Stop Asking ChatGPT About Your Knee with Dr. Remi Onifade, PT, DPT

Your knees didn't "just get old" — and Googling your symptoms may be making it worse.

In this episode of The Pain Relief University, host Arthur Toole sits down with Dr. Remi Onifade, PT, DPT — a physical therapist and co-owner of Team Rehab West End in Atlanta — to unpack why everyday aches show up in our 30s, 40s, and 50s, and what actually brings relief.

Dr. Remi explains what physical therapists — the "doctors of movement" — really do, why self-diagnosing with Google or ChatGPT is so risky, and how movement itself is one of the most underrated ways to prevent chronic knee, back, hip, and even jaw and pelvic-floor pain. You'll also hear how "direct access" lets you see a PT without a doctor's referral in many states, when surgery might be avoidable, why recovery stalls when you skip your at-home work, and how she uses natural, plant-based topicals in her clinic alongside hands-on care.

"Listen to the pain." — Dr. Remi Onifade, PT

CHAPTERS
00:00:00 - Welcome To Pain Relief University
00:01:23 - What Physical Therapists Actually Do
00:04:55 - The Problem With Self Diagnosis
00:09:04 - Why Our Bodies Break Down Faster
00:13:49 - Pain In Surprising Places
00:16:10 - When To Seek Help For Pain
00:19:58 - A Patient Story That Sticks
00:22:57 - Recovery Requires Work At Home
00:27:12 - Back Pain Questions That Matter
00:32:48 - Topical Relief Inside The Clinic
00:34:24 - One Rule To Prevent Suffering
00:35:47 - Why Natural Options Can Fit
00:38:11 - How To Reach Dr. Remi

RESOURCES & LINKS - Connect with Dr. Remi Onifade, PT — Team Rehab West End (West End / SW Atlanta, near Grady): Instagram @TR_WestEnd · Facebook: Team Rehab West End · Call 470-905-2800 · https://team-rehab.com/location/atlanta-west-end/ 

Curious whether your knees are aging faster than you are? Take the free 4-minute Knee Age Quiz → How old are my knees?

Learn more about MegRelief plant-based topical relief → megrelief.com

DISCLOSURE: Host Arthur Toole and his wife Danette are the co-founders of MegRelief. MegRub, a plant-based topical for the temporary relief of everyday aches and joint pain, is used in Dr. Onifade's clinic. This episode is for general education only and isn't medical advice — for a diagnosis or treatment plan, see a licensed clinician.

For us on our socials to learn more:
Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | MegRelief

Pain Relief University is proudly presented by MegRelief – the ultimate all-natural pain solution. Say goodbye to pills and chemicals; MegRelief offers pure relief through natural and organic ingredients. With just one spray, soak, or massage, you can experience quick and effective pain relief. 

Transcript

Welcome To Pain Relief University

SPEAKER_00 0:00

All right, welcome to Pain Relief University, the podcast that's dedicated to helping people understand the full range of evidence-based options for treating joint and muscle pain. So, not just your random Google search. We talk to these subject matter experts. Today we're joined by Dr. Remy Onifade, aka Dr. Remy, a physical therapist and a owner of Teen Rehab, a clinic focusing on helping patients restore movement, reduce pain, and avoid unnecessary surgeries whenever possible. Every day, Dr. Remy works with patients who are dealing with chronic pain, injuries, and mobility challenges. And she uses movement-based therapy and hands-on treatment to help those same people get back to their regular lives. In this conversation, we're going to talk about how physical therapy helps people recover from pain, when surgery might actually be avoidable, and what patients should know before deciding their treatment path. So without any further ado, welcome, Dr. Emmy. It's good to have you.

SPEAKER_03 0:55

Thank you. Thank you, Audrey. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Appreciate it. Hey, we got to have you. We got to have you because you're the social matter expert. And just for clarity, everyone, she's already treated, she's treated me, she's treated my sister, she's already treated like a bunch of people we already know. So if you're in the Atlanta area, we're gonna give you know her, you know, contact information and you need a physical therapist, go stop by team rehab. I'm telling you, we'll get to it, we'll just get to it. Sorry, all right, but let's kick it off with something

What Physical Therapists Actually Do

SPEAKER_00 1:23

general. So if someone has no knowledge of physical therapy, they grew up maybe without even a primary care physician, or they only have that primary care physician, and now someone told them they got an injury, go see a physical therapist. Like, what would you tell them a physical therapist does?

SPEAKER_02 1:41

Right.

SPEAKER_03 1:43

I think when we approach this question, I for the most part, I I think people do not know like how we even get to be physical therapists. So starting there, right? We do have to do our undergraduate degree or get the prerequisites that um allow us to go through the program. Um, it is a three-year program, um, but it really essentially is four years because we go straight through the year. Um and with that, we then obtain our uh doctor of physical therapy. Now, just like physicians have, you know, they get their medical degree, you know, we get our DPT. So it's a professional doctorate. Um we do have physical therapy assistants as well, uh, therapist assistants as well, that also help like PAs help physicians. So physician assistant, PTA, PT. Okay. So if one, you know, seeks out a physical therapist, there are a lot of us in different specialties, but in this specific area, we're gonna we're gonna talk about the orthopedic because that's that's mu mainly how um people are presented to be um knowing PTs. Okay. Um I actually did not do ortho residency. Um, and people would not necessarily say I'm a uh orthopedist or a generalist um PT. I did do my neuroresidency. So that's another thing, too. So I do see neurological disorders. But as a physical therapist, we try to optimize movement. We are the doctors of movement. What we're trying to do is um evaluate and diagnose what type of movement disorder or injury um that has happened on your body or even your mind sometimes um that will not allow you to get out of bed, uh to go upstairs, to run, to you know, roll around with the kids, walk your dog, anything of that nature, we try to uh assess and evaluate and try to get you back to your to the optimal movement.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Got it. So that makes a lot of sense. So then would you say because you guys are like the doctors of movement, that training is different than what a traditional um like family doctor would do. Like they don't get that kind of training. That's what separates you one doctor from the other.

SPEAKER_03 4:03

Yes, yes. Okay in if you have your physicians, you have your cardiologists, your family practice may know a little bit about that something, but they don't know it to the extent of diagnosing like the cardiologist. Right.

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Got it, got it. So that makes sense. Okay, so then I'm gonna go with this question then. So we're in the age where everybody thinks they can diagnose themselves, and they don't even know like all these years that you put in to be in the doctor of movement. I like that. I've never heard it said that before, the doctor of movement. So for those who do the Google doctors, the chat GPT doctors, the claw doctors, they got hurt, they went there, and then they tried to diagnose themselves.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

Right.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

Something happens and they come see you. What is like the biggest things that mistakes they make by going to like Chat GPT over going straight to someone like you?

SPEAKER_03 4:54

Um,

The Problem With Self Diagnosis

SPEAKER_03 4:55

there are different reasons why like the knee may have an issue, right? Um it could be, and I'm using the knee because everybody, you know, starts to complain about the knees, and and you you know, your game is very much known for calling what it is, right? Yes, yes. And it's not a complicated joint, it only moves in, you know, going out or in, bending it or extending it, right? Right to the lay person, to the lay person. Right. Um there is a rotational piece of your knee, it's very small, but it's still there, right? Um, there's so many, there are there are uh a multitude of muscles that are connected to your knee um that allow it to move. Now, if you have if you go on and just say, hey, my knee hurts, okay. But what was the cause? Do you know the cause? Do you know like if you um point and twist, do you automatically know that it would be an ACL? She we don't even know exactly it would be ACO, it could be a meniscus, it could you know what I mean? So it could be certain different things. So if you throw it into the computer to you know all the AI stuff, sure. However, even when they compute the information, and it may be something that you do know how to do um or understand, however, the exercises, the manual treatment, the modalities that you can use, uh, the medication that hey, you might want to use it more specifically around this time rather than this time, especially if if your goal is not to have to cool um uh finance issues because you're trying to have to take a medication for the rest of your life, you know. So there's so many things that we do to assess the issue, and then also because we have to do pharmacology, you know, we have to understand genetics as well, right? That also plays into that same need problem. You may be, you know, um predisposed to something that somebody else and the computer doesn't know because it's taking your family history, or do you even know that you need to give family history in order to diagnose whatever the knee is causing some issues? So I think that's where people make a little bit more of those mistakes. Now, understanding, like, hey, when you have a back problem, because everybody has a tendency to have back problems, um, you know, your the the ability to understand if your bowel or bladder are affected is is very pivotal, very pivotal. It's already for us, you know. If you start having some issues, that's that's that's a problem. We need to figure out we need to help uh refer you back out to your medical doctor that is specifically in that area, right? Um, and because we all don't treat the same, any of the doctors do not treat the same, and I think we need to open up our eyes and understand that um traditionally people call um your medical doctors doctors, but there are a lot of doctors walking around, you know, but in different specialties. We have our PhD doctors don't do the same thing, so it's like think about that when when we're calling you know each other doctor, um, and and knowing like the areas uh and the nuances because we're we're supposed to be experts at that time, right?

SPEAKER_00 8:11

Gotcha, gotcha. Uh let me ask you a question then. So, and I had this one sitting over here, uh, but you kind of went to it. What are some things about um like musculoskeletal pain that most people and even sometimes doctors misunderstand? And the reason why I asked this one is because I got remember, I'm a lay person. I was very active in sports, right? And then I got into my 30s, and that's when I banged up my knees, and then I tried to go back to sports. But what made me stop was that all my peers were tearing their meniscus, their chelist tendon, their um their hamstrings. And it was like every week one of us was on crutches, and so I stopped. And so it always made me wonder like, why those what is it that I'm not getting? And why is it that okay, in our 30s and 40s, we're we're like we're tearing these things up, like you know, because later on my ask you, what can we do to fix that? But

Why Our Bodies Break Down Faster

SPEAKER_00 9:04

just what's some general things that we're misunderstanding about our bodies that I mean your body's breaking down at all times at 30, though?

SPEAKER_03 9:13

It's breaking down at all times. You you it happened at 30 race, right?

SPEAKER_00 9:19

It did, you're right. It happened at 30.

SPEAKER_03 9:22

It's especially if you're not doing the activities that um enhance your body for that long. You know, I think everybody is sitting here miraculously wondering how LeBron is paying for playing for so long, right? And at that level he's playing at. It takes a lot of effort and money to be able to at that type of level. So let's bring this down to you know, your average American that may not be able to do that or nor has the knowledge, nor has the time. You know what I mean? So you you you you you get to that level, you understand, like you're not doing the same things or even working out. Isn't that our problem? Isn't that America's problem, right? Obesity in itself, because we have all the this technology for cars and and you know, so many other things. Our our cities aren't even set up for us to that's why they're building the belt line in Atlanta now. It's like, oh, let's let's have people walk now, please. Let's let like city. Uh let's people let's let's allow people to to to bike. Uh get over the city. I'm like, that that should have been an obvious thing. Yeah, our bodies are and and how we build bone and all that is like pivotal on movement.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

Yeah. Would you say that movement itself could solve or prevent a lot of our challenges that we're trying we're seeing in traditional Americans in the 30s, 40s, and 50s? Just if we incorporated more movement, like absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 10:51

Look at other countries, look at other countries that are moving. In fact, I think uh accessibility happened here more because we don't move. We don't, but we're demanding that we're able to get to that place, right? Right, right, um, and and that's and that's just subjected to more of an able-bodied person, but that's the mentality that people have. That's that's why those things are built, not not because we're we're looking out for person, a person that has disabilities. That is definitely not why it happened. I know that's gonna be controversial when this comes out, but no, but that's perfect because it's the truth. It's it's a fact, it's just it's just truth, yeah. Um, yeah, you'll you'll see in other spaces that the more people are moving, um, the more people are doing things that are more natural and and eating more naturally, you have a tendency to see people live for longer and move for longer. Why do you think we have so many senior assistant places? Because there's so much burden of care that happens because those people aren't moving as much anymore.

SPEAKER_00 12:03

Yeah, yeah, and it's never too late, right? Like regardless of where you are, as long as you're alive, you can start moving and you start getting some benefits. Is that a safe assessment?

SPEAKER_03 12:13

Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. That's why they do eventually send me out. We actually get that's the one place SPTs are take pretty well, you know. That's the one place. You have a captive audience there, you have a captive audience, very captive, and they understand if they don't move or they're not taught how the best way to move, right? Because I said we optimize movement because we we have to meet the person where they are, yes, right? You can come from birth and a PT is involved, and if there's a problem with movement, um you know there can be some congenital stuff that happens, a PT is involved, PTOT is involved. You know, I I have to give props across the board to all of our allied help, our our rehab therapists, right? Because there's different stages, and that's the same thing with the whole the the whole doctor in general. There's different specialties, there's different ways, there's different methods, there's different theories that we learn in order to optimize, you know, what we're able to do in life. It'd be crazy to to sit here and think one one degree. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

I'd be very worried about that person. Yeah, we see where we are.

SPEAKER_03 13:42

We see where we are. So you know exposure, exposure, exposure.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

No, that works.

SPEAKER_02 13:47

Yeah, for sure.

Pain In Surprising Places

SPEAKER_00 13:49

What's um one surprising like cause of pain that people never expect patients never expect? Like we talk about knee pain, you know, and I've had other creeps and pains, but normally when we think knee pain, we think because I bang my knee up against something, or I automatically think bone on bone, because my great-great-grandmother said that's what it is. But sometimes it could be a misalignment somewhere, it could be lack of movement.

SPEAKER_03 14:14

Like, I mean, everybody knows like your your usual back pain, your knee pain, as you said, you might have hip pain, um, for sure. Um, foot pain is common as well, but I think people miss out on like jaw pain, but they think dest. And they don't necessarily think, oh, PTs are involved in in that joint, the TMJ joint, you know, um temporal mandibular joint, right? Um, your pelvic floor can have pain, and they definitely ignore it in you guys, but as far as we don't want nobody messing with our pelvic floor, we don't even know what a pelvic floor is until later. That message, but it's connected to your core. If it's stronger, it could help even more, you know what I mean? So it's like it's all about the framing, you have to frame it right. But I think sometimes sometimes people do not associate that it's you know, it's a part of it, right? Um, but I think the the main areas would be your your jaw and then your pelvic floor. Wow. Where we can be involved as PTs can be involved, you know.

SPEAKER_00 15:27

That makes sense. Um, how often do you see pain showing up in one place, but it's actually coming from somewhere else in the body?

SPEAKER_03 15:34

Oh yeah. Um you can you can have foot pain and it can be coming from your back.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Yeah, I think that's the thing that people don't, well, we don't get like we so we want to you know soak our feet thinking that's the thing, and then we get like a half a second relief.

SPEAKER_03 15:47

It'll be okay. Yeah, no, sometimes not.

SPEAKER_00 15:51

Are there any signs that we should we should think about? Like without giving, like I know you you everything is individualized, but if I my feet are sore and all I'm doing is soaking my feet, at what point should it clue me in?

SPEAKER_03 16:02

Hey, it may be my back, or or like well, I don't I don't know if you need to even get into that per se.

When To Seek Help For Pain

SPEAKER_03 16:10

I think first thing is if it's not going away, do not think it's just going to go away.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

You don't have this for three weeks. It's it's it's yeah, you might want to check that out.

SPEAKER_03 16:25

Now if it eventually goes, but you're doing something, you're making a movement that you're not even keen on, yeah. That's moving, you know, that's come see us. Okay, come see a PT. And then there's different rules for different states about like accessing us directly and not going to your physician um or a referral uh source. Um, but look into that. Link can go see your physical therapist with within your state. Look, look there first, right?

SPEAKER_00 16:57

So actually that that's actually something. So, what where should they look? There's a person now they saw this, it's like, you know what? I need a physical therapist. I don't know if I can go directly to them or not. Like, where do they go first? What questions do they ask?

SPEAKER_03 17:08

That is when you can ask your chat GPT.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

Okay. People listen. Now you can use chat GPT. Okay, let's there you go. You can put your insurance in there, ask the question.

SPEAKER_03 17:18

Good research, right? Let's put a research research, right? So you can you can go online. Um, obviously, that Google will help you and steer you into what's my state law practice to see physical therapists directly, or just look up direct access to PTs, physical therapy. That's really what it is. Direct access to PTs. That's your Google search in my state, would be preferable because it is dependent on state. Um, because I'm in Georgia, I'm gonna shout out for Georgia. Um, you get you can uh if you're in Georgia, there's one place to go, clearly, period.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Okay, I'm trying to tell you.

SPEAKER_03 17:56

You can see yourself to eight visits or within 21 days, whichever one comes first. So that one will be good, you know. Um, we're also fighting for unrestricted direct access right now. So, you know, if if that's on your on your on your docket, please vote for yes.

SPEAKER_00 18:12

Um, so we can so wait, so talk a little bit more about this, specifically the people that are listening in Georgia. Like what is that? And then why is it so important that they go out and vote for that and the benefits to them?

SPEAKER_03 18:24

Right. So with direct access, that back pain that you have in the day that you go to your urgent care for or your ER for, we can probably help diagnose that or say, hey, this is this is what's going on. And guess what? Because how you refer to uh physicians refer to us, we have to know physicians to refer back out to. So your your ER visit may be a little bit less, you know. Let me let's let's actually send you to the ER for an emergency. That's why we have to do the red flags, um, yellow flags, um, understanding if if pain doesn't change and whatnot at particular times, it's an indicator of something more serious. Um, obviously, we got to know like the neurological stuff that occurs as well, and uh that will alert us hey, this person may be uh having a stroke. We need to get you to the ER, you know, quicker, right? Instead of having to sit there, which probably will increase your back pain. And then they just give you medication and send you home and send you home, and you're still in that same pain. And you may not even know how to put like try to be a little bit more risk adverse because that's that's that's their domain. Their domain is get you, you know, uh you take you in, discharge you with what their scope of practice is. Our practice is if you want to move, let's try to figure out the best way that you can move or prevent further energy.

SPEAKER_00 19:55

No, that makes sense. Yeah, that makes sense.

A Patient Story That Sticks

SPEAKER_00 19:58

So you've been practicing for years, and I can I can imagine that you've seen a lot of things. Can you talk to us as much as you can, share, about one patient that you saw like as a result of being a doctor of movement? Like you they made a dramatic you made a dramatic impact on their lives, and as a result, like which one that stands out the most?

SPEAKER_03 20:19

That was kind of hard because I do do with neuropatients as well. Um, but seeing somebody come in have had you know um right side weakness, and they weren't able to walk, um, weren't able to roll. Um, obviously the physicians and and all the whole team, a whole interdisciplinary team of of of the person's care is very, very important. However, those days in the getting a person to move after their mental has gone differently, yeah. It's amazing to see like different people's motivation and the determination, um, and families uh a lot of it a lot of times, and I'd love to see that and just loved ones wanting to get better or be better for another being and not even necessarily sometimes just for themselves, even though you know that is the cause, you know, that's that is the one, obviously. Um but to see somebody not walking to walking, even though it may be different, uh that's priceless.

SPEAKER_00 21:33

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll say just from my experience, this is why I'm in love with the the field physical therapy. My mom had both her knees replaced, and my mom's the strongest person I know, man or woman, period. Right. And I've never seen her at a low point like she was when she had the knees replaced because she got them done like either 90 or no more than 120 days apart from each other. And I think they you guys recommend there's a little bit more space in between. She was an occupational therapist and she was like, nope, I'm getting them done right after this. And I saw her, you know, like laid up. I saw her not being able to walk, not being able to do anything. And it was a physical therapist. Um, one that uh you and I both know, um Dr. Sylvester ended up working with her. And um not only was she able to uh walk normally, she was able to go on a cruise to Spain. Uh, I think it was like a seven, 10-day cruise and was able to walk around everywhere and outwalked her peers. And she was in her, I want to say her 50s, 60s at the time. So like it was just like, okay, like I've had it for, I was in the military, I had my some some um some surgeries on my wrists, my knees, and all other stuff, but that was the biggest change I got to see in real time. Someone who was always healthy and really strong to get to like really, really weak and couldn't move around, couldn't take care of themselves, use our uh use physical therapy and they got their life back as a result.

Recovery Requires Work At Home

SPEAKER_00 22:57

And she had, but you know, she had to do the work. Um how often do you see uh treat treatment or recovery stalled because the patient doesn't do the work, like in between this?

SPEAKER_03 23:11

A lot, a lot. I think that's my first my first thing. I'm like, hey, if you don't do anything, this is not gonna work. This is not gonna work, and you're gonna say I'm a bad PT. You are, and then you're gonna look at that bill and be like, why did I pay this person this much? Well, let me tell you, if you do the homework, um we're allowed, we we are a team that are managing expectations, we're a team that's managing better expectations of how well you can, you know, optimally move. Because I think people aren't real sometimes. They think, hey, go in, this is gonna be solved, however, you know, it's dependent on time, it's dependent on the type, you know, it depends on you, it depends on what you eat, it depends on your mental health, like it depends on a lot of things. Um they're very, very much connected, but um it you gotta do.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

Do you find that you're having to deal with the person's mental state as much as the actual injury itself to in order to get them back to normal?

SPEAKER_03 24:27

Absolutely, absolutely. Even if somebody's uh in in a great mental state, then does that mean that they believe you?

SPEAKER_02 24:34

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:37

Brian, you're we are salesmen to help you. We're salespeople to help the population just move. We're like, hey, yeah, I know I'm asking. Imagine we're we're in negotiation, right? We just had you just had knee surgery, um, you had your home health uh PT, but the physician knows, hey, if we want to get it out, get them out into the community, we need to move them into more of an orthopedic situation because every everybody knows about your total knees, you know. That's why I'm using this example a lot. Um you come in, you are probably at like only 40 degrees of bending your knee. And that's not a lot, it's not a lot at all. Especially if we're trying to get you to uh at minimum of 110, you know, up some steps because that's the that's the degree for normal steps, right? And what are normal steps anyway? So anyway, that's what we're trying to we're we're sitting here like, okay, we have a lot of work in our head, we got a lot of work, but what are you gonna do at home? So I have to convince you to either come two to three times a week, and probably in this case, I'm gonna try to be more aggressive with your your range of motion. So I'm gonna only ask for three days out of the week because who knows how much that insurance is gonna pay, how many visits that you have in your policy to even get here? So I need to I need to make sure every time you come in here, we are optimizing as much as we can to get that knee to move so you can walk up steps comfortably, so you can have a a better gait pattern, you know, a walking pattern. But it's like if you don't do anything at home, what am I what is that energy and time for?

SPEAKER_00 26:22

Yeah, we'd just rather you give us a pill and it magically works.

SPEAKER_03 26:25

You know, you come in, we can have a great conversation. I can the Kiki, you know, you know, mobilize some soft tissue on your knee, and and you like, yes, I feel good.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

That's what we want. That's what we want. That's what we want.

SPEAKER_03 26:43

No, please work with us to help you, just like in in your business, whatever business that you're doing, and and talking to everybody, you want somebody to help themselves as well, right? You're not there to just do the job, you're there to one, yeah. It it at any job, right?

SPEAKER_00 27:02

Just even any job, any job, any job, any job, right? So no, it makes sense, it makes sense.

Back Pain Questions That Matter

SPEAKER_00 27:12

Let me ask you another question. So let's say we got a person that's been in pain. Let's just stay on no, we'll go to the back. They they've had back pain now for a while, they feel like they've tried everything. Um, maybe they have tried physical therapy in the past, maybe they haven't. And like now they're feeling hopeless. Like, like what would you say to that person? Like, like what kind of advice would you give them?

SPEAKER_03 27:36

I mean, in anything, we we can't we can't give up. Yeah, can't give up, and not every every just like not every physician is the same, not not every medical doctor is the same, not every PT is the same. Um it it just like not every teacher was the same, right? You probably liked one teacher more than another, and that's probably the one that you probably did better in, right? You probably could have hated the material, but you like the teacher, so you tried as much as you could to get to be successful, right? Same thing, same thing, same thing. So, like try try again at you know that the the next clinic or the next hospital or next you know, concierge may be that maybe that person to help you get better and to understand too, because I think a lot of times, you know, people do use Google to try to understand the body, but do you really understand the body? That's why you know sometimes you you have same results, but sometimes people are good. I'm not not knocking anybody in that nature. But could it be even more refined when you do come to a you know a PT or a PTA and whatnot? So, and this is that's the same case is try something else out, try something new, read reviews, you know, read reviews, um, see the environment that that you'd be walking into, see the staff that you'd be walking into, uh and then go from there. Like nobody can demand that you go somewhere, just like you you allowed yourself to pick a physician to go to, same thing. You yourself, no matter the the the the conversation that you have with different providers, you can do the research to to to find a place that you feel comfortable with, right? Because we're trying to get you better, not not not somebody else that referred, you know.

SPEAKER_00 29:34

No, that makes sense. Would you say that there's maybe like one or two questions for someone with back pain should ask their physical therapist when they meet them, or you know, or yeah, let's start with that.

SPEAKER_03 29:46

Yeah, I mean, is it it is it more of a muscle issue? Is it more of a disc issue? You know, is it a is it a a bone issue? Okay, right. Um, and then there's some other things that are in there, right?

SPEAKER_00 29:59

Um, because you're physical therapist.

SPEAKER_03 30:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But because we're gonna ask you some questions too. We're gonna ask you, you know, what you know, where is it coming from? Is it going anywhere? Is it radiating anywhere? You know, um, how does it feel? Um, trying to figure out how and it's something for you before going into a PT can ask, like, how does it feel? What can I describe it as? Because that helps us to know, oh, this may be more of a nerve issue, this may be more of a muscle issue. Um, this is sounding like a bone issue. Um, and these are the things that I'm gonna try to um clinically diagnose with some a special test or something, you know.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

You know, that's interesting. That now you you you tap on something I've always wanted to know. When I've had to go for to see a physical therapist, um, you know, for whatever type of pain, you know, they asked me to describe it. When I or someone like me says throbbing as opposed to dull or supposed to sharp, those different words tell you different things, actually. Okay, I was always curious about that.

SPEAKER_03 31:05

Yeah, I know it how long is it lasting? The time to recover will tell us some things too, depending on where the area is, um, the onset of it, you know. Um pain is always relative to the person, it's more subjective. We we know that, but it's subjective in ways of how how do we decrease it because you gave us a number, right? You may start it at a nine, people start at tens all the time. They're like emergency room tens, no, but I'm at a 10. Say less, you're at a 10. So my job is to get you to that eight and try to get you to that eight by by using whatever skills that I have in my toolbox that I've learned in that same session. That's my goal, right? Now, is it gonna fluctuate between the two? Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. No PT is thinking that you are gonna follow by the rules, and you never know what what environmental variables you know that there are out there that will cause you to do something that we may not be like, uh probably shouldn't have done that, right? So I know for me personally, a lot of times if it's something that is not as problematic, I want to know how does PT involve me um getting back to and in some instances, even just cycling, you know, going to the gym. Um, some people are like, you know, let me stop and rest. And of course, sometimes that's that's a viable thing, but then sometimes it's not because I want to know how do you how does this what is the trigger? Let me figure that out. Let me figure out the cause, and then let's then let's then let's correct for it.

SPEAKER_00 32:46

Gotcha, gotcha. Now,

Topical Relief Inside The Clinic

SPEAKER_00 32:48

in your clinic, um, sometimes you use topical pain relief creams and things like that. When is that um like actually helpful for the patient, like in terms of your clinic or how you all use it?

SPEAKER_03 33:02

Yeah, for sure. We we definitely use meg relief actually for most manual. Um so in manual interventions, whether it be soft tissue mobilization, um, you know, myofascial release, we use it. We use it for cupping. Um, we'll use it when we uh use like metal instrumented tools. A lot of people know it as uh a form of it. It is called grasting. Um and that's pretty much scraping muscles and whatnot for a better surface. Now, in that I have had patients say, you know, I've had less pain. Um, there's less information in in that area as well. Um, and then just overall moving better.

SPEAKER_01 33:47

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_03 33:49

What I said when somebody says, hey, they got a 10 in that session. I'm trying to get them, get them to that to that eight. And and and yes, um, sometimes it's it's at the the combination of use of of meg relief for sure.

SPEAKER_00 34:04

Gotcha, gotcha. Um, so for and for transparency, everyone, um, my wife and I own Meg Relief, and MegRub is a topic pain relief uh cream to help people with um uh joint pain and joint inflammation. So and uh Dr. Remy um has uh MegRub in her clinics, and so that that's just everyone knows.

One Rule To Prevent Suffering

SPEAKER_00 34:24

Um with that said, if there was if you could teach the public just one thing about pain that would save millions from unnecessary suffering, what would it be? Like we've talked about movement, and that may be it. But if you were like, hey, this is your platform, you're in front of a hundred million people, you can only give them one thing that would prevent them from suffering in the future, what would that be?

SPEAKER_03 34:48

Listen to the pain. Listen to the pain.

SPEAKER_00 34:55

Um how do we listen to the pain?

SPEAKER_03 35:04

Um, and and that's where I was talking about some of the descriptors. Like, does that make you feel right? How do you externally uh um present to when you're feeling right? When you're feeling that pain. Um what are some changes that are made? Um, like as far as you moving, what are some changes that you're making? Because you may squat for things sometimes, but because you have this pain, you may stoop for it and not think anything of it. So that's what I'm saying, and and listen to the pain.

SPEAKER_00 35:44

Got it. Now that makes sense. Um

Why Natural Options Can Fit

SPEAKER_00 35:47

as a clinic owner, I'm gonna go back for a second. I meant to ask this earlier. What made you decide to integrate natural pain relief options alongside physical therapy uh treatments? Like I know at some clinics, you know, they they use you know Tylenol predominantly, some use other creams like biofreeze, but you've opted the more natural pathway. What made you go down that pathway?

SPEAKER_03 36:08

Um, yeah, so yes, I do use meg relief. I also use um CBD as well in some cases. Um I think the more natural um direction doesn't allow you one, and and and it be topical too, it doesn't allow you allow it to sit in the in the bloodstream for so long, and you don't know what other medications that you're taking, right? Um, like I said before, we do have to do pharmacology, so we do need to know some interactions and what does that happen to. But the more natural it is, the less likely something is gonna happen, right? Um, especially if understanding um the the research behind majority of what you're using, right? And and a lot of times people are using this on everyday stuff, but just maybe not at the volume that we use it at, right? Um and it still be natural. So you're not you're not worried about what synthetic thing I have running in my body. You're like, I know what it is, right? Um, and then and it's been used for however long you know Earth has been around. So a long time.

SPEAKER_00 37:19

Okay, so uh one of the two last questions. If someone is listening right now and dealing with um pain, they feel stuck, like, and now they're like, hey, they they talk to you. Um and I know your answer because of what you said earlier. What would you tell them now to do? So, like now that this is the first time they felt like they they they resonate with you. Something about what you said resonates with them, and they're like, Okay, yeah, I am in pain and I'm tired of dealing with it. What would you want them to know? What would you tell them?

SPEAKER_03 37:48

It if it pertains to movement, go see your physical therapist. Okay, research a physical therapist that you feel comfortable with. Oh, I think it's it's raining out here now, but uh see see you see your physical therapist that you're um that you research and ask them about the direct access, but and then go in.

How To Reach Dr. Remi

SPEAKER_00 38:11

Awesome. So I want to say again, thank you so much. And I see it's raining. I'm gonna get you out of the rain. Um, before you go, can you give just the people want to contact you? Um, if you're in the Atlanta area and they want to get to uh your team rehab clinic, like website, um, telephone number, I'll put all that in the in the footnotes. But if you can just share what you want to share with them.

SPEAKER_03 38:31

Sure, yes. I am the part owner of Team Rehab West End. That's 1000 Street, Southwest, Atlanta, Georgia, um 30310, suite 300, right next to Grady. Um the phone number is 470-905-2800. Facts is 470-905-2801. And we are on Instagram as TR underscore West End. Um, we do have a Facebook group as Team Rehab West End as well. And you can also just Google us, Team Rehab West End. Um and my team's picture should should pop up in the clinic. So you can do a virtual tour as well of the clinic um and see the things that we are good at on the on the website as well.

SPEAKER_00 39:20

Gotcha. And I just want to put it out there. My sister went there who had been dealing with a lot of pain for a long time. And in one session, um, Dr. Remy was able to alleviate the pain and get her back to normal. And that was just one session. So yeah, I know she said, you know, her goal is to get her from you know a 10 to an eight, but for my sister, she got it from like a 10 to like a two. And I got to watch it. So if you are in pain and you have some some trouble with movement, go see Dr. Remy because you won't be disappointed. All right. All right, you guys, that's it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening. We'll see you next time. All right, peace.