“An ACL back then was casted for six weeks. Again, that whole shift in treatment philosophy and application was happening, it was happening here in Birmingham. It was fun.” – Kevin Wilk, PT, DPT, FAPTA
Andrews Sports Medicine's Victory Over Injury Podcast Series explores the depths and peels back the layers of the often overlooked and largely unknown side of sports medicine: INJURY - digging into recovery and the mindset it takes to achieve victory over injury.
In episode #2 of Victory Over Injury presented by Andrews Sports Medicine, Dr. Michael K. Ryan takes a special deep dive into the life, career, experience, and wisdom of one of the world’s most-renowned physical therapists, Kevin Wilk.
Kevin Wilk, PT, DPT, FAPTA has led a distinguished career as a clinical physical therapist for the past 35 years. He is also an educator, researcher and leading authority in rehabilitation of sports injuries and orthopaedic lesions.
Kevin has worked with some the world’s most famous athletes, including: Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley, Derek Jeter, Drew Brees, Triple H, John Cena, Scottie Pippen, Tom Watson, Roger Clemens, Mariano Rivera, John Smoltz and Eli Manning, to name a few.
We hope you truly enjoy this interview with the man recognized by many as one of the best physical therapists in the world.
Be sure to follow "Victory Over Injury" wherever you listen to podcasts.
A special thank you to our producer, Ed Hill, and our intern, James Harris, UAB School of Medicine (Class of 2023) for helping make this podcast series possible.
Episode Notes
- 00:04:00 - Growing up in Chicago
- 00:05:13 - Influences that guided him to physical therapy & sports medicine
- 00:09:34 - Education
- 00:11:25 - Meeting Dr. James Andrews & moving to Birmingham, AL
- 00:16:12 - Early years working with Dr. James Andrews
- 00:19:49 - The evolution of treating patients
- 00:24:15 - The psychology of sports-related injuries & recovery
- 00:30:00 - Perturbation training – developing & implementing new ideas in practice
- 00:37:00 - “The Tarzan Factor” – biggest mistakes of athletes during rehab
- 00:39:54 - Taking care of professional athletes
- 00:41:15 - Treatment of Jack Nicklaus
- 00:42:15 - Bo Jackson’s hip injury
- 00:46:35 - Rehabilitation with Drew Brees
- 00:51:18 - Treatment of Jerry Pate
- 00:52:41 - Drew Brees is a practical joker
- 00:57:28 - Relationship with Willie Nelson
- 01:00:15 - Focusing on longevity - Tom Brady, LeBron James, John Smoltz
- 01:03:12 - Young athletes – the importance of time off & playing other sports
- 01:11:03 - Managing concussions
- 01:16:48 - Top 3 recommendations for general rehab & musculoskeletal health
- 01:22:20 - Work & life balance
- 01:25:16 - ASMI research & improving patient care
- 01:26:53 - Biggest failures & lessons learned
- 01:29:00 - A physical therapist’s perspective on return-to-play
- 01:33:53 - Advancements in technology - GPS, sleeves & sensors in braces
- 01:37:50 - Future goals & legacy
- 1:40:12 - Favorite athlete as a kid?
- 1:41:15 - Parting wisdom
