March Madness just won’t feel the same without the Longhorns this year.

No, the teams haven’t been selected yet. According to my calendar, we are still 36 days from the Big 12 tournament, let alone the Big Dance itself. It’s only January, right?

I may be completely wrong, but I project the Longhorns for the NIT at best, if not an early departure to the off-season. The closest thing that the Horns have to a “signature” win is a victory over Temple – who then went on to beat (at the time) #5 Duke. Otherwise, the signature of this team is … well, 31 seconds.

The last 31 seconds of last night’s loss against Missouri summed up the whole season.

Read more...

It was once noted that "every problem contains within itself the seeds of its own solution". With that astute quote in mind, I present to you low back pain: the poster child of all of the health care system's woes and harsh realities.

A total of 31 million Americans experience low back pain at any given point in time. Low back pain affects about 80% of the population at one time or another. If you had those odds in Las Vegas, you would be making a lot of money. Quickly, I might add.

Low back pain also represents the #5 reason for all physician visits, and the second most common symptomatic reason (1,3). The scope and magnitude of the problem is significant. The estimated cost of back pain in the US exceeds $170 billion annually. Yes, billion. That puts it in the same category fiscally as hypertension and diabetes.

It doesn't take the crew of Apollo 13 to establish that yes, Houston, we do have a problem here. It is a problem that is reflective of the woes of the health care system. As goes low back pain, so goes health care costs.

Low back pain is a paradox that contains within itself the seeds of its own solution. But we need to learn from the lessons of 20+ years of spine research – and we need to do so as soon as possible. Let’s start with what may sound like the most basic of questions for patients, clinicians, and legislators: what is low back pain?

Read more...

Martin Luther King, Jr’s dream was – and is – the American Dream. And the roots of the American Dream can be found in the epic document that is the Declaration of Independence. If ever there was a work that had a profound cultural impact, the Declaration of Independence would be that work.

It amazes me how little people know – or perhaps even care – about the Declaration Of Independence or the Constitution. Unfortunately, many politicians use these important words out of context in order to get a good sound bite to gain a vote or two or 10,000.

With rights come responsibilities, and that has a direct impact on government and its ability to represent the people of this country effectively. The State Of The Union as we know it right now is simple: Democrats and Republicans alike are refusing to solve the problems of the people and the union, putting greater emphasis on their deeply-held beliefs about party politics and the economic impact with special interest groups.

Read more...

It is a common phrase in the world of physical therapy education: you need to have more tools in your toolbox. Frankly, the phrase drives me crazy.

Clinicians learn to use a lot of tools. This isn't exclusive to physical therapy - far from it. Chiropractors, physicians, physical therapists - regardless of clinician, they all learn to utilize a broad range of tools in the care of various clinical conditions.

But what gets lost in the mix is the toolbox - the place you store all your tools and the process of reasoning used to select the correct tool. This becomes all the more readily apparent when discussing MDT (Mechanical Diagnosis And Therapy) with clinicians and students alike.

MDT is the toolbox - not the tools.

Read more...