This podcast if the first in a series of lectures on the future of the humanities in public life. The series began on 28 November 2014 with a leture by Professor Teresa Mangum, Director of the Obermann Centre for Advanced Studies at the University of Iowa. Professor Magnum talks about how the humanities are being systematically undermined by discourses that privilege economic efficiency and utilitarian learning. There are a lot of parallels with the way we are seeing the long-valued capabilities of empathy, caring and altruism in education and health care practice being replaced by capitalistic notions of measurable cost and benefit. Abstract: In the United States, the pressures on the … [Read more...] about Podcast – Prof Teresa Mangum – The Future of the Academic and Public Humanities
My critical physiotherapy Christmas list
Santa is a busy chap so needs help to know who's been naughty and whose been nice. I've tried my best to be nice this year. Honestly I have. So I thought I'd draw up a critical physiotherapy Christmas list of the things I'd like in my stocking on Christmas morning. Dear Santa, Could I please have: A physiotherapy journal that refuses, on principal, to publish any article where the authors use the words evidence-based practice, musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiorespiratory, mixed methods, systematic, descriptive, thematic, or any word ending in -itis. A return to a properly funded public health system. An overhaul to the weighting of academic journals. I'd like all journal's … [Read more...] about My critical physiotherapy Christmas list
An uncertain future for disabled physiotherapy students?
Karen Atkinson's comment on the "Opening doors to disability' blogpost a few days ago (link) really struck a cord with me coming at a time when there are some odd things happening in the profession. Physiotherapy has always had a difficult relationship with disability. While this sounds an odd thing to say, think about how few disabled people are practitioners. Then step out of yourself as a physiotherapist and imagine how this might be perceived by the disabled community. Physiotherapists, it seems, are quite happy being the practitioners, but not so happy enabling disabled people to become therapists. … [Read more...] about An uncertain future for disabled physiotherapy students?
The Medical Profession and Massage Establishments (from The Lancet, 1897)
Massage in Sciatica from 1886
From The Lancet, June 26 1886, p.1232 Professor Max Schüller of Berlin is convinced (Deutsche Med. Wochensch., No. 24) of the superiority of massage over other measures employed in the treatment of sciatica, and relates his experience of fifteen cases--all in males, and, except in one or two instances (which were traumatic), due to exposure to cold. Most of the cases were dealt with from the first by massage ; but in a few instances electricity, vapour baths, &c., had been fruitlessly employed prior to coming under his care. The modus operandi is as follows. The patient lies on the unaffected side with knees and hips slightly flexed. The course of the sciatic nerve is rubbed from … [Read more...] about Massage in Sciatica from 1886
Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom
There has been a lot of interest in the problems of anxiety in the media recently. About a month ago, Scott Stossel - editor of the high profile Atlantic Magazine - appeared on the Kim Hill Saturday morning radio show here in New Zealand having written a very moving account of his lifelong battle with crippling anxiety. Scott is a very successful editor and well known personality, so it came as a shock to many people that he had suffered so long (and seemingly managed) with this condition. (You can hear the full interview with Kim Hill here). More recently, Australian writer, singer and broadcaster Sian Prior spoke candidly about her own battle with anxiety. A few days ago, the … [Read more...] about Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom