Inquisitive.me

You can know everything—and still miss what actually matters.

When I became a physio, I learned how to test everything. ACL, meniscus, muscle strength, range of motion, swelling—if it had a name, I probably had a test for it.

And I’ll be honest with you.

In my current work as a free practitioner? I barely use most of them.

Not because they’re useless. They’re not.

If you’re standing on the sideline of a football game, you need those tests. And if someone walks in without any medical context, they can be incredibly valuable.

But in my setting? Most people have already seen a doctor.

And in Austria, I’m not even the one making the diagnosis anyway.

So the question becomes:

If a test doesn’t change what I do… what’s the point?

Because that’s where a lot of testing quietly loses its value.

We measure range of motion—but limited range doesn’t automatically mean pain.
We test isolated muscle strength—but a “weak” muscle doesn’t automatically explain the problem.
We fill out questionnaires—but patients often don’t understand what those numbers actually mean.

And if the patient doesn’t understand it… it rarely changes anything.

That was my issue.

Not that the tests were wrong. But they often didn’t translate.

They didn’t tell me how someone actually moves. And more importantly, they didn’t tell my patient anything useful about their own body.

So for a long time, I probably swung too far in the other direction.

I under-tested.

Partly because some of these tests never felt truly objective to me.

My “5 out of 5 strength” might be someone else’s “3 out of 5.” (Especially if that someone else is 2 meters tall with hands like frying pans.)

And let’s not even talk about trying to perform a proper Lachman test on a muscular athlete with my tiny hands. That test humbled me very quickly.

But recently, something shifted.

I didn’t suddenly start using more tests.

I just started asking a better question:

What if I stopped testing parts… and started testing function?

Because the body doesn’t work in isolation. It never has.

So instead of measuring knee extension with a tool that’s not perfectly accurate—and impossible for patients to reproduce at home—I ask something much simpler:

“Can you create enough tension to lift your heel by pressing your knee down?”

It’s not fancy. But it’s functional.

They can do it at home.
They can feel it.
And I know: extension is good enough to move on.

Same idea with strength.

Instead of me resisting a quad contraction (and losing that battle against most men), we use single-leg squats or step-downs—sometimes loaded.

Now we have something real.

They see where they are.
They know what they’re working toward.
And they can re-test it anytime.

No guessing. No interpretation games.

Just:
Can you do it—or not yet?

Calf strength? Calf raises.
Shoulder? Functional pushing or pulling tasks.
Back, glutes—same principle.

For every patient, I pick two or three simple tests.
We repeat them every session.

Nothing fancy.

But suddenly, everything makes sense.

Because now we’re not comparing abstract numbers. We’re comparing function.

Left vs. right.
Then vs. now.
Fewer reps vs. more reps.
Shaky vs. controlled.

That’s something people understand.

And more importantly—that’s something they care about.

It also gives me honest feedback.

Are they doing their exercises?
Are we progressing?
Are we stuck?

No need to overanalyze.

The answer is right there.

And that’s the shift:

From testing to measure… to testing to guide.

Because the best test isn’t the one that gives you the most data.

It’s the one that actually changes something.

For you—and for the person in front of you.

🧪 Let’s Experiment

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The best test is the one you actually understand.

So instead of chasing numbers—let’s make it real.

🎯 Try This:

Try a simple single-leg squat or step-down.

Not perfect form.

Not deep.

Just controlled enough that you feel stable.

Now ask yourself:

• Can I do it without wobbling everywhere?
• Does one side feel easier?
• Would I trust this movement in real life?

If yes—good.

If not—that’s your starting point.

Now here’s the important part:

Don’t just retest randomly in a few days.

Change something first.

Train it. Practice it. Expose yourself to that movement a bit more.

Then come back and test again.

🧠 Final Thought:

No scale needed. Just: can you do it—or not yet?

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

Take care,

Carina 🦊