Weekly Blog

Sept 18

I recently finished a podcast that featured Mike Rowe as a guest. You know, the guy from "Dirty Jobs" and the narrator for Discovery's "The Deadliest Catch". Although I don't agree with everything he says (I never do), I find his professional journey both fascinating and hard to believe. There simply can't be that many folks who were in the opera, sold trinkets on QVC, spent a day as a roadkill collector, and started a foundation that funds job training. However, the thing that stuck with me this time was the idea of anagnorisis - a term dating back to ancient Greece for the point in a story when the hero has a sudden realization, when the situation finally makes sense. Imagine the end of the movie "The Usual Suspects" or, as he describes, "The Sixth Sense". It seems we might be inching closer to an anagnorisis when it comes to movement-related or musculoskeletal pain.

At Pro-Activity, we've been framing pain associated with movement (skeletal and soft working tissues) as a harbinger or precursor for a while. We are fond of saying that "movement is a window into future health"- a nod to the fact that how well and how often we humans MOVE is one of our most reliable long-term predictors of future thriving.  A 2025 study, for example, has shown that muscular power (the ability to produce force quickly) is a very strong predictor of premature death - up to 6X more effective than grip strength, which has been established as a gold-standard reference point over decades. Even as large studies on blocking inflammation with medication haven't shown great clinical benefit, resistance exercise, a clear investment in healthy movement, has proven to lower inflammation does; even more so when paired with aerobic exercise, by as much as a staggering 45%.

Yet, many people still think of the onset of movement-related pain as an isolated event - essentially the effect of some momentary cause - instead of a warning light that our whole system may be straining to keep up with everyday tasks. This week we spotted a new review that might signal a change in the narrative.

Published in the Journal of Veteran Studies in May, this review examined the existing literature on musculoskeletal injuries (strains/sprains and other soft tissue injuries) in military populations. These injuries account for 80–85% of all recorded injuries, making them by far the number one cause. Using the evidence as a guide, the authors made a strong case that these injuries happen far more frequently during routine, mostly non-combat activities in service personnel who are over-tired, under-recovered, or stressed (emotionally or physiologically). They further showed that integrated, multi-pronged prevention approaches (e.g., ELEMENTS) are an effective strategy, but coordinated efforts are still lacking at the scale needed to effect change in such a massive organization.

In plain English, these authors provide the evidence that our movement health evolves and changes across our lifespan. Today's cranky joints or sore tendons may not only be local tissue strain but also the earliest warning signs of a body that isn't quite keeping up with the stresses it faces. Therefore, without a deliberate effort to balance the load and improve resilience, today's aches may signal tomorrow's chronic diseases.  Perhaps this explains another 2026 study, which showed that the number of pain sites a person reported was a strong predictor of future cardiovascular disease and premature death during a 14 year follow-up period - anagnorisis.

Here's the good news: the working parts we call "the movement system" are some of the most adaptable and responsive we have. It doesn't take much to keep them strong and healthy, but it does take something. We're here when you're ready.

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.