Managing incidental MRI findings in athletes: focus on functional deficits and patient education (mikereinold.com)

• Correlate MRI findings with clinical exam; incidental findings are common in overhead athletes.
• Address patient anxiety through education and reassurance; avoid creating fear-avoidance.
• Focus treatment on functional deficits (strength, ROM, workload) rather than structural pathology.

"This podcast episode addresses how to treat an athlete with a 'scary' MRI (e.g., partial rotator cuff tear, labral fray) but a relatively normal clinical exam. Clinicians discuss strategies to avoid over-protecting the athlete, addressing anxiety, and focusing on functional deficits like strength, range of motion, and workload management. The key message is to treat the athlete, not the image, and to consider that structural abnormalities are common in asymptomatic overhead athletes."