Sadly, many healthcare providers ignore the research. — What is your gut reaction to the following sentence: “Running and squatting are great for knee arthritis.” Incredulity? Confusion? Apprehension? We know physical activity is beneficial for the body and mind. Walking, running, resistance training, and recreational sports can all benefit nearly every system of the body. …

Examining labral and rotator cuff injuries. — People are getting more medical procedures than ever and spending more money on health care than ever. What are they getting in return? Worse outcomes. Why? There are many factors contributing to the health status of the average American, such as our healthcare model and the influence of the food…

Non-nutritive sweeteners can actually help with weight loss and maintenance — Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement cautioning against the use of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) as a substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). “Replacing free sugars with NNS does not help with weight control in the long term. People need to consider other ways to reduce free sugars intake…

The research pile against meniscectomies is getting large — Healthcare is a mess. Having been a physical therapist for nearly a decade, I have first-hand experience navigating an infuriating system that routinely lights money on fire. So many medical procedures are a waste of time and money. Chief among them are arthroscopic knee surgeries. I am not a surgeon…

The claims don’t align with any research — Is it safe for kids to lift weights? I remember the first time I went to a commercial gym with my uncle. He was a bodybuilder and helped me establish a foundation of habits for resistance training. I was 14. I first requested he teach me when I was 12…

Surgery comes with many risks as well — What follows is not medical advice, rather, it is a review of current research on surgery and the interpretation of a physical therapist who often treats people with pain and orthopedic concerns. Should you get surgery for pain? It’s not a simple answer. Unfortunately, surgery is often presented as the…

The dosage makes the poison. — “Sugar is poison.” That is one of several absurd claims made on social media by coaches, trainers, and even some healthcare providers. It’s not. Can sugar be harmful? Absolutely. Do you know what else is potentially harmful? Water. You can die from ingesting too much water, cleverly known as water…

Add in lifting variety to build strength and resilience — The above picture is the beginning of a 500-pound deadlift. It was and remains my personal record. It took every ounce of strength to complete the lift — it was an ugly pull — but I completed it. Did I get hurt? No. Do I advise routinely maxing out deadlifts…

Does the research support the claims? — Are you looking for a way to enhance your athletic performance or speed up your recovery after a tough workout? Or maybe you’re simply looking for a way to alleviate chronic pain or inflammation? If so, you may want to consider cryotherapy (also known as icing). At least, that’s what…

What the research tells us about this common assessment — What follows is not medical advice, rather, it is a review of current research on MRIs and the interpretation of a physical therapist who often treats people with low back pain. MRIs often display concerning findings. A report typically includes words such as herniation, degeneration, bone spurs, and calcification. In…

Debunking influencers isn’t always a waste of time and energy — Why do people cling to health misinformation? Roughly 36% of US adults have basic or below basic health literacy levels, and up to 96% of individuals use at least 1 unaccredited source when searching health questions online. The spread of health misinformation has become a significant issue in recent years. …

Addressing the recent study on erythritol — Health blog writers at major news outlets are great at two things: writing headlines and scaring the hell out of people. They are terrible at reading and understanding research. The interpretations of the recent study on erythritol and cardiovascular risk strengthen these observations. Here is a screenshot after googling ‘erythritol…

Why you should add cardio, even if getting big is your main goal. — Is cardio killing your gains? If you follow bro science, you may avoid cardiovascular exercise (e.g., running, swimming, biking, etc.) while pursuing larger muscles. The theory is known as the interference effect, the concept that simultaneously training different fitness components (e.g. …

RICE is neither current nor ideal — I recently presented to 20 physical therapists on the topic of ankle sprain rehabilitation. How do you think they treat ankle sprains? The responses were of the typical variety we are presented in school. Start with RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), limit weight bearing, focus on range of motion and…

How to reduce and prevent work-related pain — How important are posture and ergonomics for workplace safety? Well if we take a step back and look at the relationship between posture and pain, we find many of the claims made by the media, doctors, and physical therapists lack support in research. Posture is not something we should be…

Lessons from a recent study in patients with hip arthritis — Are weakness and atrophy a cause of pain or a result of pain? It can be both but I find clinicians tend to focus on the former (I certainly used to), blaming a patient’s pain on their weakness. If someone is in pain, their activity level tends to drop. If…

Osteoarthritis is a common concern and one of the leading causes of pain and disability in older adults. The pain contributes to a large reduction in physical activity participation, resulting in atrophy (loss of muscle) and weakness. …

Clinical care is often behind the research — The lifetime prevalence of total knee replacement TKR is 18–30%, hardly a guarantee, but with life expectancy increasing and risk factors worsening (e.g., inactivity, obesity, diabetes) it’s likely those numbers will rise. However, current evidence suggests rehabilitation may be an effective alternative. If you combine clinical practice guidelines across various…

It’s time to bury this myth — Smoking is very bad for you. This can’t be debated if you pay any attention to the large body of research testing the effects of smoking. If we are going to state that another behavior is equivalent to smoking, we better have a substantial amount of evidence backing up the…

I met another person who was caused unnecessary harm — “I saw your story on LinkedIn about posture…are you serious?! Poor posture isn't the reason I have pain?” As I was leaving a graduation party for our 2020 and 2021 orthopedic residency classes (COVID delayed the former), I met one of my colleague's wife and this was the opening to…