Hi friends,

People ask me all the time if I see other people with their specific injury or pain. My answer is almost always, “I see this every single day.” Whether it be an ACL repair, low back pain, or shoulder arthritis.

The truth is, that pain is an unfortunate part of the human experience.

One study reported that 65-80% of people will experience low back pain at some point in their life. Another study showed that 20% of people in the general population have full-thickness rotator cuff tears.

Pain can be a contributing factor in depression and anxiety, and sometimes, it helps to know that you’re not alone.

Luckily, we live in a time where most people have access to healthcare to help remedy injuries and pain. The first step that many people take to address their pain is to visit their primary care physician, who more times than not, will refer them to physical therapy.

Working as a physical therapist I am biased, but I think physical therapy is one of the most effective non-invasive treatments for musculoskeletal pain. Sometimes medication or surgery is required to cope with the pain or repair damaged tissues, but many times, physical therapy is the best way to treat the cause of the pain and not just the painful symptoms.

Pain is complex. And just about every human will experience it at some point in their life. But don’t be discouraged, and know that you’re not alone in your frustrations about your pain.

If you’re currently dealing with pain, seek out medical help to start to address what is causing the pain.

Until next week,

Kevin

❤️ Things I’m Enjoying This Week

1. Coffee - Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. If you like cold brew and fall flavors, look no further for your next cup of joy.

2. Book - Slow Productivity by Cal Newport. This book really hits home for me and for many people who consider themselves “knowledge workers.” The premise of the book is that today’s productivity culture is built on things that you can see. Blog posts written. Slack messages sent. Emails replied to. But these tasks aren’t going to move the needle in a meaningful way. The key to slow productivity is working at a humane pace and placing quality over quantity. It took Isaac Newton 20 years to write his seminal book Principia. We could all benefit from slowing down and focusing on the things that actually constitute meaningful work.

3. Wrist Watch - Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 38mm. I’ve wanted an automatic watch for many years and finally decided on this one. I’ve spent the past 2 months with it on my wrist and it hasn’t disappointed me. If you’re thinking about switching from a Smartwatch to a mechanical one, this is a great option for an everyday driver.