We are so close - and yet so far away, in so many ways - to the next great Revolution.
Mankind has experienced the Scientific Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. Modern-day science has provided the health and medical communities with a tremendous number of studies, analyses and reviews that now give clinicians a strong evidence-based foundation for the assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.
We now have all the makings of a Health Revolution. We have all the reasons in the world to have that great clinical epiphany. We are standing on the edge of the cliff ready to jump.
Yet many don’t. And won’t. They will choose to not make the next step.
When push comes to shove, beliefs can be far stronger and more resilient than the evidence.
The theme of the week has been pushing the boundaries of human performance. Today’s post continues that theme directly into my own personal timeline. No, I didn’t break Mach 1, nor did I complete 540.8 miles of endurance sport mayhem. I didn’t win my age group. Fair enough. But there was that day when I went 140.6 miles under my own power – at Ironman USA in Lake Placid, New York.
I used to watch “Wide World Of Sports” as a kid. I can distinctly remember watching Julie Moss crawl to the finish of Ironman Hawaii in 1982 and asking aloud, “why would anyone want to do this?”. Of course, that was long before I became a physiotherapist or started coaching endurance sport athletes. Our perspectives certainly evolve over time.
Fast forward to 2004 – when I found my own answer to that very question.
I have worked with many endurance sport athletes over the years, ranging from age group to pro, runners to triathletes, 800 meters to 100+ miles, and all points in between. Many have been injured, trying to return to their sport. Others have come to me wanting to improve their performance or just take on a new athletic challenge.
There does seem to be an intriguing competitive “tension” between the “extreme” athletes in running and triathlon. Ultra-runners will be quick to remind Ironman triathletes that 140.6 miles of three sports is just not the same as 100 miles of running. Can’t debate that, for sure. Ironman triathletes, on the other hand, are quick to note that their sport involves three disciplines, not just one. Can’t imagine many ultra-runners putting in 2.4 miles of swimming or 112 miles of cycling.
Here’s a thought: what if you could do both in the same year?
Enter Paul Terranova – Austin endurance sports athlete. The name of the beast in question? His self-proclaimed “Grand Kona Slam” – now ceremoniously referred to here as the Quintuple Crown Of Endurance Sports. Who needs two events when you can have five?
There is only one word I can think of that might describe it: Epic.
And that doesn’t do justice to it whatsoever.
The moment in question: Felix Baumgartner’s breaking of the sound barrier in a freefall descent on October 14, 2012.
I spent the vast majority of the live broadcast shaking my head in disbelief. First it was the sheer altitude to which he had ascended – 128,100 feet. Then there was the checklist of items. Then the capsule door was opened. Item 29: release seat belt. Then he stood on the platform – and fell forward – a freefall of 119,846 feet.
Really? Really? Wow. Beyond wow. This was reality TV at its finest, a product of the digital era. Over 8 million people viewed this feat live on YouTube. This may have been our generation’s version of a moon landing, only in reverse.
Felix Baumgartner broke the barriers of human performance – and better yet, pushed the envelope of our thinking in terms of what we believe is possible.
The 12th International Conference in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy was held October 5 – 7, 2012 in Austin. This conference (along with the Conference Of The Americas) always provides a great opportunity to catch up with many friends, colleagues, and fellow MDT clinicians from around the world. This year was special though – it would be held in Austin. It was the first of many international conferences that I have attended at which I could go home at night and not have to sleep in a hotel bed. Ah yes, it is the simple things in life that we appreciate the most!
Once again, the McKenzie Institute International brought together a great panel of speakers and experts from around the world. One thing that has always impressed me most about this conference is the broad range of speakers, controversial or otherwise. The commonality is that they all attend with a willingness to collaborate and improve the quality of musculoskeletal care, regardless of their expertise or background.
Here are just six of many highlights from the conference.
Remember the Nike ad that proudly proclaimed that “Bo Knows Football”? Well, after reading Seth Godin’s post yesterday entitled “Denying Facts You Don’t Like”, I would suggest that “Seth Knows Health Care”.
That may not be his realm, nor specifically the context of the post as such, but he’s got it pegged nonetheless.
Godin noted that “once we start denying facts, it's difficult to know when to stop”. That tends to be the status quo in health care today. Of course, there is a fine line between “denying facts” and straight out-and-out agenda-peddling, but I digress.
With that said, this issue has a tremendous negative impact on a patient’s health care.
There is a shortage of primary care physicians in the United States. The problem is worsening, and access to care bears tremendous importance to the patient. There are a steady stream of blog posts that are expressing their concern over the problem. If you didn’t know better, you would have to believe that the sky is falling and that universal health care (or some iteration of it) would break the back of the primary care physician population.
This has become an annoying issue in health care. At this point, I am really getting tired of hearing this. Frankly, the solution exists as we speak. Yes, the answer exists today. But it is being ignored by those who have a vested interest in the status quo – the gatekeepers themselves.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.