Scienceploitation: How social media can distort and misinform when communicating science

Scienceploitation: How social media can distort and misinform when communicating science

"Scienceploitation is embodied in especially egregious “click-bait” headlines. Think the Huffington Post erroneously equating a glass of red wine to an hour at the gym, or the viral hoax study that linked eating chocolate with losing weight."

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The Importance of Contextual Effects in Massage

The Importance of Contextual Effects in Massage

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard of the biopsychosocial model as a new paradigm for understanding disease, pathology and rehabilitation. George Engel coined this term in 1977, but it has gained more traction in recent decades. Like most new concepts, it blends old ideas with new information and rebrands it under new name. As you can see by the name, there are three aspects to this assessment/treatment model- the biological, the psychological, and the social aspect. 

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Have massage therapists been putting too much of an emphasis on orthopedic assessment?

Have massage therapists been putting too much of an emphasis on orthopedic assessment?

Traditionally the role of orthopedic testing is to define a treatable pathology (e.g. Lachman's for ACL), this has a role in orthopedic medicine and acute injuries, but as massage therapists we are often seeing injuries in the chronic phase. These injuries cannot as easily be defined solely by tissue damage, patients often suffer from multiple ongoing issues, such as post traumatic arthritis of the knee, anterior hip impingement, disc herniation, which is often compounded with peripheral and central sensitization.

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Myofascial Triggerpoints: What has changed?

Myofascial Triggerpoints: What has changed?

As healthcare professionals, I think that it is important that we continue to strive for explanations that are in line with the current scientific understanding of how the body works. So, I was surprised to find out that nearly three decades after the publication of The Trigger Point Manual by David Simons and Janet Travell, there are still many questions about myofascial triggerpoints and the role they play in myofascial pain syndrome, that remain to be answered.

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What role can acupuncture play in concussion recovery?

What role can acupuncture play in concussion recovery?

There is actually a larger body of scientific evidence of efficacy than most people are aware of, when it comes to neck pain and headaches, this is why acupuncture is often recommended as a non-pharmacological management of chronic post concussion headaches. 

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