We hear the phrases bantered about by physical therapists, lobbyists, and legislators alike: unfettered direct access, restricted direct access, and many other state-dependent variations on a similar theme.

There is oftentimes much rejoicing when physical therapists gain some "degree" of access for consumers. Celebrations take place in the streets. The proclamations of "another state with patient access" can be heard resounding through the valleys.

But there is a significant difference between access - and permission.

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We The People.

These are the epochal first three words of the US Constitution – a work of not only political significance but also containing tremendous individual and global significance.

With that said, there is a lot of talk amongst the political parties – both conservative and liberal, right and left – about the Constitution these days. There seems to have been a barrage of hyperbole in this election cycle about how the government or any given political party is straying further and further away from the Constitution, and how we as a country might remedy that ill.

Claims like that certainly shouldn’t be taken lightly on any day. But today – Constitution Day - it becomes more readily apparent. No, it is not just another Hallmark Day. Today is a day to reflect on the US Constitution, its significance, and how we should not let politicians play frivolously with its wording and intent.

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Each of us, injured or not, has a daily struggle against gravity. Fortunately for us, we adapt to the demands imposed upon us, assuming we are in an environment (cellular and metabolic) in which we can do so.

Our capacity, our load tolerance, fluctuates as a function of both training and de-training. Daily. Humans are very dynamic in this process.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems in the world of injury recovery is the blatant ignorance of some simple principles that govern life on planet earth.

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The dog days of summer are over, and September is now well and truly upon us. With that comes some new beginnings – school, college football, and cooler weather in Austin – maybe. With it also comes new endings - the Republican and Democratic National Conventions are now just a thing of the past – fortunately.

I suspect we can all take a deep sigh of relief for both.

This episode of the Rhubarb Report brings a mix of beginnings and endings from sport and politics.

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