Inquisitive.me

When I started physiotherapy — during my studies and even after — I believed a lot of myths.

Belts that correct posture. Fascia rolls and shakti mats that “release tension.” Trigger points, spinal “adjustments,” and the rule that knees must never go over toes.

Some of it came from lecturers, some from other physios, some from my own therapist back then. And like many, I fell for it.

So why do we believe this stuff?

Take fascia rolls. They cannot change fascia.

They simply cannot apply the pressure needed — your bones would break long before your fascia changed. Here’s the study if you want to see for yourself.

So why does rolling feel good?

Because it affects your nervous system, not your tissue. That is neuromodulation — the pain signal gets dialed down for a while. Temporary relief is not the same as structural change.

I stopped rolling two years ago and focused on strength and mobility instead. I feel better now than I ever did when I rolled daily.

Joint “realignment” is another example. I once saw a non-professional “adjust” someone and they felt better afterward — that was expectation, not anatomy.

If a quick twist really moved vertebrae back into place, then bending forward to tie your shoes would push them out again. And if spinal joints truly shifted that easily, we would all be in wheelchairs. The human body would never allow the spinal cord — arguably our most important structure — to rely on something that unstable.

And knees over toes?

We do that every day — stairs, hills, sitting down, squatting to the floor.

The body is built for it. Yet I once taught the opposite.

Someone challenged me, and I felt annoyed first… then curious… then grateful.

So, why do these myths survive?

Because they are easy to sell. All you need is confident language and skilled hands.

Dale Carnegie explains this beautifully in How to Win Friends and Influence People, with what he calls The Secret of Socrates:

You persuade others by starting with agreement. You ask gentle questions that lead them to say “yes” again and again—until they naturally agree with your main point.

It’s psychological momentum. Once people start saying yes, they want to stay consistent.

Add fear to the mix and it becomes even more powerful. Fear shuts down logic. A simple story feels comforting. A quick fix feels magical.

Even when the fear fades and logic comes back, most people still do not speak up.

We assume the other person knows more than we do, and we do not want to expose ourselves. Or sometimes we are simply being polite.

Better to stay quiet than risk sounding rude or uninformed.

Doubt feels uncomfortable. Silence feels safe.

Professionals build bubbles that way. They think everyone agrees simply because no one challenges them.

So please — do not stay silent. I tell my patients to question me. Make me explain. Ask for evidence. That keeps both of us accountable.

I once had a lecturer crumble when questioned — not because she was bad, but because she had never been challenged. She lived in a certainty bubble.

There is nothing wrong with placebo comfort at the right moment. A colleague once lost part of her finger and needed relief — the placebo helped her, and I am glad it did.

But when we provide “magic hands,” we’re putting on the cape of responsibility.

“It is not my fault — it is my age, my job, my sitting, my training.” Believing that means nothing needs to change. Just book the next session.

Short-term relief looks like success. Patients feel grateful. Therapists feel powerful.

But here is the problem: I tried playing the superhero once, just to see. Yes, it works. But it felt dishonest. I was raised to tell the truth — and truth matters more than applause.

And here is the uncomfortable lesson:

Being truthful and sounding credible are not the same thing.

Someone can sound confident and still be wrong. Someone can speak truth and still be doubted.

Online, certainty wins clicks. In real life, truth wins trust — slowly, quietly, deeply.

Credibility captures attention. Truth builds trust. And trust is where recovery begins.

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take a moment to reflect — on what you believe, what you question, and what you are willing to change.

🧪 Let’s Experiment

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Test ideas with curiosity, not confrontation.

You do not need to debate people or prove them wrong — you just need to see what happens when you gently question certainty.

🎯 Try This:

Next time someone confidently explains a health belief or pain myth, try asking one or two simple questions out of genuine curiosity:

• “How does that work in the body?”
• “What makes you sure about that?”
• “Where did you learn that?”
• “If that’s true, how would we explain X?”

You are not trying to argue.

You are simply opening a window and letting fresh air in.

If the person can clearly explain it — or honestly says “I don’t know, but I believe it works” — you are standing in front of someone who values truth.

But if they stumble, look for excuses, or get defensive, then you are seeing someone who values credibility more than clarity.

And that tells you a lot.

🧠 Final Thought:

Curiosity is not confrontation — it is protection. For your mind, your body, and your healing.

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Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learning—you’ve got this.

Take care,

Carina 🦊