Recovering From an Injury: Embrace the Process
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Nutrition Science, Part IV – Moving Forward: Improving the approach
It is important to note that the assumptions discussed in the last article are not arbitrary to the biomedical model, but legitimized through common sense in the context of a given research topic (32). A common-sense approach to nutrition, therefore, is one which can legitimize a modified approach to scientific inquiry into diet-disease relationships. Although […]
Nutrition Science, Part III – The Awkward Fit: RCTs and Nutrition Science
In the second part of this article series we discussed the utility, limitations, and misconceptions related to the prospective cohort design for nutrition science. As discussed in part I, the reductionist biomedical model and its gold standard randomized controlled trial (RCT) is ill-equipped for studying complex dietary patterns in a way that can effectively inform […]
Nutrition Science, Part II: The Prospective Cohort Design
In the first article in this series we discussed the history of nutrition science and traced its evolution alongside the biomedical model. We also introduced the discussion of nutritional epidemiology in comparison to the “gold standard” biomedical trial design: the randomized controlled trial. In this second article, we’ll discuss the utility, limitations, and misunderstandings about […]
Nutrition Science, Part I: How Did We Get Here?
To anyone versed in biomedicine, the so-called “hierarchy of evidence” is well-established and unquestioned. The randomized , double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) is considered the gold standard trial design, because it offers the ability to randomly allocate a treatment, minimize potential sources of bias, and compare the exposure or intervention of interest to a placebo. There is […]
The Shoulder, Part II: External Impingement
In the first article of this series we discussed the concept of “normal” or “abnormal” scapular movement (i.e., scapular dyskinesis), which is the pathomechanical foundation upon which other shoulder-related diagnoses and narratives are built. “Shoulder impingement” is one of these ideas that is commonly discussed in the coaching, rehab, and orthopedic worlds. The narrative describes […]
The Shoulder, Part I: Scapular Dyskinesis
The shoulder joint is complex, and pain affecting its use in daily activities and sport is common. This article series will review common shoulder diagnoses, critically assess the associated narratives provided to patients, and describe their impact on real-world outcomes. We will begin with the assessment of the scapula and its movement. The interaction between […]
The Pendulum of Specificity in Application: Part I
This article was originally published in September of 2014 as the first of four blog posts addressing The Principle of Specificity. Since then, the coaches at Barbell Medicine have learned a great deal more about the topic and felt that these posts deserved an update and expansion. We’ll be releasing the updated articles and corresponding YouTube videos […]
Mobility Explained
Rolling through Instagram or Facebook, we find narratives and interventions claiming to improve something called “mobility”. We can select from options including stretching, foam rolling / body tempering, lacrosse ball smashing, voodoo flossing, power tools converted to guns being sold as therapeutic, and the list goes on. The level of marketing would make even Donald […]
When Logic Fails: Part 1
Take home points: In the context of complex systems, logical analysis can be useful in generating hypotheses, but not for drawing conclusions with a high degree of confidence, because there are almost always confounding factors that have not been discovered or accounted for. We must therefore always be cautious with the claims and conclusions we […]