Shock Absorption Tools: Simple to Complex Approaches

     The above video demonstrates further the basic approach to many sports medicine injuries and pain syndromes: advancing the treatment gradually from simple to more complex treatments based on the needs of the patient. As the patient's symptoms are followed, more complex or more simple approaches may be warranted. It is up to the health care provider to understand and become familiar with treatments for the problems they work with from simple treatments to more complex treatments. You definitely must follow the basic principle of "Do No Harm", but in this high tech world, simple approaches to many problems can be the best. I find this area to be the least interesting to the new podiatry students and residents I teach. They want to learn the best treatments, equating simple with ineffective. I admit, there is no glamour in most of what I do, but the patients seem to overall get better. Perhaps I am just getting old, stuck in my old ways, but perhaps I am also wise. I know I am wise for creating an environment that lets my patients help decide their treatments in my team approach. Some of the simplest methods of treating injuries or conditions are just being invented and I love them, so I know I am adaptable at least. Medicine will be forever a humbling experience as health care providers stumble to find out what works for each individual patient. And as many of my patients already know, I can stumble my way through alot.

     The above video briefly discusses the simple to complex approach to treating shock absorption issues from stress fractures, heel bruises, knee and hip arthralgias, and low back pain. From the patient's standpoint, it is important to know if you are being treated simply or complex and what are the myriad of options available if one treatment plan does not work well enough. The title of this implies that we always go from simple to complex, but every way is possible in the art of medicine. It is okay to go from complex to simple. It is okay to go to simple to complex to slightly less complex to simple again as the experimentation continues to help patients. Test what works.