Category: Writings

I see in the APTA Journal that the editor, Jules Rothstein, has an imaginary friend named Immelmann. Coincidentally, so do I Not only that, where Jules says that his friend is often like Spock from Star Trek (the original series), mine is remarkably like Dr. McCoy from the same show. In fact, that’s his name. He’s sarcastic, cynical, and quick… Read more →

When Scott came in today I had no idea what to expect. This is a large, very strong young man who stars on a local Division I track team, throwing the shot and the discus. Up until six weeks ago the various aches and pains that he acquired pursuing contact sports had resolved with a bit of care and a… Read more →

Perhaps you remember the very popular movie, “Kindergarten Cop” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger that came out a few Christmases ago. It followed the exploits of a hardened inner-city undercover policeman who suddenly finds himself teaching kindergarten in an idyllic little town in the Pacific Northwest. To find out how this happened, you’ll have to watch the movie. Even without my telling… Read more →

We have created the kind of aliens we think there ought to be. The UFO movement’s strength is not in its evidence, but in its overall narrative, its theme. It has an elaborate eschatology, a host of apostles, and a recurring theme of salvation versus doom. It is not the evidence of extraterrestrial creatures but, rather, the idea of the… Read more →

Simple Contact is defined as a technique of communication, either verbal or manual, designed to enhance another’s awareness and expression of their spontaneously occurring internal processes. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1) Why don’t you use manual force to stretch connective tissue Josef Threlkeld, PhD. P.T. studied the effect of manual care in the aptly titled essay The Effects of Manual Therapy… Read more →

I’m often asked to demonstrate in some fashion that adverse neural tension (ANT) is a viable, essential diagnosis in a typical orthopedic practice. I’m surprised at the question really, and, considering the wealth of research done over the years, I can’t imagine that anyone would question the reasonableness of this thinking, or its significance in relation to a typical day… Read more →

To the Editor, I feel that our profession’s future has been determined by the economic reality of the present, and I say this as one who has watched the evolution of our work carefully since my first job as an orderly in the PT department of a small general hospital at the age of 16. I am now 48. Allow… Read more →

For look, how oft I iterate the work, So many times I add unto his virtue Ben Jonson, The Alchemist, II.iii. 106-107 This is from Rachel Remen’s My Grandfather’s Blessings (Riverhead Books 2000): “We heard something steadfast in the midst of our lives that had been there always, even before we were fully human. Our lives and all our lives… Read more →

I speculated in an essay last year what kind of therapist Winnie-the-Pooh would be. According to me, he would have been pretty good at doing the kind of things that I do. Imagine that. This year I’m suggesting the same thing about Beowulf, and I would suppose that at least a few of you out there were just waiting for… Read more →

I could while away the hours, Conversin’ with the flowers, Consultin’ with the rain. With the thoughts I’d be thinkin’ I could be another Lincoln If I only had a brain The best example of parasympathetic dominance I can think of is the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. Perhaps he isn’t the steadiest sort, but, if you think about… Read more →