Welcome to Simply Robust—The Podcast Built for Developing Resilient PTs. Brought to you by Elevate Physical Therapy.
We are a group of clinicians and professors cutting through the nonsense of healthcare. We break down patient cases, dissect research, and hand out the kind of practical insights you don’t get in school. Whether you’re a student
Your hosts:
Matt Miller PT, DPT,
Tyler Whited PT, DPT
Li-Zandre Philbrook PT, DPT
Follow us on instagram @elevateptnw
Visit us @ https://www.elevateptnw.com/
Ep 17: When The Case Turns: Critical Thinking in PT
In this episode of Simply Robust, the Elevate PT team reflects on the pivotal moments that reshaped how they think as clinicians. From a misjudged shoulder that goes sour, to chronic pain that ended in behavior change and redemption, to suspected cardiac dysfunction—each story reveals the power of humility, curiosity, and measured observation in patient care.
Join us as we for practical thoughts on the art of pausing, re-evaluating, and staying relentlessly curious when the plan isn’t working. This is an honest look at clinical growth, the mistakes that shape us, and why critical thinking is the most valuable skill a PT can build.
3 Sept 2025
Ep 16: Updates and Insights
This week we share what’s new at Elevate PT—continuing ed courses, patient video resources, mentorship opportunities, and the launch of 99 Ruck Club. Plus, we reflect on lessons learned in SNFs, mobile PT, and outpatient care. Tune in for fresh ideas, practical takeaways, and our commitment to equipping both clinicians and patients with practical tools.
29 Jul 2025
Ep. 15 The "Non-specific" Diagnostic Label
In this episode of Simply Robust, the Elevate PT teamdives into a recent paper from the Austrailian Journal of Physiotherapy (PMID: 40579311) that explores how diagnostic labels influence patient beliefs, emotions, and treatment decisions. Does calling it “non-specific low back pain” help or hurt? Do patients feel better with a label—even if it’s scary?
We try to dispell the tension between clarity and confusion, explore the real-life implications of using jargon, and share insights from our own practice. Whether you're a clinician learning to talk with patients or a patient trying tounderstand your own care, this episode may make you think what you say matters less than why you say it.
Papers cited in this episode:
"Non-specific diagnostic labels..." (Martin et al. 2025) (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphys.2025.06.011)PMID: 40579311"A study on relative contributions of the history, physical examination and investigations in making medical diagnosis." (Roshan and Rao. 2000) PMID: 11273467
"Diagnostic Labels for Rotator Cuff Disease Can Increase People's Perceived..." (Zadro et al. 2021) PMID: 33789444
15 Jul 2025
Ep 14: Fear Mongering: Are PTs The Problem?
In this thought-provoking episode of Simply Robust, the Elevate PT crew tackles a heavy but necessary question: Are physical therapists accidentally creating more fear than function? From textbook dogma and underwhelming education to clinical confirmation bias and fear-driven treatment plans, the team dives deep into how PTs—often with good intentions—can contribute to patient fear, underperformance, and even long-term dysfunction.
We explore:
How outdated PT education can breed uncertainty and risk aversion
Why new grads may be overconfident or paralyzed by clinical decision-making
The dangerous ripple effect of “playing it safe” in both diagnosis and prescription
Practical strategies to promote patient resilience without overstepping or under-dosing
The critical importance of being confident in what it is not—even if you don’t know exactly what it is
If you're a clinician, student, or just passionate about better care, this episode will challenge your thinking and (hopefully) your fear.
1 Jul 2025
Ep. 13: Mailbag #1: What You Should Do, Staying Engaged, and Beating Burnout!
The Simply Robust crew answers listener questions about navigating early practice pressures, including mentorship, patient volume, imposter syndrome, and productivity, offering actionable insights and hard-earned wisdom.
24 Jun 2025
Ep. 12: Spotting Red Flags in Your Physical Therapist
This episode identifies three physical therapist archetypes—the Alphabet Soup Therapist, the Nocebic Therapist, and the Lazy Therapist—to help patients recognize red flags in their care.
17 Jun 2025
Ep. 11: Reflections From Clinical Chaos
The Elevate PT crew reflects on student clinical rotations, revealing the importance of human connection and qualitative measures in physical therapy, offering insights for both seasoned and new physical therapists in this interview.
1 Apr 2025
Ep. 10: How Our Beliefs Have Changed
The hosts reflect on how their beliefs around movement, rehab, and treatment have evolved, emphasizing the importance of questioning assumptions for continuous growth and learning.
25 Mar 2025
Ep. 9: Movement Emergence, Abundance and DST
This episode explores movement emergence, abundance, and dynamical systems, revealing how clinicians can trust the body's innate abilities instead of over-explaining biomechanics.
18 Mar 2025
Ep. 8: Expectancy Violation
This episode explores expectancy violation in patient care, revealing how challenging patient expectations can lead to improved outcomes and questioning the reliability of pain predictions.
11 Mar 2025
Ep. 7: Battling Perception - Hip Case Part 2
This episode explores a former athlete's ongoing hip pain, examining patient perception, treatment expectations, and philosophical challenges within physical therapy.
4 Mar 2025
Ep. 6: The Limits of Diagnosis - Hip Case Part 1
This episode analyzes a complex hip pain case with multiple failed interventions, exploring diagnostic limits and aiming to determine the next steps for effective treatment.
25 Feb 2025
Ep. 5: Buckle Up New Grads!
Physical therapy experts analyze a viewpoint paper offering advice for new graduates, discussing key takeaways and providing additional guidance for navigating the profession.
18 Feb 2025
Ep. 4: Debriefing CSM Annual Conference
Li-Zandre and Tyler share their experiences and takeaways from the APTA Combined Sections Meeting in Houston, discussing recommendations and the direction of physical therapy as a profession.
11 Feb 2025
Ep. 3: The "Matter" of Tendon
The hosts discuss a recent paper on chronic tendinopathy, exploring case examples and when specific interventions become crucial for overall tendon health.
4 Feb 2025
Ep. 2: Bias in Healthcare (The good, the bad and the ugly)
This episode explores medical bias, revealing how clinicians can use flexible profiling as a valuable tool while acknowledging its potential pitfalls, referencing Dr. Robert Brandt's work.
31 Jan 2025
Ep 1: Students...Prepare yourselves
This episode prepares prospective Doctor of Physical Therapy students for the expectations and standards of DPT programs before and after admission.
26 Jan 2025
Welcome to Simply Robust!
The hosts introduce Simply Robust, a podcast designed for physical therapists, outlining their plans to discuss topics, cases, and literature relevant to students and clinicians.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
19,926
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
23
Social presence
0
YouTube
72
Engagement
0
Host of Simply Robust?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
