I do not know everything about rehabilitation. Not even close. But I know enough to know what I don't know. Sometimes I wonder about others.
Today, within an hour's time, I heard the following from two patients:
Scenario 1:
When I encouraged a 30-something year old man to strength train, he responded with:
"My martial arts instructor told me that I shouldn't lift weights with my arms, because having strong arms will take away from the strength of my legs."
Scenario 2:
While evaluating a three-month pregnant woman presenting with back pain, she said the following:
"My nurse practitioner told me that I shouldn't bend forward because I could break the baby's neck."
My female patient at least did her due diligence and Googled whether or not bending forward can harm her fetus. Not surprisingly, she did not find anything to validate her healthcare professional's statement.
Reiterating my theme from a prior post, don't be afraid to ask, "Why?" when you are given advice about your (or your baby's) well being. I'll admit that there is an overwhelming wealth of information on the internet, and finding trustworthy sources can be daunting. However, I would recommend starting with a simple self-test. Ask yourself, "Does this seem to make sense?" Unless the answer is an unequivocal "yes" , then go find a second and third opinion. Don't take every statement made by ''experts" at face value. At a minimum, you might be depriving yourself of something. At worst, you may be doing yourself harm.
Get informed. Nobody cares more about your health and well being than you.
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