Module 1.3: Pattern Recognition: "The Secret Sauce"
In this lesson, I’m going to show you why pattern recognition is the single most important skill that separates calm, confident clinicians from those who get stuck in analysis paralysis during an eval.
If you’ve ever found yourself mid-evaluation with an acute low back pain or sciatica patient thinking,
“I could go PRI… or DNS… or McGill… or maybe McKenzie…”
and suddenly felt completely overwhelmed — you’re not alone. I’ve been there too.
I’ll share a story from one of my own evals where I had all the right knowledge, but because I didn’t yet have pattern recognition, I made a choice that actually caused my patient to flare up and lose trust in PT altogether.
Pattern recognition is what keeps that from happening. It’s what allows you to confidently know what NOT to do, reduce your treatment options down so you that you can make clear, patient-specific decisions without overthinking.
By the end of this video, you’ll know:
Understand what pattern recognition actually is in clinical practice
See how it helps you organize chaos and stay grounded under pressure
Learn how to distinguish experience from actual clinical growth
Get a short reflection exercise to help you define your own non-negotiables for subjective and objective exams
Stick around to the end — you’ll get “clinical success” prompts to help you clarify your current pattern recognition habits before we move into the next lesson tomorrow on lumbar spine mechanics and sensitization.
⏱️TIME STAMP
0:00 – 0:20 | Welcome to the Pattern Recognition section
0:21 – 1:10 | Why pattern recognition matters in acute low back pain
1:11 – 2:15 | The overwhelm every “con-ed junkie” experiences
2:16 – 3:30 | The freedom pattern recognition actually gives you as a clinician
3:31 – 4:45 | My story: when too many options led to a patient flare-up
4:46 – 6:05 | How I learned the hard way what pattern recognition really means
6:06 – 7:15 | Defining pattern recognition: linking symptoms, signs, and history
7:16 – 8:00 | Why experience doesn’t guarantee growth
8:01 – 8:50 | Experience + pattern recognition = clinical mastery
8:51 – 9:40 | The “Clinical Success” reflection exercise
9:41 – 10:30 | Next up: lumbar mechanics, discs, and sensitization for better pattern recognition
P.S Stay tuned for tomorrow's video…
I'll use patient case studies to discuss the functional anatomy of the lumbar spine, discs, and peripheral sensitization that are critical for pattern recognition in both the subjective & objective exam.
p.s If you don't want to wait for the rest of the module 1 videos and would rather get the rest of this LBP course now click here