How to Measure Strength in the Clinic - #AMR331

·21 min·2 clips

Manual muscle testing can label someone with 13% shoulder weakness as having perfect strength.

The episode begins with host Mike Reinold introducing the panel, including Kevin Coughlin, Dave Tilley, Diwesh Poudyal, Lenny Macrina, and Jonah Monlock, along with several students. The main question comes from Christine in Florida, asking about the best way to measure strength for an outfielder and how to choose a handheld dynamometer. Mike Reinold opens by explaining why manual muscle testing is insufficient, citing an internal study showing it can miss up to 13% weakness in the shoulder. Dave Tilley shares a clinical example involving a professional Cirque acrobat whose shoulder pain only emerged during extreme maneuvers; dynamometry revealed significant strength deficits that educated the patient and guided rehab. Kevin Coughlin emphasizes the need for standardized testing protocols across a clinic to ensure reliability. Mike Reinold discusses device selection, advising against cheap dynamometers under $300 due to unreliable data from internal comparisons, and recommends models like the Lafayette or MicroFET. Lenny Macrina compares handheld dynamometry to isokinetic machines, noting the latter are the gold standard but less practical due to cost and size. Diwesh Poudyal explains how force plates add value by measuring force production, jump symmetry, and power metrics, providing a more comprehensive athletic profile. Jonah Monlock discusses using isometric mid-thigh pulls to assess force output independent of lifting skill. The episode concludes with Mike Reinold summarizing the clinic's tech stack, combining dynamometers and force plates for affordable, objective data to guide rehab and training decisions.

As heard by us

A practical review of how clinics can make strength testing more consistent and useful.

Clinic strength testing is treated here as a practical measurement problem, not just a matter of having the right tool. The episode keeps returning to the details that can move the numbers clinicians depend on: setup, cues, pressure, and equipment.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want strength and force numbers you can trust before making the next rehab decision.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Ask Mike Reinold Show