The SumMARY Podcast

In this episode of The Summary, we welcome Dr. Casey Madura, section chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Dr. Madura shares his expertise about neurosurgical treatments for spasticity in children and adults. He focuses on selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) and other emerging surgical options.

Together, they break down why and when spasticity is treated. They also discuss how SDR works, and why early intervention—combined with intensive rehabilitation—can reduce pain, improve mobility and limit future orthopedic surgeries. Dr. Madura explains patient selection and ideal timing. He also emphasizes the crucial role family commitment plays in long-term outcomes.

The conversation explores alternatives like baclofen pumps, palliative dorsal and ventral rhizotomies and peripheral neurotomies—highlighting the benefits, limitations and decisions behind each approach.

Watch Now

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Abena Tannor—a leading physiatrist, sports and exercise rehabilitation physician and global health expert. Dr. Tannor shares her powerful journey as Ghana’s first PM&R and sports, exercise and rehabilitation medicine physician. She’s a dedicated trailblazer who’s shaping the future of rehabilitation care in her country every day. As a World Health Organization rehabilitation consultant and member of the Ghana Olympic Committee, Dr. Tannor offers a look at the realities of building a PM&R Residency Program in Ghana from the ground up. She candidly discusses the challenges of grassroots program development and navigating socioeconomic barriers within the health care system.

Dr. Tannor paints a vivid picture of Ghana’s medical landscape—addressing stigma surrounding individuals with disabilities, the current state of access to rehabilitation services and the critical need for sustainable rehab infrastructure. She shares what keeps her motivated on the hardest days and her hopeful vision for the future of physiatry and rehabilitation in Ghana. This inspiring conversation highlights resilience, leadership and the power of rehabilitation to restore dignity, function and hope.

Watch Now

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Jean Woo from Baylor College of Medicine and Dr. Bei Zhang from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center—two leading physiatrists and brain injury specialists—as they take us inside the complex world of disorders of consciousness (DoC). They break down how clinicians identify and support patients across the DoC spectrum, from coma and unresponsive wakefulness to minimally conscious states. Through tools like the Coma Recovery Scale–Revised (CRS-R), detailed bedside observation and personally meaningful stimuli, they show how even the smallest responses can reveal unexpected awareness. Drs. Woo and Zhang emphasize a powerful principle: always assume patients can hear, see and understand, even when they don’t appear to be conscious at all. They also dig into barriers to rehabilitation access and close the episode with a thoughtful exploration of the “disability paradox.”

Watch Now