At 11:28 AM 8/18/00 -0400, you wrote:
>I have pondered the cause of my anxiety over this issue and think the
>unexpected behaviour of human beings is only part of the problem. I find the
>whole "backward engineering" of the human body a particularly frustrating
>exercise.
Stewart,
I can appreciate your frustration but feel it might be eased if you soften
your vision of the body as something totally amenable to any concept of
"engineering." Although the principles of orthopedic biomechanics are often
satisfactorily described from a mathematical standpoint, very often we have
to use a far more subjective and qualitative analysis in order to express
the situation we are asked to resolve. I'm sure you know what I mean.
There is also what I consider a specific "conceit" in orthopedics that I
have often seen that is not helpful. It is that we can (or should be able
to) figure out exactly what's wrong before proceeding with care. Neither
neurology or internal medicine thinks this way, and the care they provide
is thus far more creative, pliable and individualized than seen in many
ortho diagnoses that deserve the same.
I' began by looking for virtues, and then move on to deficits. (See "The
Pollyanna Doctrine" on my web site) Often when I encourage the expression
of the former, the latter disappear.
I hope you're starting to feel better. I certainly understand what it's
like, and I land there occasionally myself.
Barrett L. Dorko, P.T.
"The Clinician's Manual" <http://barrettdorko.com>
Also at <http://rehabedge.com>
And <http://prorehabonline.com>
And <http://physicaltherapist.com>
And <http://rehabmax.com>
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