Episode 59 – Georg Supp, Part 2: Challenging Our Bias Is Better Than Confirming It

GEORG SUPP, PT, MT, DIP. MDT

Show Notes

Greatest Challenges

The hierarchy within our healthcare community, the payment issues and the arrogance of PT’s with over a thousand different courses offered which result in PT’s struggling and becoming confused.  He believes that we should get back to the basics.

Georg shares that the education committee is working on further defining subgroups and further clarifying additional subgroups within the OTHER group.

Memorable Patient Story

Georg revisits a patient that appeared like a posterior derangement with a possible relevant lateral component although Georg couldn’t reduce the derangement so finally he sent him home with flexion expecting it might help him confirm his understood mechanical diagnosis.  What happened upon his return surprised Georg and has left him still unclear to this day of what was wrong with him.  Georg has learned to be much more willing and ready to challenge his diagnosis.

His second patient was an elderly man who was presented to him on a lumbar course.  This patient mentioned he’d never had back pain which puzzled Georg since this was a Part A.  Thinking he should do something he learned that the patient had some difficulty out of one of his knees so Georg began to evaluate him and he flexed the knee with the patient’s permission and everything seemed to be okay until a sudden turn for the worse.  Georg tells the rest of the humorous story and the lessons learned of revealing a derangement and also to leave a joint alone if it’s showing not to be a present problem. 

Patient Education Analogy

To explain to patents the negative effects of forward head posture he uses the analogy of holding a bowling ball in your hand and your forearm vertical and then posture your wrist in full flexion and bring to the attention to the patient the strain on the wrist due to the weight placed

Best Advice

“You can’t cure everybody.”
                                           ~ Robin McKenzie

“Follow a career direction but stay open minded.”
                                          ~ Tom Burgee

Resources

A network of colleagues who can share literature when they become available or when each individual who has a slight difference in the topics they follow most closely and each can share when he or she finds a relevant paper.

Georg also shares Research Gate to help organize scientific papers and be notified when an author you like has a new paper published.

An Impactful Study

Georg reminds us of the fact that we all like when a paper confirms our clinical behavior but they really don’t challenge us but more they just confirm our bias.  Georg appreciates the papers that question what we do and that challenge us.  One particular is the Daniel Deutcher and Mark Werneke study which questions the reliability of MDT.  This study, he explains, has the potential to refine our education process and improve our practice.   

Personal Habit for Success

His ability to concentrate and use his time efficiently really helps him get his tasks done even when there are many distractions.  For Georg this is a natural habit and a gift he has.

Parting Piece of Advice

Look for patient specific outcomes or goals or objectives and start with that in the exam and through the treatment.  Also he encourages every clinician to read and research and do small investigations or projects to continue to challenge ourselves.

Georg encourages each of us to look into the research foundation within the McKenzie Insitute. Visit the website at www.imdtrf.org

To reach Georg go to www.pulz-freiburg.de

 

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