For a runner in today's world, there are countless issues making an appearance in discussions, magazines, and clinics. Many of them focus on running mechanics. Is there a best way to run? Is there not? Should you be a heel striker or mid-foot striker? Is there a benefit to running in a minimalist shoe? Should you run barefoot? The list of burning questions goes on and on and on.
All of these questions focus on issues "below the waist". But the answers don't lie there as we might think. Improving your running mechanics may in fact have little to do with your lower body.
The solutions lie in - the arms? What makes the arms such an important tool in running mechanics?
It is now time to take a deep breath. Whew. Week one of the NCAA men's basketball tournament is officially over. If 2 nights and 4 full days of basketball isn't exhausting, I am not sure just what is.
I think that there really should be a new ICD-9 code established for MMS - March Madness Syndrome. It is a seasonal affliction that presents with a number of hallmark signs and symptoms. Those affected by MMS have buttock discomfort associated with prolonged sitting, a subconscious ability to recite RPI rankings and scoring statistics, eyes dilated from prolonged viewing, and a sense of hangover-like symptoms the day after an extended viewing period without having consumed an ounce of alcohol.
Fortunately, the intervention for MMS is simple: more basketball - at least for a couple more weekends. There will be plenty of time after April 8 to recover.
The latest episode of the Rhubarb Report celebrates two of the reasons that make March such a great month - college basketball and the beginning of a new Formula One season. Enjoy!
In Parts I and II of this series, we took a little journey into the world of low back pain. As you look at the signs along the road, you come to realize that the low back pain paradox is reflective of the greater woes of the health care system as a whole. As I mentioned in Part I - as goes low back pain, so goes health care.
Solutions, however, oftentimes look more like a quilt of short-term patches more so than real systemic and cultural change. A little of this, a little of that, but no guiding foundational principles.
With that in mind, let's begin with one of the most important principles: the patient must be at the center of the equation. Solutions lie in the phrase "patient-centered care", not in political agendas or turf wars. If we then use science-based clinical guidelines as a framework for the low back pain paradox, then we stand to create a culture of patient-centered solutions. So what does this framework look like?
March Madness. Survive and advance. One play at a time. Protect the basketball. Defend and rebound.
These are more than just over-used phrases that make an annual appearance in March. They truly epitomize the "in the moment, right here, right now" mentality that pervades the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
March Madness is more than just excitement, upsets, and drama. It is about college athletes, their passion for the sport of basketball, and the opportunity to play on the big stage. And it is definitely a spectacle to behold, a microcosm of life itself.
After a weekend's worth of hoops - including a couple of days at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin watching second and third round games - I was reminded yet again of how special this month really is.
I can remember a time not so long ago when only the crazy, hard-core runners would do a marathon. In that same fleeting memory, I can remember a time when only the crazy, hard-core triathletes would do an Ironman. Neither of these was something a sedentary person would even consider, much less put on their bucket list.
Oh, how times have changed. Here we are now in 2013, living in a world in which you can't throw a stone without hitting a marathon or Ironman finisher. In the same breath, however, the incidence of obesity is rising. Somehow there seems to be a growing chasm between the two.
What is going on here?
In Part I of this series, I discussed a few of the reasons that make low back pain such a paradox in health care. The scientific research clearly indicates a disconnect in the health care world - a disconnect between commonly-held beliefs about low back pain, and the evidence that refutes them.
When 97% of low back pain patients present with "mechanical low back pain" - with the majority of those having no specific patho-anatomical diagnosis - we are forced to re-consider the context in which we view the problem itself. This is the only way that we will find solutions and not just stop-gap measures to satisfy the status quo.
So with solutions as our goal, let's take the next step in understanding the paradox. We'll carry on from patient access, head into assessment, and end up with the utilization of services once the patient has access to care.
March 15 is a day to rejoice and revel in the beauty of great music. Why today? Because March 15 is the birthday of one of the greatest slide guitar players the world has known - and one of the musicians who has had a great impact on my personal world.
His name is Ry Cooder. For many, that will prompt the next question: who?
Sure, I will admit, it might come across as just another obscure musical reference. That wouldn't surprise me.
But here's a little-known fact: Cooder was rated the #8 guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. He resides in the top 10 with Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page, and Keith Richards. That's some impressive company.
Ry Cooder brought slide guitar front and certain in my world. He exposed me to a rich and eclectic mix of musical genres. Perhaps most importantly, he reminded me of the incredible capacity of one note to bring a person to tears, to joy, and all points in between.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.