Have you ever received conflicting advice from your surgeon and your physical therapist? Who do you listen to when one says you are ready to run, and the other says you aren't?

In this episode of The GFY Podcast, we are joined by Kathleen Criss, a physical therapist and fellow University of Delaware Athletic Training alum. Kathleen shares her unique journey from being a competitive figure skater for 18 years to treating complex outpatient cases in a hospital system.

The group dives deep into the systemic communication gaps in healthcare. Kathleen breaks down her "Two-Parent" analogy for post-op recovery, explains why your pain might not actually be coming from that disc bulge on your MRI, and discusses how the international world of figure skating prepared her to connect with patients from all walks of life.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Figure Skating & Backflips: A dive into the recent controversies of acrobatic moves in figure skating, including Ilia Malinin's legal backflip and the trailblazing history of Surya Bonaly.
• The "Two-Parent" Analogy: Why your surgeon and your PT have different perspectives. The surgeon looks at tissue healing, while the PT evaluates your functional performance—and why both "parents" need to agree before you return to sport.
• Systemic Healthcare Gaps: Why it's not the physician's fault that they only have 15 minutes to spend with you, and how rehab professionals fill that vital educational gap.
• Myth-Busting MRI Results: Why having a disc bulge doesn't automatically mean it's the source of your pain, and how to de-escalate the stress of scary imaging results.
• The Placebo of Surgery: Michael shares a mind-blowing study on "sham surgeries" for back fractures that yielded the exact same results as actual surgical interventions.

Resources Mentioned:

• Guest: Kathleen Chris, PT, DPT, ATC.
• Concepts: Tissue Healing vs. Performance Readiness; Multifactorial Pain.

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Disclaimer: Although we are healthcare providers, we are not YOUR healthcare provider. Content is for educational purposes only. Please consult your physician before making lifestyle changes.

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If you have general questions about pain you're experiencing send us a DM on instagram or email at wellinformed24@gmail.com

Michael Stant has also launched a weekly blog, Well-Informed. If interested in following. You can subscribe to the following link: https://wellinformed24.substack.com/