06/22/2026
The other day, I was treating a patient with shoulder pain and had her show me the movement that was painful. We did an exercise, and then I had her repeat that same movement.
Voila! the pain was gone.
She looked at me and said: “I’ve never had someone test and then retest after an intervention to see if there was a change.”
That comment stuck with me.
As physical therapists, we should be testing and retesting. Rather than handing out generic exercises and hoping they help, we should be using a patient’s response to guide treatment in real time.
Did the exercise help?
Did symptoms change?
Did movement improve?
If the answer is yes, great! We’ve learned something.
If the answer is no, that’s valuable information too.
Every patient is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. Testing and retesting helps us tailor treatment to the individual instead of relying on a cookie-cutter approach.
Let’s raise the standard for what high-quality care looks like.
