I read a blog recently from Dr Graham Wright, Adelaide-based Pain Specialist, which advocates the concept of "the good enough" body part. With such advanced medical technology at our fingertips, we can pick up any "faulty" or "abnormal" body structure with highly sensitive imaging, and we have the surgical
means to "correct" these anatomical imperfections. Whilst modern medicine and tech play integral parts to our health system, we need to firstly ask two questions.
Is it really an abnormality?
Is it necessary to treat?
The human body can function incredibly well with all of it's imperfections. Not everything that's 'broken', needs fixing, and not everything that appears broken, is actually broken. Let's look at a dodgy MRI of the back, with all it's glorious arthritis's, bulges, and degenerative changes (which are all, actually, quite common). The patient presents with an acute episode, a moderate niggle. She otherwise does most of her hobbies without issue. She only wishes to get back in the garden. As Dr Wright puts it in his blog...
It’s a good enough back
It’s good enough to tolerate a strengthening program
It’s good enough to support strong relaxed muscles and restored normal posture
it’s good enough to tolerate movement and benefit from it
It’s good enough to stand there without you holding it together with tension"
If it's good enough to do the job, with little pain or risk, then put that scalpel away!