After a summer hiatus from blogging, sharing to social media, and other business-tech stuff, I am back! Today’s blog post is a new idea of sharing some of the things I’ve been watching, reading or listening to, as it might pertain to my mental and/or physical health or ideas about health, fitness, and the world at large.
- Most recently, I watched Dr. Atul Gawande’s TED Talk entitled, “How do we heal medicine?“.
- In his talk, among other things, he explains how introducing a ‘checklist’ to a surgeon’s responsibility prior to surgery actually led to a decrease in surgical deaths by 47%! The checklist wasn’t a step-by-step guide to performing the surgery, but rather a checklist of commonly forgotten tasks prior to surgery that when performed reduced mortality rates. And it worked!
- This ‘checklist’ was an example of low-cost (free, in fact) healthcare option that saves lives. This example supported his point that sometimes “…the best care is often the less expensive option…”. Sometimes a patient doesn’t need a more expensive drug or surgery. Sometimes something as simple as a checklist can save a life.
- Of course, I’m not a surgeon. My job is to help people avoid surgery. Visiting me for physical therapy is a significantly lower cost option than the cumulative cost of drugs, surgery, and post-surgical rehab. Sometimes it doesn’t feel that way spending $65 for a twenty-five minute treatment, but the sciency-statistics do support my point.
- Thinking about his comment, “…the best care often turns out to be the least expensive.”, it made me think about what is the least expensive way I can help my patients. I’ve already answered this question in my practice – I started filming myself performing mobility exercises to rehabilitate, maintain, and optimize physical function. I upload these videos to my YouTube Channel and make them available to you (and anyone else) for FREE. Nothing is less expensive than FREE. Eating healthy and regular exercise are relatively low expense health options. The cost of recovering your health via drugs and surgery are astronomically more expensive than staying healthy via healthy eating, exercising, and getting physical therapy or mental health help when you need it.
- It is an inspired TED Talk worthy of a listen.
- Recently, my wife (the psychologist) introduced me to another TED Talk that significantly altered the lens with which I view our society. If you’ve been in the office within the past month, I probably talked to you about it already. Dr. Barry Schwartz’s TED Talk entitled, “The Paradox of Choice“.
- This talk speaks to a different aspect of health: HAPPINESS
- In short, Dr. Schwartz explains how the more choices we have, the less happy we become. Not only do we have a harder time choosing between so many options, but once we decide, we’re less confident in our choice, and, in turn, less happy.
- It’s a conundrum because the genie is already out of the bottle. Everything in this world has so many choices. Just think about the last time you went to buy a pair of blue jeans: Slim Fit? Regular Fit? Acid Wash? Holes in the knees? Boot Cut? Straight Cut? Low Rise? Regular Rise?
- But, if you can simplify life by having less options in your life, it may lead to more confident, happier decisions, and, in turn, a happier you.
- It’s a fascinating TED Talk.
If you’re not a TED Talk viewer, I’ll have reading options for you in the future.
Enjoy the rest of September’s summer-like weather. I’ll be back in October with something else to say, share, or show. My YouTube channel has been updated recently with THORACIC SPINE MOBILITY EXERCISES. With so many neck and low back complaints, it’s easy to forget the spine in the middle: Thoracic Spine. A healthy, mobile, strong thoracic spine supports your neck and your low back. Check it out and add these mobility drills to your daily life.