It's a restless hungry feeling
That don't mean no one no good,
When ev'rything I'm a-sayin'
You can say it just as good.
You're right from your side,
I'm right from mine.
We're both just one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind.
One Too Many Mornings, Bob Dylan
I’ve heard it one too many times.
I’m not sure if I’m a thousand miles behind or a thousand miles ahead, but things look different from where I stand. As much as I’m theoretically drawn to consensus, I cannot be imprisoned by the demands for standardization. I can’t think inside that box. And besides, it seems to me that things need to change. Health care is a bit of a mess in case you haven’t noticed. Consuming over 40% of our provincial budget at last count. People are completely confused by conflicting information, marketing overload, and professional squabbling. Who knows how to look after themselves anymore? Then again, I could be wrong. I won’t deny that possibility and remain open to change. I’ll leave it up to you if you think I need convincing.
One too many times – actually far more, but I’ll stick with my theme - I have heard someone say how they tried physiotherapy and it did nothing for them. Next I’m regaled with tales of hotpacks, ultrasound, or silly repetitive exercises that no one ever does anyway. I’m convinced we can do better. To quote Mr. Dylan again, the times they are a changin’.
I’ve noticed over the last few years that I don’t often see garden variety ankle sprains or strained muscles in my office. In fact, apart from sports medicine, I think these conditions are rare in most physiotherapy clinics. Instead, I see people with persistent pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, obesity, heart problems, frailty, and so on. Chronic conditions that defy many of the tools that have served my profession, if not our patients, so well. These are conditions that require lifestyle solutions. They require that people are motivated toward self-care and prevention, that they recognize the slippery slope we call aging and do the work to do it well. As a physiotherapist, I knew my understanding of these conditions meant I could help people achieve these aims. But how?
Enter the world of exercise. And I thought things were contentious in rehabilitation?! That pales in comparison to the flame wars, grudge matches, and outright lunacy in the fitness industry. Poisoned by subjectivity and built firmly on the shifting sand of opinion, the world of fitness is based on chasing an elusive target. It is all about keeping people engaged and entertained – hopefully enough that they don’t notice their lack of results. The fun trumps the frustration. Now everyone likes to have a good time, but it’s not enough. The statistics are frightening. Chronic disease is on the rise. An aging population means that health care demand is poised to skyrocket. But the system is already broken. It is broken because it does not and cannot keep us well.
It has been shown time and time again that diet and exercise combined are the keys to better health. These are the two modifiable aspects that affect health. That means they can change; they are within your control. The hard part is not in the knowing although, in an age of information overload, confusion is understandable. The harder part is doing what you know. Taking action…today.
It begins with smarter conversations. Thank you for joining me to explore topics like pain, exercise, neuroscience, movement and whatever else you bring to my attention. My aim is to teach, to learn, and to do things differently. I hope this blog shows you why and helps you along your own path .
If you want a different RESULT, you must take some different ACTION!
2 comments:
Nick,
Sometimes I wonder what you saw in my writing years ago that has led you so fiercely ahead, but I never wonder about what I saw in you.
I look forward to more of your words, and will send others your way.
Thanks Barrett. I guess more than anything I saw honesty, courage and conviction. You certainly taught me a lot of technical information but, more importantly, you taught me how to learn and how to say what I mean and mean what I say.
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