Using HumanTrak to take the guess work out of performance assessments

Dr. Nadia Jones is a Physical Therapist and Co-owner of Physiolete Therapy and Performance in Alabama.

Nadia graduated from The University of South Alabama with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2016, completing a sports residency at The University of Alabama’s Recreation Center and passing her sports specialty exam in 2017.

Through her experience and knowledge base, Nadia aims to keep clients achieving quality outcomes and staying in the game.

How do you use HumanTrak as part of your performance assessment?

I like to use HumanTrak as a pre-participation exam, to see if clients are “ready” for their respective sport.

So I use the HumanTrak prior to performing barbell lifting assessments to help guide me in what I may see with functional lifts.

I also like to use it mid/late in physical therapy for a progress note as the HumanTrak helps me spot objectives that I can’t see with my own eyes.

How long does an assessment normally take and is it something you charge for separately?

The HumanTrak usually takes me about 15 minutes to complete.

Then I usually spend an additional 5-15 minutes educating clients on their metrics.

I charge about 1-2 units of therapeutic activity depending on the amount of time I spend educating a client, taking them through a movement, and issuing homework to improve deficits.

What sports/activity do you provide assessments for and do you do different tests depending on the sport?

I tailor the tests I use based on the client.

If they are a lower extremity dominant athlete, like a soccer player, I don’t always do the upper-body tests.

For most of my golfers, basketball players, Olympic lifters, and general PT patients I usually choose a wide array of assessments. 

What is the client experience with HumanTrak, does the visualisation help to engage them with their program/rehab?

I think seeing the pictures with the objective is super helpful for clients.

The numbers sometimes help them to “see” things that they’ve never noticed before–this holds true for myself!

It also allows us to set goals for the next HumanTrak assessment if we use it for a progress note or other form of re-assessment.