10 Common Rehab Issues and How To Fix Them 🧵:
Tom Broback@TomBroback
11 views
Nov 11, 2025
~3 min read
Advertisement
1
10 Common Rehab Issues and How To Fix Them 🧵:
2
1. Lower Back Pain
-Start with core and glute strengthening
-Add in spine and hip mobility
-Emphasis movement (walking, stretches, moving around) during the day
-LBP is the most multifactorial issue, so try a lot of things early and often to see what clicks
-Decrease/avoid triggers as much as possible (easier said than done)
-Start with core and glute strengthening
-Add in spine and hip mobility
-Emphasis movement (walking, stretches, moving around) during the day
-LBP is the most multifactorial issue, so try a lot of things early and often to see what clicks
-Decrease/avoid triggers as much as possible (easier said than done)
3
2. Shoulder Impingement
-Patients will call it this, it's probably not an impingement issue, more likely rotator cuff deficit
-Start rotator cuff strengthening early (isometrics) and progress to full ROM strengthening
-Reaching, lifting, sleeping are top 3 triggers, try and minimize in short term
-Patients will call it this, it's probably not an impingement issue, more likely rotator cuff deficit
-Start rotator cuff strengthening early (isometrics) and progress to full ROM strengthening
-Reaching, lifting, sleeping are top 3 triggers, try and minimize in short term
4
3. Anterior Knee pain
-Variety of causes, most treatment is going to be similar
-Check quad strength, don't assume it's something else, you can get so far with just quad isos
-Hip/calf strength > hip/ankle mobility
-Variety of causes, most treatment is going to be similar
-Check quad strength, don't assume it's something else, you can get so far with just quad isos
-Hip/calf strength > hip/ankle mobility
5
4. Tennis or Golfer's Elbow
-Similar but slightly different treatment interventions, doesn't hurt to attack elbow/wrist movements from all angles
-Timeline is months and years, not days and weeks, patients won't want to hear this, give them objective check marks to hit
-Will shoulder/upper back strengthening fix this? I don't know but it can't hurt to work on it in the meantime
-Similar but slightly different treatment interventions, doesn't hurt to attack elbow/wrist movements from all angles
-Timeline is months and years, not days and weeks, patients won't want to hear this, give them objective check marks to hit
-Will shoulder/upper back strengthening fix this? I don't know but it can't hurt to work on it in the meantime
6
5. Plantar Fasciitis
-Similar to elbow issues, the timeline for this is longer than the patient wants. Get them to focus on small wins, good trajectory and focus on the things they can control
-Global health improvements (weight mgmt, increased activity, etc.) seem to help as much as direct interventions
-Measure their balance without shoes on. You will be shocked at how unstable people are (especially with eyes closed)
-Similar to elbow issues, the timeline for this is longer than the patient wants. Get them to focus on small wins, good trajectory and focus on the things they can control
-Global health improvements (weight mgmt, increased activity, etc.) seem to help as much as direct interventions
-Measure their balance without shoes on. You will be shocked at how unstable people are (especially with eyes closed)
7
6. Hamstring Strain
-You will catch on as a general theme, starting with isometrics is a great way to get patient buy in and not flare them up
-Remember hamstring works in 3 planes of motion, so you have to get them moving side to side and rotationally at some point
-Prone to more flare ups down the road, give them resources to manage flare ups, they will appreciate you for life
-You will catch on as a general theme, starting with isometrics is a great way to get patient buy in and not flare them up
-Remember hamstring works in 3 planes of motion, so you have to get them moving side to side and rotationally at some point
-Prone to more flare ups down the road, give them resources to manage flare ups, they will appreciate you for life
8
7. Neck Pain
-Similar to low back pain management- identify triggers, minimize triggers, find movements or patterns that make them feel better
-Posture is overrated, the best posture is the next one
-Isometrics and repetitive full ROM movements are completely under prescribed for neck pain, use them to your advantage
-Similar to low back pain management- identify triggers, minimize triggers, find movements or patterns that make them feel better
-Posture is overrated, the best posture is the next one
-Isometrics and repetitive full ROM movements are completely under prescribed for neck pain, use them to your advantage
9
8. Knee Osteoarthritis
-Going to hurt worse in morning, loosens up as more movement throughout the day, worse again with too much movement or load
-The amount of patients with knee OA issues that had fantastic quad and glute strength is quite small. Get them stronger.
-As much as I like getting patients to use free weights, some people just feel better with leg press or leg extension machine with OA.
-OA is not a death sentence, even if your patient ends up getting a replacement they will have a strong stable knee going forward from all the work they did
-Going to hurt worse in morning, loosens up as more movement throughout the day, worse again with too much movement or load
-The amount of patients with knee OA issues that had fantastic quad and glute strength is quite small. Get them stronger.
-As much as I like getting patients to use free weights, some people just feel better with leg press or leg extension machine with OA.
-OA is not a death sentence, even if your patient ends up getting a replacement they will have a strong stable knee going forward from all the work they did
10
9. Calf Strain & Achilles Tendonititis
-Clumped together because they will have nearly identical treatment paths
-Get calves stronger, do not overlook ankle mobility (but do not obsess over it)
-Progress to squats/step ups/deadlifts/lunges and eventually power related movements (hops, jumps, skips, running) when symptoms allow
-Clumped together because they will have nearly identical treatment paths
-Get calves stronger, do not overlook ankle mobility (but do not obsess over it)
-Progress to squats/step ups/deadlifts/lunges and eventually power related movements (hops, jumps, skips, running) when symptoms allow
11
10. Meniscus Tear
-Knee won’t feel great with deep flexion loading, twisting, turning, pivoting
-Getting them to build quad strength without flare ups is key, easier said than done
-How they feel about their knee (confidence) is just as important as any strength test you will do
-Knee won’t feel great with deep flexion loading, twisting, turning, pivoting
-Getting them to build quad strength without flare ups is key, easier said than done
-How they feel about their knee (confidence) is just as important as any strength test you will do
12
"Tom, this is great but I want to know more about each one."
The details, the exercises, the sets and reps, the why!
Of course, that’s why I started Simple Systems:
tombroback.substack.com
The details, the exercises, the sets and reps, the why!
Of course, that’s why I started Simple Systems:
tombroback.substack.com