Life in Motion. The Power of Physical Therapy

"We move too little or in the wrong ways; movement is vanishing from our lives and also from medicine,” says Professor Pavel Kolář, a renowned physiotherapist who has been practising at the forefront of rehabilitative and sports medicine for thirty years. Working with the sophisticated machinery of the human body and mind, he tries to identify the true cause of his patients' disorders and use appropriate methods to restore them to full health. In this interview with journalist Renata Červenková, he explains the basic principles of human movement and how it develops in the early years of life. He also discusses the role that our brains play in our movement, as well as the influences of genetics, stress, repetitive strain, unhappy relationships, spirituality (or a lack thereof), and the urge to "have fun"... He reveals surprising connections that confirm that nothing happens in our bodies by chance, much though it might often appear to. Why can a scrawny farmhand push a heavier load than a bodybuilder? Why might an MRI reveal nothing even though your back hurts like hell? Why are some people more deft than others? Why might lung cancer make your shoulder hurt? Why would we stop to take photos of a tsunami instead of running for our lives? Prof. Kolář answers these questions and many more.