If at any point I exhibit the dunning kruger effect, please don’t hesitate to call me out on it.
I am currently in a DPT program.
While going through the vertebral column in lecture, my anatomy professor made multiple points to say that lumbar flexion during lifting WILL (emphasis on will) result in herniation and pain.
Later on in lab, he further insinuated the idea that, and I quote, “if you have poor biomechanics, you WILL hurt yourself” and “pain is always the result of some sort of damage or degeneration.”
For further context, he has repeatedly cited McGill in Lecture.
In an attempt to challenge this in a nice way, I emailed him this systematic review: PMID 31775556. I noted that the findings report this relationship only being seen in cadavers, and no evidence of this relationship has been shown in living humans. I also tried to emphasize a more BPS approach by noting that factors such as sleep, stress, and other external factors playing a role in pain. I made these points and then asked his opinion, trying to take a polite approach.
In regard to this email, he approached me in class. He said that it’s not really up for debate anymore, and almost all PTs and physicians accept that flexion activities will result in herniation and pain. He also stated, and I quote, “some things just make so much sense you don’t need research to support them.” I found that statement disgusting.
When he talks about how he has treated patients in the past, he repeatedly notes that he chose interventions based on what made biomechanical sense, even if the evidence wasn’t there to support it. Which further illustrates, to me, a fundamental flaw in his scientific reasoning and understanding of research methodology.
When he approached me in class, I didn’t challenge further; as I felt it would be futile. I just nodded my head and waited for him to finish.
However, I don’t feel morally right letting this go. There are 50+ students in my cohort who seem very impressionable to these ideas; and that seems dangerous to me. The rest of the faculty have noted repeatedly physical therapy’s transition to the BPS model and all the external factors that go with it. So, it seems just he is the problem.
Should I approach the program director with these concerns? Or just shut up, pass the NPTE, and move on? I posted this question to r/physicaltherapy in reddit, and was told to leave it alone. Would this be your position as well?
Thank you greatly in advance.