In a lifetime filled with mistakes, one stands out. While standing in line at the bank, I noticed a woman I often run into. She appeared to be pregnant, something I had never noticed in her before or since. So, I commented, “Congratulations on your pregnancy.” She responded, “I’m not pregnant, just fat.” Let’s blame it on the top she had on that day or just my ever-present stupidity. I slithered like a snake back to my office, unable to overcome my embarrassment.
An honest mistake I’ve also made happened when expressing my views on being healthy. These views were expressed to patients as well as students during health care talks. I would present the power of the mind expressed through your health attitude. I do believe the mind is incredibly powerful and you do have a health attitude that is expressed through your body. The mistake occurs when I give the perception you are healthy because you have a great attitude and sick because of a bad attitude. This can be interpreted as someone has cancer or any other condition because they have a bad attitude. This isn’t true.
Science has recently caught up to the fact that head injuries, both small seemingly minor or severe, impact your health. Ever had an auto accident, bounced a ball off your head such as in soccer, accidentally hit your head? You have suffered a head injury of some degree. The injury is “all in your head” but not in your mind or attitude. It’s in your brain.
We see so many patients who suffer low back pain simply because they have lingering effects of a head injury, whether recent or even in childhood.
Like you, I keep learning from my mistakes. There’s so much to learn.