Isn’t it Enough?
Pseudoscience at its very best wastes time and money. At its worst it can cause undue suffering and end lives. I am fortunate that in my own chosen fields of fitness and massage that the consequences are rarely so high, but this does not change the fact that dubious claims and magical thinking exist in both. There is no simple answer for why this happens, but I often find myself wondering if much of this shoddy thinking and borderline quackery happens because many in these fields do not fully appreciate just how wonderful what it is that we do.
read moreHow Pain Cognitions Can Influence the Pain Experience
The following was written as a research paper to meet my massage therapy program’s writing requirements. As such, it is written for an academic audience in APA format and it may be dry and/or difficult reading for the general public. If this subject interests you, I’d advise first reading my article A Primer on Pain where I touch on many similar issues in an easier to read format. I never had any intent of posting this online, but many of my colleagues have encouraged me to do so. If you don’t like it, you have my full permission to blame them.
read moreOften, Sometimes, Rarely
Topics surrounding healthy eating are often hotly contested. It’s easy to get intimidated or confused by the overwhelming amount of conflicting information and opinions out there. That’s why I like to start with deliberately simplified systems of thought when it comes to food.
read moreWhy Your Body is Not Like a Car
The argument goes something like this: “Your body is like a car. If parts of your car are out of alignment, it’s going to put uneven stress on the wheels and somewhere down the line your car is going break down. So too, if your body is out of alignment then your joints and muscles will be more stressed, which causes your body to break down and get hurt.” It’s a compelling story that I’ve heard hundreds of times from all sorts of well meaning therapists, trainers, and coaches, but in most cases it’s probably not true.
read moreA Primer on Pain
Pain is a subject that’s very personal to me. For about half of my life I’ve suffered from varying degrees of chronic pain that has substantially altered the course of my life. In dealing with this I’ve seen PTs, OTs, DCs, MDs, and LMTs. I’ve tried ART, IASTM, PRI, DNS, IMS, SMR, and LMNOP. That last one might not be real. Each of these things helped in varying degrees and I am grateful to everyone who took the time to try to help me in a time of need. However, one thing that was distinctly lacking throughout this process was education on pain. Understanding pain has greatly empowered me and improved my quality of life, which is why I’m so passionate about pain education for others. I hope that by the end of this article that readers will have a better understanding of how pain works so that they are better equipped to be in control of their own health.
read moreA Look in the Mirror
In the small acting class above the theater, the students got up to leave, but they were halted by the teacher’s voice, “For homework I want you all to look at yourself in the mirror and write down 5 things you notice about how you look. Bring your list with you next class.” The students all nodded and some jotted down the assignment as they left the room.
read moreFriend and Follow Me
