CPTJ Podcast Episode 2: Dr. Karlyn J. Green, PT, DPT, OCS, CCS

Today, we’re diving into a topic that sits right at the intersection of safety, performance, and clinical reasoning: assessing cardiac risk before initiating aerobic exercise. Physical therapists are increasingly stepping into roles where they’re the first—or only—providers evaluating a patient before exercise. But how do we ensure we’re doing this safely?

To help us answer that, we’re joined by Karlyn Green, one of the authors of a fascinating scoping review: “Assessing the Risk of a Cardiac Event Before Initiating Aerobic Exercise.” In her work, they combed through more than 1,700 articles to identify what tools clinicians can rely on, what gaps still exist, and how we can stratify risk in a way that’s practical, evidence-based, and accessible.

Whether you treat medically complex patients, work in sports or outpatient care, or you’re simply interested in the future of cardiac safety in rehab, this conversation is packed with insights. 

About Karlyn:
Dr. Green serves as Assistant Professor in Campbell University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Mount St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles in 2008. Dr. Green completed a residency with HealthCare Partners/Kaiser Permanente for orthopedics and a residency with Duke University Hospital for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary conditions receiving specialization in both areas. And is now certified specialist in cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy and orthopedic physical therapy. She is passionate about research that combines the orthopedic and cardiopulmonary disciplines and previous publications include topics such as restrictive lung disease, COVID, and advanced heart failure. She is an active member of the Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy.