Garbage Can Terms

[NewTestament]

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Are there any words or terms that you would consider a "garbage-can" word, a word that has a broad and vague definition that seems to encompass everything?

For example, I hear the word "overuse" all the time.

Kevin

 

[greco13]

shin splints

 

[Sheldon]

"Core."

 

[paulrc]

functional

 

[jpDPT]

Pain

 

[jesspt]

Pain

An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.

Taken from the International Association for the Study of Pain website.

 

[jpDPT]

Taken from the International Association for the Study of Pain website.

I'd like to rescind my entry.

 

[jesspt]

I'd like to rescind my entry.

Why? No harm in tossing an answer out there.

Your offering up of pain, I think is similar to the other offers in this thread, in that I don't think that many of these are garbage can terms, in that they often have fairly concrete definitions. It's physical therapy's (and medicine's, chiropractic's, etc.) poor understanding of these definitions that leads to confusion, and incorrect application of the term (or diagnosis) in question.

Believe me, not understanding an appropriate definition of pain is a problem that is rampant within PT.

 

[Sheldon]

I'd say an even bigger problem is not truly understanding pain.

 

[jesspt]

I'd say an even bigger problem is not truly understanding pain.

Of course. But given the woeful way in which many of our educational programs address that issue, I don't expect that lack of understanding to improve any time soon.

 

[DPTErudition]

"Explain Pain" is an awesome book, while we're on the subject. Definitely recommend it to PTs.

 

[jesspt]

"Explain Pain" is an awesome book, while we're on the subject. Definitely recommend it to PTs.

 

[DesertPT]

Well I work in a lab right now so I would say "Optimize" and "validate" are starting to get a little old

Don't know if that pertains to PT lol...

 

[thorn22]

Sciatica
Patellofemoral Pain

 

[NewTestament]

What about carpal tunnel syndrome? Is this over-diagnosed?

 

[fozzy40]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b8oB757DKc

 

[Hopein2010]

"Lumbago"