Why Physical Therapists Believe Weird Things with CDR Mark Riebel

MOPs & MOEs is proudly sponsored by Teamworks — the performance operations platform trusted by elite military units and professional sports organizations worldwide. Teamworks brings your scheduling, communications, athlete monitoring, and readiness data into one unified system — so your leaders stay informed, your people stay connected, and your unit stays ready. No more scattered spreadsheets or missed messages. Just one platform built for organizations where performance is the mission. Learn more at teamworkstactical.comWe are also supported by TrainHeroic — the coaching and programming platform built for strength and conditioning coaches who train serious athletes. Whether you're programming for a military unit, a tactical team, or individual athletes, TrainHeroic gives you the tools to build and deliver professional training programs, track athlete progress, and communicate directly with your people — all through one app. Your athletes get world-class programming on their phone; you get the visibility to actually coach them. Start your free trial at trainheroic.comWhy Physical Therapists Believe Weird Things — Commander Mark RiebelNuclear submarine officer turned PT for Marine Raiders. This week Drew and Alex sit down with Commander Mark Riebel to talk therapeutic skepticism, why smart people believe dubious things, and what the research actually says about the modalities that dominate clinical practice.What we get into:Confirmation bias in the clinic — why providers remember the wins and discount the losses, and how that quietly keeps bad interventions alive longer than they deserve.The fiduciary vs. the crypto salesman — two models of patient care, and why putting the patient in charge of their own pain is both better medicine and better therapy.Dry needling, cupping, scraping, foam rolling, therapeutic ultrasound, KT tape — what the evidence actually shows, what's placebo, and why that distinction matters more than most providers want to admit.Citation for the discussion of treatment effects vs placebo and other factors: Ezzatvar, Yasmin, et al. "Which portion of physiotherapy treatments’ effect is not attributable to the specific effects in people with musculoskeletal pain? A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials." journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy 54.6 (2024): 391-399.Trigger points, PRI, FMS, pose method — a tour through the tribes of physical therapy and how to think critically about any system that markets itself as the answer.The Future Sailor Preparatory Course — what it looks like, why it matters, and an honest conversation about the physical readiness of the recruiting pool.Weighted pull-ups post bicep repair, rear foot elevated split squats, and John's admirable hamstring appreciation — the after party delivers.Mentioned in this episode:Mark specifically recommended this ESPN video for a discussion of how nocebic language affects healthcare outcomesTherapeutic Skepticism — APTA talk by Mark Riebel and colleaguesCunningham's Law — the best way to get an answer on the internet is not to ask the question, it's to post a wrong answerBarbell Medicine — referenced on pesticide/produce misinformation researchFuture Sailor Preparatory Course — modeled off the Army's Future Soldier Preparatory CourseArmy Baylor — where Mark completed his DPTWest Point Sports Medicine Fellowship — where Mark learned to critically analyze research rather than chase magic tricksCharles Vogel, The Art of Community — former podcast guest, on how social spaces are engineered against genuine connectionLong and Strong — the Mops and Moes training program on TrainHeroic → https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/team/leg-tuck-nation?attrib=565490-web Views expressed are those of the speakers and do not represent any official organization.