A laser limerick: “Lasers in physical therapy are silly”
Limericks are basically old-timey memes. Here’s one by Physical Therapist JW Matheson, which he wrote for a Tweet about my laser therapy article:
Lead Physical Therapist appeared in a Navy BlazerSaid this patient’s MSK condition warranted a laserPew, pew, cold laser beamAm I living in a dream?Stunned from that PhaserLasers in PT are silly
🤣 I’ve included this my the laser therapy article, because of course I have.
“All in your head” isn’t in my vocabulary
Especially the all part.
Of course I acknowledge the power of the mind to warp and magnify pain and illness — that’s well-established, and I just shared a good example in the last post. But I reject the idea that honest people ever “fake” or “perform” their suffering, consciously or unconsciously.
Objection! Aren’t there “drama queens” who seem to pour emotional gasoline on their chronic pain and illness fires?
Sure. I have met them.
Fear and pessimism predict poor knee surgery outcomes
In the weird world of pain, fearing the worst is at least partially a self-fulfilling prophecy. Dr. Gary J Macfarlane, regarding a paper on knee replacement results:
“We identified 3 distinct response trajectories in patients undergoing knee replacement. Expectations of pain/limited function and poor coping strategies differentiated the trajectories, suggesting a role for preoperative psychosocial support in optimizing the clinical outcome.
Three recent blog highlights + some newsletter notes
Here’s three blog posts from the first half of 2021 that were particularly satisfying for me to write, that felt like they exercised my skills as a writer more than most. I also hope they are among the most entertaining (as well as informative) that I have written lately:
The one about how hypochondria is undoubtedly actually a real thing and probably common.The one about how retracted papers keep getting cited (and the accuracy of quote attributions).
Chronic Brain Drain: What’s Really Going on When You Have “Brain Fog” – and 4 Reasons it Might Be Happening
Misplacing your keys once in a while is normal. Constantly feeling like you’ve misplaced your brain isn’t.
Along with bouts of forgetfulness, chronic brain fog causes fatigue, mood swings, lack of focus, and can significantly interfere with work and family life. Yet, it is so common that many of us pass off these signs as just “part of life.”
You don’t have to live in a cloudy mental fog.
Massage Therapists: Get to Know Law Enforcement Where You Live
Massage therapists are vulnerable to harassment, assault and solicitation—but there is something proactive every massage therapist can do: Reach out to your local police department and build a relationship before problems occur.
The post Massage Therapists: Get to Know Law Enforcement Where You Live appeared first on MASSAGE Magazine.
A not-so-surprising lack of evidence
Turna et al:
Cannabis is commonly viewed as a natural alternative for a variety of medical and mental health conditions. Currently, anxiety ranks among the top five medical symptoms for which North Americans report using medical marijuana. However, upon careful review of the extant treatment literature, the anxiolytic effects of cannabis in clinical populations are surprisingly not well-documented.
The disaster of scientific publishing
The web comic xkcd, by Randall Munroe, recently satirized scientific publishing (yet again) with a bunch of tediously predictable paper titles:
[Image caption: xkcd #2456 © xkcd.com by Randall Munroe]
Adam Meakins, the sweary physio, created this remixed version for the rehab world:
That’s all I was going to share for this post originally — a couple fun comics, poking fun at the overripe target of scientific publishing.
Neuromuscular Therapy for Temporomandibular Joint Disorders and Headaches
Trigger Points of the Sternocleidomastoid (SCM)
As National Migraine & Headache Awareness month continues, Phil Okazaki, Senior Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program Instructor presents a sneak peek into Neuromuscular Therapy for Temporomandibular Joint Disorders and Headaches.
Why Some Movements are Incredibly Fun
“It’s the funnest thing ever. More fun than a trapeze, or even flying.”
That was how my thirteen year-old daughter described her first experience with body boarding, which is basically surfing while lying face down on a piece of foam.
This got me thinking: why are are some physical activities so incredibly fun? Some people really love to run, do martial arts, or play team sports, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.