It is a call to action that has resonated with me for years. It is a call to action that I have used repeatedly, having even written a blog post of the same title last year.
The Right To Choose.
It was a great day when physical therapists in Texas adopted this phrase as a rallying cry for consumers. Simple - and to the point. The next legislative session in Texas is in 2015, and consumer awareness can't begin a moment too soon.
In a country founded on free markets, you would expect consumer choice to be a primary element in health care. My question to you, the reader, is simple: does a patient have the freedom and the right to select their health care provider freely and of their own volition? The answer, in the vast majority of states across this great land, is a resounding "no".
Wise men say that we won't face more adversity in life than we can handle. Wise men say that each moment of our lives prepares us to live life more fully today and tomorrow.
I can say that over the past few weeks, I have been a little hard-pressed to feel or truly appreciate the wisdom of the wise.
Loss. It is something that invariably and eventually appears in our lives. We will all experience loss in some way or another: a friend, a family member, a love. Loss makes an appearance in our world and can challenge us to the core of our being – but there is much to be learned.
![No [Storage] Zone](http://static.flickr.com/3188/2736560040_df006a65fe.jpg)
The zone. It's a magical place to be. The zone is a moment in time when everything is clicking and flowing.
We often think of it in terms of sports. With March Madness upon us, I always think of the point guard who is shooting the lights out. He's in the zone. He can't and doesn't miss. Shots are flowing. There is a rhythm, a tempo, a feeling of insurmountable confidence.
We find ourselves in the zone in all aspects of life at one time or another. It's a place that we all seek, be it in our work lives, our athletic endeavors, or our creative pursuits. But we also find ourselves struggling at times to find it.
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are now officially a part of Olympic history. We've witnessed the highs and lows and the tales of victory and defeat with unprecedented clarity through countless cable TV stations and social media outlets.
This year, I didn't get mesmerized by curling (Note: that phrase might actually be an oxymoron, but I digress). But having been born and raised in Canada, I probably don't have to explain my desire to watch hockey.
The beauty of the Olympics every couple of years is that we are exposed to special performances from what we think are special people. However, one quick look around you and you might just find that there is an Olympian in all of us.
It occurs in countless clinics and facilities around the world every day. It may, in fact, be the curse of modern medicine as we know it.
The logical fallacy.
It rears its ugly head in any number of ways. Take, for example, the premise underlying the "logical" (yet arbitrary) concept of asymmetry and muscle imbalance. In our world today, there are countless examples of normal anatomic variability being "treated" as a problem when in fact they are, as I mentioned, normal for that individual.
Forget about what you think you witness in the clinic for a moment. Forget about what you were taught about asymmetry and imbalance. Let's step back and take a look.
Let me start this post by saying that I am a cyclist. But don't think for a moment that I am just going to rant about crappy drivers. It's not that simple for me. I am a motorist as well.
I live on a street that has two northbound lanes and two southbound lanes divided by a median. There is also a very wide, well-marked bike lane northbound and southbound. It is a popular thoroughfare for cyclists riding to and from Austin and San Marcos.
As a motorist, I always try to be aware of cyclists. I have heard too many horror stories over the years, and I do my part to give them the space necessary to ride safely. With that said, as a cyclist I try to be cognizant of a motorist's challenge in seeing us and understanding how we function on the roads.
I have had many years of guiding athletes through the maze that is injury recovery. I've witnessed not only the physical effects of injury and illness, but also the struggles faced by the athlete mentally and emotionally as they work their way through it.
I've mentored them through the process, offered insights, and advised them regarding the attainment of life balance throughout this challenging time in their lives. I have always seen injury not as a failure, but as an opportunity - to learn from the experience and to put good strategies in place for the future. Through it all, I have gained a deeper understanding of the psyche of the athlete and the fine balance between all the factors required to make it all work.
That is, until I became the athlete in question. It is amazing how when the tables are turned, your head spins with the reality.
Smart Physio
posts are on professional and career-related topics such as health, fitness, training, and health care.
Rhubarb Diaries
posts are commentary, perspectives, opinions, humor and insight on all of my favorite topics: music, sport, and politics/current events.
Top 5 finalist in three categories: "Best Overall Blog", "Best PT Blog" and "Best Advocacy Blog".
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sport, education, and health care, one that has been defined by his experiences as physiotherapist, mentor, McKenzie practitioner, innovator, author, educator, coach, patient, and athlete. Read more about Allan, contact him, get updates via email, or connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Up to 60% of runners will sustain an injury within any given year. Poor running mechanics, in conjunction with poor, ineffective and outdated training methods, can pose a significant injury risk. "RunSmart" was written to address these issues in the running community.
"Running Injuries: Etiology And Recovery- Based Treatment" (co-author Bridget Clark, PT) appears in the third edition and fourth editions of "Clinical Orthopaedic Rehabilitation: A Team Approach" by Charles Giangarra, MD and Robert C. Manske, PT.
