Podcast
I Love Neuro
Hosted by Erin Gallardo and Claire McLean · EN
We are a couple of neurologic physical therapists on the quest to keep the passion, commitment, and possibilities alive for those who love neuro rehab and wellness like us, without burnout and overwhelm. This show is great for neuro therapists and trainers looking to stay up to date and make a greater impact. Join us in this important movement to elevate healthcare!
30episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
319: How And Why You Should Train Neuro Clients In More Positions With Dr. JJ Mowder-Tinney, PT, PhD, NCS
6d ago00:40:50Tap to summarizeIn this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS and JJ Mowder-Tinney, PT, PhD, NCS discuss the critical but under-addressed role of transitional movements in neurologic rehab, especially for people with conditions like MS, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and spinal cord injury. In the show we'll highlight how traditional therapy often focuses on sitting, standing, and walking, while many real-life challenges involve moving through positions such as supine, prone, quadruped, kneeling, and floor-to-stand. Claire and JJ share clinical experiences showing that training mobility in these varied positions can transform posture, confidence, bed mobility, fall recovery, and functional independence, even when research and standardized assessments lag behind. We also emphasize the need for objective, time- or repetition-based measures of transitions, discuss safety and buy-in for both therapists and patients, and note how clinicians may be able to use more creative, high-skill interventions. We'll talk you through what a session could look like taking a patient through the transitional movements you want to train them in and why it matters. For more education on this - and a visual - join us for a free webinar on June 2nd! Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86927822993 To get mentorship and continuing education on the latest evidence-based techniques you can apply immediately, join NeuroSpark! Learn more at www.joinneurospark.com
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318: Using RTM With Neuro Clients For Increased Revenue, Motivation, And Data Metrics To Justify Therapy
2w ago00:50:07Tap to summarizeWant to learn more about Remote Therapeutic Monitoring in neuro? In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS speaks with physical therapist and former clinic owner turned digital health leader Sarah Anestam, PT, MSPT and practice owner Katie Wadland, PT, DPT, GCS about how the OneStep app and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) are transforming outpatient and home-based rehab. Sarah explains how OneStep uses smartphone sensors to turn everyday walking into objective gait and fall risk data, giving clinicians "gait lab in a pocket" insight into how patients move in real-world environments without extra hardware. Katie shares how her practice, Healthy Aging Physical Therapy, an outpatient-at-home practice has integrated OneStep to better serve older adults and people with neurologic conditions like Parkinson's disease, using the platform to track progress between visits, support home programs, and even synthesize large datasets for documentation and clinical decision-making. In the episode we'll break down the challenges and opportunities with different RTM systems, discuss the evolving RTM billing rules, give practical workflow tips, and demonstrate how RTM has created a meaningful new revenue stream while enhancing patient engagement, long-term monitoring, and community-based wellness initiatives such as fall prevention events. If you've wondered if RTM would work for your neuro clients and be worth your while, this is the episode for you! Healthy Aging is on FB, IG and Youtube @HealthyAgingPT HealthyAgingPT.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-anestam/ OneStep www.onestep.co
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317: Maximize Progress In Neuro Rehab Using Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation With MedRhythms
3w ago00:41:34Tap to summarizeIf you've used music in therapy sessions and found it helpful you're going to love this one! In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS interviews Brian Harris, MA, MT-BC, NMT/F, FACRM, a board-certified music therapist and founder of MedRhythms, about how music, neuroscience, and technology are being combined to transform neurorehabilitation. Brian shares the powerful clinical experiences that led him from traditional music therapy into developing neurologic music therapy programs at Spaulding Rehab Hospital, where rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) produced remarkable gains in gait and function for people with stroke and brain injury. To scale access beyond what one clinician can provide and take this evidence-based intervention into the home, he founded MedRhythms. They created prescription digital therapeutics that use wearable gait sensors, bone-conduction headphones, and "clinical thinking" algorithms to deliver personalized, music-based gait training at home for people with chronic stroke and Parkinson's disease. Now FDA-listed and supported by Medicare reimbursement, MedRhythms' products marry evidence-based neurorehab with user-friendly design, familiar music via a partnership with Universal Music Group, and ongoing clinical research to expand into additional neurologic conditions—bringing high-quality music-based rehab to more people who need it. MedRhythms www.medrhythms.com www.intandemrx.com www.movive.com https://www.facebook.com/MedRhythms https://www.linkedin.com/company/medrhythms
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316: Proven Fall Prevention Strategies To Implement Today With Dr. Tiffany Shubert, PT, PhD
4w ago00:44:03Tap to summarizeFall risk for older adults is manageable, modifiable and, guess what? They are capable of owning more of the responsibility than we've been giving them credit for! In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS interviews Dr. Tiffany Shubert, PT, PhD, a physical therapist, researcher, and healthcare innovator dedicated to turning strong evidence into practical tools for clinicians and older adults. Tiffany shares how her journey from clinician to PhD and then into digital health led her to champion the Otago Exercise Program and other proven fall prevention strategies. She discusses the realities of implementing programs in the U.S. healthcare system, the need for user-friendly technology, and the power of simple, consistent strength and balance training to meaningfully reduce fall risk at any age. Tiffany gives practical advice for what to implement in your practice today to start making a difference and encourages listeners to think bigger about the impact you can make. NCOA Falls Free Checkup Checklist Open source videos of Otago Exercise Program to share with everyone: Video 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmZO_EPoB4k Video 2 - https://youtu.be/gO74v4VnfX4?feature=shared Video 3 - https://youtu.be/xxzDtLqZBro?feature=shared Video 4 - https://youtu.be/ZdJAsPqPqzs?feature=shared
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315: A Beginner's Path To Using AI To Improve Your Workflow
Apr 2700:38:26Tap to summarizeAre you using AI to improve your workflow as a clinician or a business owner? Are you really? Or are you still scared of it? This episode explores how Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS and the Rogue Physical Therapy & Wellness team are integrating AI into their practice to save time, improve documentation, and enhance client care so they can do more of what they love and bring enjoyment to the tasks they used to dread. Claire shares how tools like the Plaud NotePin and Claude have transformed consultations and one-on-one notes, streamlined standardized Parkinson's wellness assessments, and supported data management projects. She also explains how AI has helped her overhaul hiring and HR processes, from interview forms and training programs to a comprehensive benefits manual, as well as solve technical issues with their video library and build a more efficient, automated timesheet system. Beyond operations, Claire is using AI to design an onboarding "roadmap" for new online members and to quickly generate polished, research-informed handouts from her presentation slides. AI isn't replacing therapists, but instead offloading repetitive administrative tasks so clinicians can spend more time doing the work they love with people. Get on board and get inspired. New ideas will sprout while you listen to this episode! For more learning check out Dr. Shanté Cofield aka The Maestro's podcast Prompting Curiosity
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314: Get Advanced Real-Time Gait Analytics With NUSHU With Erica Demarch, PT
Apr 2000:47:02Tap to summarizeIn this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS interview physical therapist and inventor Erica Demarch, PT, MSPT about her work at the intersection of neuro rehab, motor learning, and wearable technology. Erica shares how her background founding her company, Step and Connect where she developed the Balance Matters system led her to join Magnes, a Swiss company that created NUSHU, a smart shoe with embedded sensors and vibrotactile feedback designed to analyze and improve gait in real time. She explains how the shoes capture over 35 gait parameters, support both assessment and treatment, and can be used in the clinic or at home, particularly for people with Parkinson's disease and those experiencing freezing of gait. Erica discusses current and ongoing research, practical clinical use cases, challenges like individual variability in vibration perception, and the need to individualize cueing strategies. She also describes implementation models for clinics, emerging possibilities for remote monitoring, and her efforts to train and collaborate with clinicians through demos, courses, and networking events to further refine and expand the clinical applications of this technology. ericad@magnes.ch Learn more at: magnes.ch Follow on IG: @magnes_nushu
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313: Vision, Autonomics & Neuro Rehab: What PTs and OTs Should Know Now
Apr 1300:39:32Tap to summarizeEager to learn more about vision rehab in neuro? In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS talks with optometrist Melissa Zarn, OD, FAAO, FNAP and occupational therapist David Katz, OTR/L, CBIS about current advances in neuro-visual rehabilitation and updates within the Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA). They describe how NORA's clinical skills fellowship program has evolved into a hybrid model with asynchronous online coursework plus in-person hands-on training across three levels, increasingly emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration among OTs, PTs, speech therapists, and neuro-optometrists. A major focus of the conversation is the role of the autonomic nervous system in post-brain injury visual symptoms such as light sensitivity, headaches, dizziness, and sensory overwhelm, and how tools like tinted lenses, environmental modifications, and team-based care can help calm the system and improve function. They also highlight new opportunities for PTs and OTs to deepen their vision rehab skills through NORA's annual conference, the growing community of practice within AOTA around neuro-visual remediation, and starter resources like NeuroCollaborative's vision rehab course for clinicians who want to go further in this specialty area. Learn more about Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA) here: https://noravisionrehab.org/ Learn about NORA's annual conference: https://noravisionrehab.org/about-nora/annual-conferences/2026-annual-conference email: dvkatz14@gmail.com Practical Vision Therapy for Neurologic Conditions Course
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312: Upleveling Vestibular Rehabilitation With The Vertigenius
Apr 600:42:55Tap to summarizeVestibular rehabilitation is incredibly effective at treating dizziness, yet barriers exist. Just to name a few - access to expert care, scheduling, ability for patients to adhere to home programs and billing. What if there were a device that helped not only with all of those issues while also helping clinicians get vestibular patients better? The Vertigenius may just be the answer! In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS interviews experienced physiotherapist and Vertigenius inventor and founder, Dr. Dara Meldrum, PhD as well as Sparky and neuro biz owner using Vertigenius in practice, Hilary Register, PT, DPT, NCS, AVPT, NCPT to explore how it works. Dara explains how the FDA‑listed medical device combines a small head sensor worn behind the ear, a patient app, and a clinician portal. Vertigenius offers clinicians the opportunity to prescribe precisely dosed gaze, balance, gait, and habituation exercises with real‑time color‑coded feedback, while capturing objective data on symptoms and adherence. She shares the origin story of the technology, its validation against gold‑standard measures, and its role in expanding access to care and supporting both novice and expert clinicians, especially in telehealth and remote therapeutic monitoring. As an experienced vestibular rehab clinician and researcher herself, she ensures the device is completely evidence-based and constantly evolving as the research grows. Hilary describes how she uses Vertigenius in private practice and concussion rehab to reduce in‑person visit burden, track meaningful functional gains patients often don't recognize, offer high touch points to progress plans of care and design cost‑effective care packages that still feel highly personalized. Together, they highlight how this digital platform can improve outcomes, clinician efficiency, and patient empowerment in managing dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance. Learn more and set up a demo: https://vertigenius.com FaceBook: Vertigenius IG: @vertigenius LinkedIn
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311: How To Add Personal Training To Expand Your Neuro Biz And Improve Client Outcomes
Mar 3000:39:39Tap to summarizeAre you a business owner looking to increase revenue streams and add more cash-based services into the mix? In this episode host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and NeuroBiz coach Emily Duval Ledger explore how personal trainers can significantly strengthen neuro-focused businesses by offering wellness sessions that complement therapy. This is a 100% collaboration over competition focus and you'll learn exactly who to look for to hire in your neuro biz. The benefits to having personal trainers is that this service can clearly separate insurance-based medically necessary care from ongoing cash-based wellness, improve client outcomes, and dramatically increase client lifetime value. Emily shares her 20-year journey as a self-employed fitness professional working with people with Parkinson's and older adults, emphasizing that trainers bring a distinct strength and conditioning lens that complements PT expertise. Together, Erin and Emily dive into practical considerations like how to price and pay trainers sustainably, who the ideal hires are, and how to write job descriptions that attract people who genuinely love working with older adults and neuro populations. They also discuss membership and package models to create consistent revenue and foster client commitment, stressing the importance of honest, direct conversations about what it truly takes for clients to see meaningful change. They close by encouraging neuro business owners to embrace their uniqueness, think creatively about integrating trainers, and reach out with questions or ideas as they grow their own "unicorn" practices.
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310: The Evidence-Based Approach To Dementia Care With Rachel Wiley, MS, OTR/L
Mar 2300:38:58Tap to summarizeWorking with people with dementia and their care partners can be complicated and confusing. What does the evidence say is the best approach? Is it rehabilitative or habilitative?? In this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS interview occupational therapist and Dementia Collaborative founder Rachel Wiley, MS, OTR/L about her approach to working with people with dementia and their care partners. Rachel shares how past experiences with conflicting recommendations between professionals—and the confusion and mistrust this caused for families—motivated her to create a more advanced, evidence-based program that gets teams using the same language and approaches, especially around topics like rehabilitation vs. habilitation, assistive devices, responsive behaviors, and fall risk. She explains her practical, detective-style framework for understanding and managing responsive behaviors (like waking at night or agitation) by identifying triggers and using strategies such as acknowledge–reassure–redirect and meaningful routines. The episode also touches on the complexities of billing, maintenance care, and determining medical necessity in a progressive condition, emphasizing person-centered, ethical care that balances evidence, function, safety, and the realities of caregiving. Rachel recently launched the beta cohort of her new Certified Dementia Clinician (CDCn) Course, a 20-module, interdisciplinary training designed for OTs, PTs, SLPs, social workers, and other clinicians working with people living with dementia. www.dementiacollaborative.com www.daybydaydementiaconsulting.com www.rachelwileyot.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-wiley-ms-otrl-cdp-80521079/
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