How a specialization in orthopedic and musculoskeletal physical therapy helped Paul Mintken take his career and patient care to the Next Level.
As a former rugby player, several knee injuries that required surgery forced Paul Mintken to go to physical therapy, inspiring him to eventually become a physical therapist himself. “In PT school I fell in love with the neurological system and I thought I wanted to work with patients who had spinal cord injuries,” he says.
Although he loved the work, it hit a little too close to home, as he was working with patients who were catastrophically injured doing the kinds of things that he loved to do—like playing rugby, riding motorcross bike and cliff diving. “I realized at that time that I wasn’t really emotionally equipped to do that work,” he says. “So I dove into outpatient orthopedics and musculoskeletal and I haven’t looked back,” he adds.
Mintken says that advanced education through Evidence in Motion (EIM) helped him approach each patient with a deep understanding of how complex the musculoskeletal system is—as well as the individual sitting in front of him during each patient visit. “The approach we use (at EIM) is really deeply seated in that biopsychosocial model that tells us that you can’t really separate the mind from the body—so if the mind is not healthy, the body will suffer and vice versa.”
“It really is incorporating current best evidence, which shows us that multimodal intervention—using some hands-on treatment—as well as exercise and patient education, leads to the ultimate best outcome for your patients,” says Mintken. Now a consultant with EIM who helps shape the curriculum, Mintken is also a professor at Hawaii Pacific University.
Mintken is extremely grateful for the education he received through EIM and is proud to be helping to shape the curriculum, which he says is based on current best evidence. His advice for other PTs looking to make a change? Embrace the importance of lifelong learning and adaptability and learn to take care of yourself so you can take care of your patients.
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