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Should you eliminate these 5 things in the gym?

NICK GOLINVAUX, MD March 9, 2024 Hi Reader, How is your week going? So far, I've had a productive one: I learned that Taylor Swift and poet Emily Dickinson are related. I accepted a generous invitation to be on an upcoming episode of an orthopedic surgery podcast (more details soon!). Due to popular demand, I wrote about upper extremity safety in the gym. If you workout regularly, you've surely had a hand or upper extremity twinge from time to time. It can be difficult to know...was that just...
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Think You Know Arthritis? This Will Change Your Mind

February 15, 2025 | SUBSCRIBE | SHOP | ARCHIVE Written by Dr. Nick Golinvaux Good morning. It's been a big week for Rules of Thumb (more on that soon). Welcome to our 2,326 new readers — we are so grateful to have you here! This feels like an appropriate time to reiterate the primary objective of Rules of Thumb. This newsletter exists for one purpose — to deliver digestible orthopedic knowledge meant to empower you. Once you better understand your bones, muscles, and joints, you can make...
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Why Pro Athletes Fear This Tiny Wrist Bone

February 8, 2025 | SUBSCRIBE Good morning. This officially marks exactly one year since I sent out the first Rules of Thumb newsletter. Like I said last week, thank you for being along for the ride. I'm so excited for the next year and wherever it takes us. In other news, the Super Bowl is tomorrow. This week, I was informed of the Super Bowl logo conspiracy theory for the first time. How many of you are aware of this? If it's true, I suppose the Eagles are bound to win this year. Sure does...
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Gym 101: What everyone should know about their muscle burn

February 1, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE Good morning. Next week marks the 52nd edition of Rules of Thumb! It's hard to believe we've been hanging out every Saturday for nearly a year. In lieu of a real party, we'll have to settle for a virtual toast. A toast and a thank you to you — my readers. Your support, your comments, and your questions inspire me to keep at this week after week. I truly couldn't do it without you, and I appreciate the time you spend reading this newsletter each week. So here's to...
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The Pop That Could Cost Your Biceps

January 25, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE Good morning. I'm not sure about you, but I didn't exactly enjoy that polar blast we got this week. Nor did our dog. Each time we let him out to 'potty,' it was only a matter of seconds before he got those prance-y feet some dogs get in the snow. To think he descended from wolves... **This newsletter has occasional affiliate links (at no cost to you). These small commissions will always be re-invested into Rules of Thumb to improve the experience for all.** ♻️...
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Carpal Tunnel: Myths, Facts, and When to Worry

January 18, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE Good morning. I can finally share some exciting news with you. For nearly a year, I've been working with the newsletter 1440 (and their 4.1 million readers) to write several of their health/medicine articles. To say it has been a blast would be an understatement. They are currently in the process of launching their new 1440 Topics website. Think of it like Wikipedia, but if Wikipedia worked tirelessly to source only the best resources on the internet on any given...
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The Hidden Cost of Your Phone Grip (Plus a Gift for Early Readers)

January 11, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE Happy Saturday. This week I have a couple updates. This includes a slight change to my typical weekly deep dive. I've also completed work on my biggest deep dive (by far) to date. It's more of a mini-book than an article. But first, as a total non sequitur, I have to share something my friend recently brought up. "We all talk about unicorns being so magical and a thing of the fantasy world. But unicorns are really just one evolutionary horn away from a horse. The...
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How Soon Can You Really Drive After Surgery?

January 4, 2025 | SUBSCRIBE Good morning. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break. Mine was full of family time, frosted sugar cookies, and can-you-take-this-bump-off-before-my-deductible-resets surgeries. We figured out how to go to the moon, but we clearly haven't won the battle against arbitrary deadlines. ** This newsletter features occasional affiliate links, meaning I will earn a small commission (at no cost to you) if you purchase a linked product. These small amounts will always...
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Got Blood Under Your Nail? Read This First

December 14, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE Good morning. Unfortunately, the week before last brought two notable events in the healthcare world. One, the chilling murder of a health insurance executive. Shortly thereafter, Blue Cross/Blue Shield announced they would only pay for a portion of some patients' time under anesthesia. Both are appalling, though in very different ways. A colleague of mine wrote a really thoughtful breakdown of how these two events fit in the larger picture of our failing...
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