There are no “magic wiggles”
A Physiotherapist that I enjoy talking with and bouncing ideas off of says periodically that there are “no magic wiggles.” And I love this.
First, the Magic Wiggle phenomenon comes from the idea that there is some perfect recipe, some superlative movement, some incredibly nuanced and infallible method for addressing injuries. There is not. Human beings simply vary too much in their inputs (injuries) and outcomes (life/movement/circumstances) to be able to rely on that.
From there, “the method” is introduced that is better than anything else. Anyone that dares not use “the method” is irresponsible and will surely injure their clients beyond repair.
Yes, there are certainly best practices. Evidence based practices get better all the time and we are still learning new things about how the body responds. There naturally are methods that are far better than others (i.e. a deadlift is a poor choice for ankle rehab) and one can be reckless in their approximation and assessment of the problem. The human experience is not infinitely broad, for sure. But it is sufficiently varied that one thing may work very well for a person with xyz problems that simply doesn’t work at all for someone else with nearly identical problems.
I would argue that the totality of methods that form the Best Practices all fall under the same principles — progressive loading, diligent and patient progress, protocol adherence and good old fashioned listening-to-your-body. One method can be perfectly effective as compared to another. Many roads can lead to success, but there isn’t a clear “best road” that we can follow at all times.
So when people are shocked at some level of immediate relief or I give them a movement they have never heard before or we try something they have already tried but with revised intent and it SEEMS magical, well — that is simply a decade of experience at play. And when people wonder if I “invented some movement” (a magic wiggle of my own) my default is always the same:
There is nothing new in fitness.
Kneesovertoes is an assembly of GREAT practices that attempts to get to the root of issues. I would say it is more principle-based rather than movement or idealogy based. When someone starts with a premise of “our ancestors did it this way” they are then beholden to shoe-horn every inconvenient deviation from that notion clumsily into an air tight ideology for fear that it will break down if it isn’t all-seeing-and-perfect. Or, employ significant mental gymnastics to try and make it coherent.
I do my best not to do that. My attempt at “Elbowsoverfingers” is the same as kneesovertoes — just an assembly of things I believe in with a catchy name. I assemble things that work. I don’t use things that don’t work. It really is that simple.
I would say my greatest asset in helping people with their pain is simply an analytical approach. Everyone who has ever done an in-person session with me knows the drill. We go through a ton of questions every day. Nothing is insignificant. It’s all data to build the landscape for what is bugging you. I am interested in solving your problems and, lucky me, I don’t have insurance carriers, a boss or a revolving door of patients to attend to. I get to spend my time focusing on YOU and, as a result, I am pretty darn successful with getting people out of pain, into strength and back to ability.
To me the Magic Wiggle is perhaps then less about a movement and more about curiosity, empathy and a dedication to see it through to the bitter end. I can’t sleep at night if you are struggling with pain and we can’t find a solution. As such, we tend to find a solution.
