The ‘wear and tear’ myth
After many years of treating injured tradies, I’ve noticed similarities between the language used when talking about machinery on the jobsite, and the body.
“Something’s out of place,” “Just a bit of wear and tear.”
These are common phrases a tradesman (or woman!) might use to describe their injury to me in the clinic. I’m not sure how this common comparison came about; perhaps through health professionals attempting to simplify matters, or through misrepresentation of the body and injuries in the media. Whatever the origins, two things are clear: firstly, this way of thinking is ingrained within the general population. Secondly, and most importantly, to think of the human body as a machine is not only not doing it justice, it is also completely inaccurate.…