Nick Rinard Physical Therapy

Knee pain? Read on…

A Tale of Two Knees | Nick Rinard Physical Therapy A Tale of Two Knees By Nick Rinard MPT, Cert MDT 10 Sep, 2026 Clinical Case of the Week 0 Comments Same pain experience. Totally different cause. Totally different treatment. Both patients were extremely happy with their results! Written by Nick Rinard, PT, MPT, Cert. MDT Two patients today. Both co...

Wishing you all a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Labor Day Weekend Hours ☀️ | Nick Rinard Physical Therapy Labor Day Weekend Hours ☀️ By Erick Severo 03 Sep, 2026 Clinic Announcements Hi everyone, We hope you’re enjoying the last stretch of summer! Just a quick reminder that Nick Rinard Physical Therapy will be closed on Monday, September 7th for Labor Day. We’ll resume our normal schedule on Tue...

Great advice to get PT to ensure optimum healing after motor vehicle accident!

Been in a Car Accident? Don’t Ignore the Aches and Pains That Follow | Nick Rinard Physical Therapy Been in a Car Accident? Don’t Ignore the Aches and Pains That Follow By Erick Severo 18 Aug, 2026 Clinic Announcements exercise, insurance, MDT, Motor Vehicle Accident, MVA, Nick Rinard, Nick Rinard physical therapy, pain, pain-free, Physical Therapy, Portland Oregon, results, treatment 0 Comments...

Big congrats to Erick Severo DPT for successfully passing the NPTE (National Physical Therapy Exam)!

A nice summary of how PT and surgery can be related here:

Prehab: How Physical Therapy Can Prepare You for Surgery—or Help You Avoid It | Nick Rinard Physical Therapy Prehab: How Physical Therapy Can Prepare You for Surgery—or Help You Avoid It By Erick Severo 20 Jul, 2026 Clinical Case of the Week exercise, hip, knee, MDT, Nick Rinard, Nick Rinard physical therapy, pain, pain-free, Physical Therapy, Portland Oregon, post-op, prehab, rehab, results, shoulder, S...

This is a great explanation of what we do and why it works! Thank you Danya for writing this clinical conversation piece!

What is MDT? | Nick Rinard Physical Therapy What is MDT? By Erick Severo 09 Jul, 2026 Uncategorized 0 Comments This article was written by Danya Sadler, Student Physical Therapist, during her clinical rotation at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy. When I first started my clinical rotation, I had no clue what MDT stood for or entailed. As I have le...

Check out this case of shoulder pain being different than initially expected.

Clinical Conversations | Nick Rinard Physical Therapy Everything Pointed to Frozen Shoulder – Until This Happened. By Erick Severo 30 Jun, 2026 Uncategorized 0 Comments This case study was written by Danya Sadler, Student Physical Therapist, during her clinical rotation at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy. Names and identifying details have been modified...

So true! Patients really do better when their PT involves them in understanding their condition and how their personalized treatment will help. See this interesting article:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/191UvdvxnS/?mibextid=wwXIfr

𝗣𝟮: 𝗕𝗘𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧: 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗟𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
𝙀𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚-𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩-𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮
💚 Patients don’t just want treatment, they want to understand.

As healthcare professionals, we often focus on selecting the most appropriate intervention, prescribing the right exercises, and designing the optimal treatment plan. These decisions are undoubtedly fundamental to high-quality clinical care.

However, a recent systematic review reminds us that patients value something just as important: understanding what is happening to them.

In their systematic review published in Musculoskeletal Care, Pichonnaz C. et al. (2024) examined patients’ expectations before and after physiotherapy for musculoskeletal disorders. Their findings highlight several important clinical messages.

First, patient–therapist agreement on rehabilitation goals is central to meeting patients’ expectations, particularly in chronic low back pain (CLBP) rehabilitation. Patients have a broad range of expectations—not only regarding treatment outcomes, but also concerning the physiotherapist’s professional skills, the therapeutic relationship, and the way care is delivered.

The review also found that the treatments expected by patients were largely compatible with current scientific recommendations. However, because patients rarely express their expectations spontaneously during treatment sessions, physiotherapists should actively explore these expectations and revisit them throughout the rehabilitation process.

Importantly, following rehabilitation, many patients shifted their expectations from relying primarily on the physiotherapist to taking greater responsibility for self-management of their CLBP, although some still expressed uncertainty about their ability to do so.

Another key finding from this review is that physiotherapists substantially underestimate how much patients value clear explanations and active involvement in their care. Rather than expecting only rapid symptom relief, many patients want to understand their condition, the clinical reasoning behind treatment decisions, and how they can actively contribute to their own recovery.

These findings carry important clinical implications.

Patient education is not simply about providing information. Meaningful explanations can reduce uncertainty, increase confidence, strengthen the therapeutic alliance, and encourage patients to become active participants in rehabilitation. When patients understand why a treatment is recommended—not just what they are expected to do—they are more likely to adhere to the treatment plan and remain engaged throughout the rehabilitation process.

This does not mean that education replaces physical examination, hands-on assessment, or exercise therapy. Rather, it complements them. Evidence-based physiotherapy integrates thorough clinical assessment, appropriate interventions, and effective communication to deliver truly patient-centred care.

Every consultation therefore offers an opportunity to reflect:
👉 Have I clearly explained the patient’s condition?
👉 Does the patient understand the purpose of today’s treatment?
👉 Have I encouraged questions and shared decision-making?
👉 Does the patient leave the clinic feeling more confident than when they arrived?

Ultimately, our role extends beyond reducing symptoms.

Patients do not simply want to feel better. They want to understand, participate, and feel supported throughout their rehabilitation journey.

Perhaps one of the most valuable interventions we provide is not only the treatment itself, but also the conversations that help patients make sense of their condition.

Disclaimer:
👉 Sharing a study is NOT an endorsement.
👉 You should read the original research yourself and be critical.

Check out a new clinical conversation from our website!

Mechanical or Medical? How Targeted Assessment Helped Differentiate the Source of Rib Pain | Nick Rinard Physical Therapy Mechanical or Medical? How Targeted Assessment Helped Differentiate the Source of Rib Pain By Erick Severo 16 Jun, 2026 Clinical Case of the Week exercise, MDT, Nick Rinard, Nick Rinard physical therapy, pain, pain-free, Physical Therapy, Portland Oregon, results, treatment Written by: Danya Sadler,...

A lot of new grads out there this time of year! Here at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy we mentor both grad students and new grad PTs. This link is a pearl of wisdom for new grads — check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1J8uesvvS9/?mibextid=wwXIfr