Seeing Through Straws

We all have blind spots, awareness of them is huge as it allows you to potentially recognize something you may have missed without knowing. In the world of movement there are a number of different viewpoints with which to see the patterns. Every lens probably has something valuable to offer, however almost all of us have a preference for how we envision movement is occurring. Where we can get into trouble is when we can only see through a single lens at one time, even if we can exchange those lenses when needed. Adapting is important, changing out one lens for another is preferential over being stuck with the same viewpoint indefinitely, however if we are only seeing through straws, we’re missing the bigger picture.

Focusing on a single point can be useful, we just cannot afford to forget to zoom back out.

I was recently working with a patient who described working with a family member that was losing their vision. The family member described the difficulty of navigating his environment because he felt as if he was looking through straws. He could see small points in space, however if he needed to see the whole, he could only stitch together what was coming through each straw, versus a continuous image. This is a common problem is many fields, and physical therapy or movement in general is no different. We often focus on an element of a problem, whether it be mobility, force production or hypertrophy and anything in between. This can be a valuable asset at times but taking a step back and looking at how that particular area of focus fits into the entire puzzle is a necessary skill that requires refinement.

Foot position and capacity, pelvic orientation, movement capabilities of the thorax and direction of the eyes during tasks all have a role to play amongst all the other variables in a given scenario.

For instance, knee pain is a common complaint within my realm. The term “valgus” is often used to describe a person with knock knees, with the primary cause being placed on the hip musculature. The idea is that hip muscle weakness causes knock knees and strengthening those muscles improves the situation. There may be some utility in this approach under certain circumstances, however this view is like peering through a straw. We may be missing things. Foot position and capacity, pelvic orientation, movement capabilities of the thorax and direction of the eyes during tasks all have a role to play amongst all the other variables in a given scenario.

No one can realize all their blind spots, however having an idea of where they might exist allows us to see more clearly. If we focus too intently on a single variable or measure, we may miss a richer field of view. Zoom in but then do not forget to zoom out. Question everything you know, remove all self-imposed constraints and reconstruct the world around you. Notice where you focus next.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist