In this episode of The Spine PT Podcast, we’re blending two of the most powerful tools I use in rehab:
The OMNI Scale (0–10 RPE), and
The Traffic Light Pain System.
Too often, we either underdose or overdose our back pain patients — especially when symptoms linger and confidence is shaky. And without a clear system, it’s easy to keep yo-yo’ing between pushing too hard… or not pushing at all.
In this episode, I’ll show you how I blend these tools to build trust, scale loading, and help patients get stronger while getting out of pain.
Why “training hard enough” means physical + mental effort, especially early in rehab
How to use the OMNI Scale to find each patient’s challenge threshold
How to use the Traffic Light System to track symptoms before, during, and after training
Why RPE 2–3 might be the perfect place to start — and how to safely build toward RPE 6–8
What to do if symptoms stay in the yellow zone for >48 hrs (and when to adjust)
A real 8-week deadlift progression that brought one of my sciatica patients from pain to power
This episode is especially useful if you’re:
Tired of guessing how hard to push your patients
Looking for ways to bridge rehab and strength without flaring symptoms
Wanting a simple, visual framework to teach patients that “hurt ≠ harm”
What You’ll Learn:
Why “training hard enough” means physical + mental effort, especially early in rehab
How to use the OMNI Scale to find each patient’s sweet spot for challenge
How to use the Traffic Light System to track symptoms before, during, and after rehab &/or training
Why RPE 2–3 might be the perfect place to start for certain patients (esp chronic pain) and how to safely build toward RPE 6–8
How I used the OMNI + traffic light during an 8-week deadlift exercise progression that helped a patient completely rehab acute sciatica and deadlifting for the first time pain free.
This episode is especially useful if you’re:
Tired of guessing how hard to push your patients or how much "back off"
Looking for ways to bridge rehab and strength without flaring symptoms
Wanting a simple, visual framework to teach patients that “hurt ≠ harm”
Click here to learn about The Low Back Pain Intensive