“All that we really need to solve the problems of our society is more people engaging in short form discourse on their behalf on the internet and social media.”
~ Said no one ever
“Come on children, you’re acting like children
Every generation thinks it’s the end of the world
All you fat followers, get fit fast
Every generation thinks it’s the last, thinks it’s the end of the world.”
~ Jeff Tweedy
I have been thinking about starting this blog for some time now but I keep starting and then stopping myself. The motivation is there but a moral question is looming. What good or, more importantly, what harm can come from publishing your thoughts on the internet for all to see? Why even bother asking this question when you are perfectly free to do it? Do I really suppose that enough people will even happen by these words that any impact could be worth consideration? Taking the pause to answer these questions could be futile but my nature does not allow me to proceed without acknowledging this dilemma. Call me overanalytical and neurotic if you must (you wouldn’t be the first) but I can’t just start any project, no matter how obscure, without thinking it through. Words have meaning. Even letters have meaning. I can list a small chunk of the alphabet after my name and hopefully these titles represent something. I would want them to signify an unwavering commitment to truth, acquisition of knowledge and excellence for example. Indeed, everything means something until we use it so carelessly that it doesn’t anymore. And that is exactly what I intend to be conscious of here.
The idea for this blog was developed over the past three years through observations in my physical therapy practice. Unlike past work environments (you know, jobs) I am now fortunate to have supportive and competent administrative help, natural lighting, good equipment, plants everywhere and, above all, an abundance of quiet. It’s really just me in there. Me and my patients and the silence in between. With everything taken care of just so, I am free to listen and what I have heard is the best teacher of all.
There is one recurring theme of particular interest to me. I am continually amazed by what my patients already know. They come in already having tried exercises that they found on TikTok. They tell me exact details about when their tendons should be “healed” according to such and such website. They know that they want to try one type of treatment because a friend/co-worker/doctor/influencer told them that it “fixes” such and such problem. And sometimes they just know that they “have bad ankles” because their mom did too and the doctor said that is just the way it is.
There is a lot to love in this situation. I am glad that people want to be independent. I appreciate that they are self-starters who are motivated to find answers. I love that there are multiple ways to share information and that all are free to do so without censorship. The problem, as I perceive it, is that there is so much information available it’s impossible to know where to donate our attention. Should we do the back exercises in the first blog that comes up or the tenth? Or the two hundred fifty third? Or the ones that Uncle Ron said worked for him? Or the ones that Beyonce does? I know that you know what I mean. Not only is there an overwhelming amount of information available to us but the delivery is quite often too short and completely out of context. What good is a hack or tip without a foundation of knowledge to guide us in knowing where and how to implement it? Depending on the situation, the answer could very possibly be that it is of great benefit. Or it could be misleading, invalidating, confusing or just downright meaningless. It really just depends.
I know that I am not the only one who believes that the chaotic distribution of information is one of the greatest and gravest problems of our time. And such a tremendous problem affords us with an incredible opportunity. Do we deny this problem or retreat into hermitage? Or wallow in it or even carelessly contribute to it? I hope not. I believe that what more of us need to be called to do is to take on as much responsibility as possible, to share the truth, the whole truth and then humble revisions of our truths with careful intention and clarity. So help us God.
The intention of this blog is to shoulder some of that responsibility. I want to share with any readers what I consider to be the fundamentals on injury, healing, pain, and movement. I want to give people a framework for understanding their own bodies that takes the mystery out of deciding what to do to help themselves. I plan for this blog to be straightforward, slow, thorough, honest, unapologetically esoteric at times, and completely lacking in any desire to sell goods or services. I will focus on the topics that come up over and over again in the clinic. The stuff that is timeless enough that it will not go out of style next year or possibly ever. This could be way too much to promise but what I would really like to do is provide the background for anyone such that they never feel the need for an anxious and desperate internet search. Or at least almost never. Does that sound nice? It does to me. I will now get going on my end of the bargain.