Monday, 28 May 2007 19:00
Written by Allan Besselink
Seven down, and six to go. No further waiting ... let's get on with number 8 ...
8. Principles And Practices - Stephen Covey, in his "Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People", discusses the concept of "principles" versus "practices". Principles are the "why" we do something, whereas practices are the "what" we do. Much of our time is spent thinking in terms of practices - or as many educators and clinicians will say, "having more tools for the toolbox". I think this is misguided at times. A screwdriver can't be used for everything, nor can a hammer. It is the decision making skill of when to use what tool that is ultimately key - and of course this comes down to learning how to think and process clinical information.
Friday, 28 September 2007 19:00
Written by Allan Besselink
I finally watched "The Motorcycle Diaries". At the prompting of my friend John, I took the time to watch this movie. When "Rhubarb Diaries" was born, he'd mentioned that "it could be like the Motorcycle Diaries". Now, I am certainly no Che Guevara (and I've not been south of the equator either), but in watching the movie, there are some aspects that ring true to me.
Don't worry, this is not about becoming a Marxist revolutionary!
You have to peel away a few layers of the onion to understand it all. There is a sense of growth in Che's adventures throughout South America. There is a "knowing" that something stirs within him ... that would take him some time to fully understand. He was learning more about himself - and was learning how he would indeed impact the world. As he explored with Alberto, he discovered things within himself ... discovered a passion, discovered his own voice.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 19:00
Written by Allan Besselink
In the midst of trying to summarize some of the key elements of clinical practice and reasoning for PT and PTA students, I've found myself pulling together many of the practical aspects of "being a clinician" that I've learned over the years. After 19 years of clinical practice, there are certainly a number of things I wish I'd learned in school! In many practitioners' training, much time is devoted to the "practices" - the "what" to do - as opposed to the "principles" - the "why" to do. Very little time is devoted to the art and science of learning how to think.
So if David Letterman has his "Top 10" list - I now have my "Top 13" list. Why 13? It's my lucky number, of course!
Tuesday, 15 May 2007 19:00
Written by Allan Besselink
Clinical reasoning is much like being part of a crime scene forensics unit. The diagnostician (be it a chiropractor, orthopedist, neurologist, physiotherapist, massage therapist, etc) has a goal - of putting the pieces of the puzzle together, establishing hypotheses, testing these hypotheses, and using good methodical clinical reasoning in the process. Much like a crime scene investigation, the evidence has to form a picture that can be subjected to scrutiny. In the days of yore, they called this the "scientific method".
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.
Featured Chapter
"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.