ICE Physio

Hump Day Hustling – Weekly Research Summary – Sept 30th, 2026

by | Sep 30, 2026 | Hump Day Hustling

Are the recovery gimmicks worth it? Where is the sweet spot of strength training for longevity? Answers to these questions and more in this weekly edition of Hump Day Hustling. Enjoy, and if you want to dive deeper with the Institute of Clinical Excellence check out our Upcoming Courses and Specialty Certifications!

OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN

Look beyond tissue shape & inflammation

 

The 2026 Nature Reviews Rheumatology article “The Complexity of Pain in Osteoarthritis” highlights that OA pain is not always explained by the amount of joint damage or inflammation alone. The authors describe how inflammation, nervous system sensitivity, psychological and social factors, genetics, and other biological factors can interact to shape a person’s pain experience. They propose that some people have a more complex pain profile, which may help explain why typical OA treatments like weight management, injections, and NSAIDs don’t work equally for everyone.

 

This is a great reminder to look at the whole person and determine which factors are contributing to their unique pain experience. Pain is an ecosystem folks, not the result of an individual factor! 

 

Find this content interesting? Check out our Persistent Pain Course

STRENGTH TRAINING

What is the sweet spot for longevity?

 

This long-running study suggests that 90 to 120 minutes of strength (resistance) training each week may be the ideal range for reducing the risk of death. The research, published online in theBritish Journal of Sports Medicine, followed participants for up to 30 years.
The benefits were even greater when strength training was combined with aerobic exercise (cough cough CROSSFIT). However, researchers found no additional advantage from doing more than 120 minutes of strength training per week. That level of exercise was linked to a 19% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 27% lower risk of death from neurological disease. 

 

Find this content interesting? Check out our Fitness Athlete Certification!

RECOVER MAXXING

Are the bells and whistles worth it? 

 

This new study followed 56 women from 28–30 weeks pregnant to 6 weeks postpartum. It tracked self-reported forgetfulness, distractibility and “autopilot” slips alongside their activity levels and mood.

 

They found women with higher anxiety both during pregnancy and postpartum reported far more cognitive slips than women with lower anxiety. Persistent depressive symptoms were linked to more forgetfulness too. Meeting activity guidelines wasn’t directly tied to fewer slips. But in pregnancy, women who were active saw less of a bump in brain fog as depressive symptoms rose.

 

Clinical pearl: when your pregnant or postpartum patient says “my brain is mush,” don’t just laugh it off as pregnancy brain. Ask about mood and anxiety, screen with something like the EPDS (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), and refer when needed. Keep her moving, too! 

 

Limitations: Small group size, all self-report, and no sleep data

 

Find this content interesting? Check out our Pelvic Certification!

KINESIOPHOBIA

Does exercise actually reduce it?

 

Question: Does therapeutic exercise alone reduces fear of movement in nonspecific chronic LBP. 

 

Short answer: Yes, however: 
  • Exercise therapy alone outperforms standard of care
  • when compared to education alone, education outperforms
  • When compared to combo therapies: no difference 
Limitations: High heterogeneity of interventions, take that into account as you look to apply to your clinical practice! 

 

Find this content interesting? Check out our Persistent Pain Course

MORE ICE PHYSIO FREE CONTENT

Pelvic, Fitness Athlete, Older Adults……

 

Do you love Hump Day Hustling but wish ALL of the content was specific to your specialty and patient population? Well you are one free subscription away from having exactly that! In addition to Hump Day Hustling ICE Physio has specialty evidence based bi weekly updates for fitness athlete, pelvic, and older adult populations, subscribe to any or all of them to keep the curated evidence based goods rolling in: 

 

SPONSOR CORNER: Jane 

Sponsor Corner: Hedge Health 

Going out on your own can feel daunting, thrilling, and a little intimidating all at the same time. To help ease some of these big feelings, Jane put together a New Practice Guide to support practitioners who are starting, or thinking about starting their own business.

 

Here are 3 key takeaways for new business owners:

 

  • The planning phase is longer than you expect
  • Licensing, insurance, choosing the right location, and getting your systems in place will almost always take more time than you think, so build a buffer into your timeline from the start.
  • Take some time to think about your billing model
  • There isn’t a “right” model. Just make sure you understand what it means for your administrative workload and your cash flow before you choose.
  • Clinical excellence is a key marketing strategy
  • If you’re giving your patients an experience so good they can’t stop talking about it, you’re well on your way to building a great marketing plan. 
For more tips and insights from practitioners who’ve been where you are now, check out the New Practice Guide. If you’d like to learn more about how Jane, a practice management software and EMR, can help with the admin side of clinic life, feel free to book a demo with the team. 

 

And for those who are ready to take the next step, use the code ICEPT2MO for a 2-month grace period on your new account. 

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