What Evidence Based Practice Is Not

The following post is inspired by Stu McMillan’s “Evidenced Based Coaching” piece on Brett Bartholomew’s site. McMillan’s article is intellectually honest, nuanced, and refreshingly uncontroversial. His thesis is that practical experience and science are complimentary, not dichotomous, because neither paradigm is comprehensive in itself. In full disclosure, Stu and Brett have greatly influenced my clinical thought process and I am grateful for their transparency. They actually demonstrate what they do with their athletes, which leaves them open to criticism when somebody’s lumbar spine visibly budges while performing a maximal effort lift in one of their Instagram videos. McMillan’s article was primarily directed at the coaching profession but is equally applicable to physiotherapy.

“Talking over the heads of the less educated has become an enjoyable pastime for many (people); this practice is simply self-indulgent ego massage, and does nothing to move the profession forward”.

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