Episode 52 – Hugh Murray, Part 1: Getting Mechanical Training Into Our PT Schools and Gaining Patient Loyalty

Hugh Murray, PT, Dip MDT

Hugh Murray, PT, Dip. MDT, received his degree in Physical Therapy from West Virginia University in 1976. He attended the Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hayward, CA in 1979. He received his Diploma in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy from the McKenzie Institute International in 1991. He is presently in private practice in Charleston, WV with CPT Physical Therapy Specialists, Inc. a McKenzie Certified Clinic. He actively evaluates and treats patients, consults with industry, performs Functional Capacity Evaluations and consults with Work Hardening. CPT is in its 24th year of service to the Tri-State area.

Show Notes

Personal Background

   Hugh offers he is a christian and born and raised in West Virginia and went to physical therapy school at West Virginia University graduating in 1976.

Professional Background

   He began his clinical work in cardiac rehab and found it to be very boring.  He began his interest in manual therapy in Maitland, Cyriax and Kaltenborn training.  He was introduced to Robin Mckenzie while in training through a Kaiser program in California and initially was very impressed with his confidence and his ability to identify the major issue early on.

   Hugh practiced in a physician-owned clinic with his new training and over time and through the support from a particular physician friend, Dr. Tom Scott, he broke out into private practice.  During these years he spent some time teaching in the McKenzie Institute and was on the board of directors for the institute for some time as well.  He was appointed chairman of the board of the Canada chapter.  He’s returned to teaching for the institute for the past 7 years.  He also has been involved in teaching at Ohio University in their PT program teaching part A, a part A and B at Daemen College and a part A at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. 

   Hugh believes there are barriers of getting Mechanical Diagnosis & Therapy into entry level PT programs one of which is that their faculty is comfortable in the way they’ve been trained prior and it’s uncomfortable to be challenged.  As a private practice owner, Hugh offers his observations as to what helps him retain clients and gain more patients include: wearing a name tag, giving every patient his business card, literature like treat your own back all contribute to solidify retention of patients and make the current and past patients to become proactive advocates for him and his practice.  Other processes like a follow up call at 3 months and 1 year after their discharge helps to head off any concerns and many times leads to a new patient problem.

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