It is the time of year for much rejoicing. College football started in Austin this past Labor Day weekend against the Rice Owls. Yes, these are the Owls that are known more for their marching band (the Marching Owl Band, or MOB) than they are for their stellar football program.

With that said, there were a lot of unknowns for the University of Texas coming into this game. Most of the practices have been closed to the media and public. The Longhorns now have two new offensive coordinators (Bryan Harsin and Major Applewhite) and a new defensive coordinator (Manny Diaz). Gone are Greg Davis – he of the oppressively stagnant offensive game plans – and Will Muschamp – long departed for the Florida Gators. Either the coaches didn’t want to show the world all the good stuff they have in store for us this season, or they didn’t want to show us how bad this team is this year.

After last season, either option would be a possibility.

Read more...

President Kennedy’s “Man On The Moon” address to Congress on May 25, 1961 probably sounded like a far-fetched idea to many. How could it not? Putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade must have sounded like a crazy idea at best.

But as we all know, the glimmer of an idea that started with the X-15 program in 1959 was made a reality on July 21, 1969 when Neil Armstrong walked on the surface of the moon. As it turns out, Kennedy’s vision had months to spare.

Right now, we have another seemingly far-fetched goal in front of us: health care reform. I think that the powers-that-be would do well to learn some lessons from NASA. Here are nine lessons to consider.

Read more...

The time has finally come. It’s September 1, 2011 – the day that Rhubarb goes video. Ruminations on video may be Rudimentary at first, but I am sure that they will eventually be … Remarkable? Robust? Radical? Just plain Revolutionary?

First things first. I like to simplify my world. As much as possible at least. With that in mind, I am going to officially remove two syllables from my writing world. The Rhubarb Ruminations – in the spirit of simplicity – will now become the Rhubarb Report. I mean, how many people really have any idea what Ruminations really are? Sure, it sounds clever but let’s bring it back to basics. If a Report is good enough for Stephen Colbert, then I suspect it’s probably good enough for me. Just keep the hard “T” at the end. But it will always have that true Rhubarb flavor – you know, a little tart, with a hard “T”

So after 21 episodes of Rumination, let’s get this Report started. 

Read more...

There are those that propose that Mechanical Diagnosis And Therapy – otherwise known as MDT or the McKenzie Method – is somehow an incomplete approach to assessment and treatment, especially when it comes to athletes and sports injuries. I have had clinicians ask me, “What do I do when McKenzie doesn’t work?” I have had clinicians tell me that MDT “leaves some things on the table”. I have had clinicians tell me that “it doesn’t address [insert obscure irrelevant minutiae here]”. Unfortunately, I hear these claims in the sports medicine community on a regular basis.

As one of about 350 clinicians worldwide that have attained the highest level of training in the McKenzie Method, there is no doubt in my mind that MDT is a comprehensive, athlete-centered and exercise-based approach to the care of musculoskeletal injuries in sport. With that said, here are 7 reasons why MDT is the future of sports medicine and what makes it appealing to clinicians, athletes, and coaches alike.

Read more...