

    T⁠⁠o learn more about The LBP Intensive™ ⁠⁠⁠Click Here - 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 to learn more about The LBP Intensive™

    24 min

  2. JAN 21

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

    👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠ 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 to learn more about The LBP Intensive™

    17 min

  3. JAN 13

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

    👉 ⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠ 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 to learn more about The LBP Intensive™

    39 min

  4. 12/30/2025

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

    👉 ⁠Click Here⁠ 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 to learn more about The LBP Intensive™

    24 min

  5. 12/09/2025

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

    The LBP Intensive program for PT clinics --> Click here 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.

    23 min

  6. 12/02/2025

    E83. The Power of The Subjective Exam & Thoughtful Questions in Back Pain Rehab

    ⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠ to get "spark note" outlines for Spine PT episodes The longer you've been in practice the clearer it’s becomes that the subjective interview isn’t just information gathering, it’s where trust forms and the whole plan of care takes shape. In this episode, Mez shares how "whole-person based questions" completely shifted the way he treated a patient, and why uncovering their “why” matters just as much as understanding their triggers. You’ll hear the simple checklist Mez uses to calm anxiety, guide clearer decisions, and build stronger buy-in with low back pain and sciatica patients.

    38 min

  7. 11/25/2025

    E82. Secrets of The Breath, Core, & "neuro tone" : Why “Tightness” & Back Pain Isn’t What You Think

    ⁠Click here⁠ to get "spark note" outlines for Spine PT episodes If you’ve ever had a high level back pain patient who nails “core exercises” yet somehow is till "always tight", "can never feel their abs" and is constantly in low grade pain … this episode is for you. What do you do when cues like “ribs down” or “brace and breathe” goes nowhere? In this episode, Mez breaks down exactly where to start with step-by-step frameworks so you can apply into the clinic right away. If you work with elite athletes & high level clients with stubborn LBP or radicular cases, these secret concepts will immediately change how you coach movement and mobility.

    25 min

  8. 11/18/2025

    E81. “Expectation Gap”: A Mistake That Quietly Derails Physical Therapists & Raises Patient Skepticism

    Click here to sign up to get the "spark note" outlines for future Spine PT episodes One of the quickest ways to derail an eval has nothing to do with your clinical skills.This episode was inspired from a case study discussion in one of our "Back to the Gym After Sciatica" live calls We’ll dig into why even strong evals and changes in movement pre-post tests fall apart when patients expect a fast turnaround, how that creates early skepticism, and simple shifts we can make in our narratives that keeps clients grounded, patient, and bought in. You’ll walk away with practical tips you can start using in the clinic to under-promise and over-deliver like a professional consultant.

    16 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Teaching Physical Therapists practical tips for assessing and treating back pain so that they can help their patients get back to training and peak performance.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Ramez Antoun PT, DPT, PNF, OMT, FRCms
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    86
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dr. Ramez Antoun PT, DPT, PNF, OMT, FRCms
  • Show Website
    The Spine PT Podcast

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