This essay is by Jim Meadows, BScPT, MCPA, FCAMPT. It is the first in a series on clinical reasoning in physical therapy. Most clinical training teaches you to gather as much information as possible before committing to a diagnosis. Comprehensive history, thorough objective assessment, rule out everything — then decide. This approach makes sense on
Script Focused Deduction: Reasoning Like an Expert Clinician Read More »
This section of Physical Therapy Web preserves the clinical essays of Jim Meadows, BScPT, MCPA, FCAMPT — physiotherapist, manual therapy educator, and founder of Swodeam. Jim served as chair of the Canadian Orthopaedic Division’s Education and Specialization Committees for 12 years, co-founded the North American Institute of Orthopaedic Manual Therapy (NAIOMT), and has graduated approximately
Manual Therapy: Clinical Essays by Jim Meadows, FCAMPT Read More »
This essay is by Jim Meadows, BScPT, MCPA, FCAMPT. It is the third in a series on clinical assessment of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. In the first essay, VBI: the 5 Ds, I argued that using the 5 Ds as a group identifier of the presence of vertebrobasilar ischemia was useless and in fact dangerous. I argued
Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency – Dizziness Read More »
This essay is by Jim Meadows, BScPT, MCPA, FCAMPT. It is the second in a series on clinical assessment of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. The vertebrobasilar’s anatomy is not very consistent. In fact the likelihood of the classical system as described in anatomy texts actually being present in any individual is probably very low. For example, only
Vertebrobasilar Anatomy and Physiology Read More »
This essay is by Jim Meadows, BScPT, MCPA, FCAMPT. It is the first in a series on clinical assessment of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. This is the first in a series of essays on VBI that outline a logical and scientifically based system of clinical assessment. I am more and more frequently hearing about the 5 Ds
VBI and the “5 Ds”: Dim, Dopey, Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest Read More »
Finding a physical therapy school involves more than searching for programs near you. Accreditation status, NPTE pass rates, clinical hours, and program format all affect your outcomes — and your ability to practice. This guide covers what to look for and where to search. CAPTE Accreditation: The Non-Negotiable CAPTE — the Commission on Accreditation in
Physical Therapy / Physiotherapy Schools and Programs Read More »
The Empty Can test is one of the first shoulder special tests you learn. The technique is straightforward: arm at 90° in the scapular plane, thumb down, resist downward pressure. Pain or weakness equals positive. Simple enough. But that interpretation is where most clinicians, students and experienced alike, leave something important on the table. Two
Why the Empty Can Test Is Often Misread Read More »
Dr. Mel Siff Ph.D., Sports Scientist Dr. Siff was originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, where he received his PhD in physiology, specializing in biomechanics and his MSc in Applied Mathematics, specializing in brain research. He lectured in the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Witwatersrand for many years before moving to the USA. He
Julie Wiebe, BSc, MPT Physiotherapist | Sports Medicine & Women’s Health Specialist Julie Wiebe is a physiotherapist specializing in Sports Medicine and Women’s Health with over 16 years of clinical experience. Her practice focuses on transforming how women recover from injuries and return to athletic performance and sport, with a particular emphasis on the role
Jim Meadows, BScPT, MCPA, FCAMPT Physiotherapist & Manual Therapy Educator Jim Meadows is a physiotherapist and manual therapy educator with extensive experience in post-graduate orthopaedic physiotherapy education across Canada. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapists (FCAMPT) and served as chair of the Canadian Orthopaedic Division’s Education and Specialization
