An Interview with Traci Reindle
Old school Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist from the trenches
Hi Traci! My readers are so happy that I have an article that's not all about me!
You and I met in '95, working at a big therapy clinic. We were in our 20's! You started out as an Athletic Trainer, and then went back to school to finish your Doctorate in Physical Therapy, is that correct? Tell us about your college history and your time playing basketball.
It feels like an eternity ago!! We were young and dumb, but knew how to have fun!!
My college history reflects that I couldn't decide what I wanted to be when I grew up (still trying to figure that one out!) I grew up in NJ, but followed my folks out to NM which was their retirement destination. I wanted to be close to Mom and Dad, which is a little weird, but Mom, Dad and I were thick as thieves along with my 3 sisters. I went to NMSU as an undergraduate and followed my first love by "walking onto" the women’s basketball team where I made it, and due to an unfortunate injury for the starting point guard ("blown out" knee), I was able to take her place!
In high school, I broke my thumb the summer of my senior year. We had an athletic trainer (back in the days when athletic trainers were a rare entity in high school sports,) John Locke (who we affectionately nicknamed "Ollie" after the character in Hoosiers) who helped me rehab back from my injury. My undergrad degree was in athletic training because I wanted to be just like Ollie; to take care of athletes and to make a difference in their lives.
I then pursued a masters degree at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) in exercise science. This came about mostly because of another athletic trainer, Ellen Epping, who took care of me as an athlete at NMSU. She accepted a position at EIU as an assistant athletic trainer, called me up one day and said, "hey, you can earn a Master's Degree "for free" as long as you work for an orthopedic surgeon - he'll pay for school." So, that decision took about 10 seconds. I hopped into my beat-up little Nissan, made the trip to Illinois, returned a year later with my Master's degree, my first marathon under my belt, all while being debt free!!! I returned home to Las Cruces, worked a bit as an athletic trainer in a privately owned PT practice, made some poor life decisions, left dodge and started a new life, in where else? Alamogordo, NM!! Where I met you, Mike, and a lot of other people who have had a profound impact on my life.
Well, the school bug hit again, and after 8 years in Alamogordo, I made the leap to pursue PT school. That decision was sort of an involved story as well, but suffice it to say, I figured I was working in a PT clinic/wellness center, I might as well be a PT! So, 3 years later, $65,000.00 in debt (which by today's standards is nothing!), I left UNM with my master's degree in PT. I guess that wasn't good enough for me, so a few years later, I completed a transitional doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) from AT Still University in AZ. It was an online program. The only time I set foot in AZ was to collect my degree and escaped with only about $15,000.00 in debt. So, you can easily say, I was once a professional student! Lately, life has been my most profound teacher...
What are you most passionate about in physical therapy?
There are a lot of areas of passion for me in physical therapy. I think we are blessed in our profession that there are so many different areas we can pursue. Pediatrics, orthopedics, geriatrics, wound care, neurology, sports medicine and the list goes on. We can really make a difference in a person's quality of life in multiple areas. My most current passion/setting has been home care. There aren't a lot of settings (in any medical profession) that allows for one on one time with a patient for 45 minutes to an hour or more at once!! When is the last time your primary care provider spent 45-60 minutes with you? Sometimes, for 2-3 times per week?!! For a month or two at a time?? I consider it a huge honor, that a person allows me into their home, allows me to make suggestions on how that said person can remain living in that home safely for as long as they are able, plus get to interact with family members/friends to help that person reach their goals. On the flip side, I have seen plenty of sad stories, where I wonder, how a person living in the United States of America in 2023, could do so under such conditions? My "job" allows me to be reflective and grateful for all of my blessings in my own life, and also allows me to reflect on how I would like my "Golden Years" to look and feel...that's another topic...
What do you dislike most about the medical profession?
My current gripe, which you touched upon on one of your blogs, is the lack of easy access to medical care. I have had patients (myself included) have to wait to establish care with a primary care provider for months and months at a time. And then to try to get a referral to a specialist is another 6 month waiting game! Well, by that time, I could be dead!! And, lawmakers wonder why emergency rooms are now being utilized as primary care facilities? There's nowhere else to go!! Also, the state of health insurance is a mess. Employers and employees both contribute lots and lots of money into "plans," for substandard care (in my humble opinion.) Also, you almost need a graduate degree (or 3 or 4) to understand your plan - what exactly is covered and when? Trying to dissect an explanation of benefits (EOB) form also requires an understanding that an average patient probably does not have.
If you had a magic wand?
I would encourage lawmakers, parents, schools to focus WAY more on prevention vs treatment and promotion of longevity of life vs quality of life. Kids and adults need to be way more active than we are as a means of preventing chronic health issues and improving quality of life. And when health issues do occur, to have honest conversations with patients. If, as an 83 year old patient, I am diagnosed with brain and lung cancer, maybe there should be a conversation about focusing on the remaining life you have vs pursuing chemo/radiation other medical treatments. I think most physicians are trained to keep patients alive at all possible cost and oftentimes don't have these honest, albeit difficult conversations with their people. Also, Westerners as a rule, need to become more comfortable and accepting of death and dying. We're all gonna do it one day, might as well embrace the fact, do the best we can while we're here, and move on as gracefully as possible
What are your favorite things to do when not on the job?
Hiking and being out in nature are my favorite things to do when not working. I try to get my patients outside as much as possible because I think Mother Nature has significant healing properties, way more than what I can offer! I also enjoy spending time with my family, the love of my life, and one day, a canine friend or 2 or 50. My heart still aches after losing our dog last year.
There are new theories on weight loss, and some people who are overweight and trying to run, may be making things worse, due to stress response and cortisol. Any thoughts on that?
That's where we can come in as physical therapy experts. We can educate our patients that there may be safer and more effective ways for weight loss vs running on already overloaded joints while also trying not to squash their enthusiasm and efforts. Weight loss can have such a profound impact on all body systems, so efforts should be encouraged, but with sound science and techniques as mainstays of their program.
In your career, what is the % of people who are successful at weight loss, following the medical rhetoric? What do you think people should focus on? Or not?
I would estimate about 5-10% success rate and possibly associated with a threat or bribe i.e. "if you don’t lose 50 pounds, I'm not going to give you a new knee." That seems to motivate people more than "if you don't lose 50 pounds your risk of heart attack, stroke, early death increases two-fold." Pain can be a great motivator!! I have seen patients where bariatric surgery has been lifesavers for them, but with significant risks involved. It is easy for me to say people should focus on moving more throughout the day, make healthier nutritional choices, limit processed foods/sugars, but weight loss is such a multi-faceted issue, it's difficult to make blanket statements for each individual.
What do you think people should focus on concerning their health?
Trying to find a balance which includes: moving enough, eating well, finding ways to promote excellent sleep, hygiene, staying socially, mentally and emotionally engaged, finding a purpose greater than you and remembering the Golden Rule. That's quite a list, and difficult to achieve on a daily basis, but in my observation, those that are able to include most of these areas in their lives, seem to be the happiest of folks.
What are the most common problems that you see among patients, that could be avoided?
In my current role as a home health PT, I unfortunately see a lot of folks who have incurred falls with associated negative sequelae. We should be encouraging our patients, friends, loved ones to include balance specific challenges in their regular exercise routines (or, in many cases, start an exercise routine!) Tai Chi is the way to go!! And, as mentioned before, we as a society, just need to move more period!
Final thoughts? Expressions of outrage?
My path to the profession of Physical Therapy has been sort of a long winding journey, but I do feel blessed to have landed here. Sure, there are many challenges associated with the profession, being caught up in the gargantuan, oftentimes dysfunctional medical system, but I still feel PT's can have such a profound, positive impact on the people we meet. There's nothing better than reflecting on a day knowing that because of your efforts, a person is in less pain, or can move better, or can stay in their home, or can walk again. It still truly is a helping profession!