These are our top jams – 2016

Our best year yet

By every measure, 2016 has been our best year yet on noijam – more posts, more authors, more views, more comments and more visitors than any other year.

We look back each year and reflect on whether we achieved our goals of connecting with more clinical scientists, providing an open liberal discussion forum, facilitating findings from science into clinical decision making, and bringing researchable ideas from the clinic to the fore. We think we knocked it out of the park in 2016 – and the most popular posts provide a wonderful review of the scope and depth we covered.

These are our hottest ‘jams

So without further ado, here are the top 10 ‘jam posts on 2016:

10. Hearing what you expect to hear

Blanaid’s post, inspired by a nocturnal adventure in the wilds of Queensland, highlighted the power of our expectations in shaping our experiences.

9. A bit of Merleau-Ponty with your Maitland

On the importance of philosophy in science and, perhaps, in the clinic.

8. Clinical reasoning rises

As the third in a trio of great posts from David Bolton on clinical reasoning, this piece focused on the power of first hand subjective and objective information, and the dangers of relying on scans (with a bit of editorial fun in naming the post)

7. The silent epidemic

The NOInote for July on the ‘epidemic no one talks about’ coincided with Australian National Pain Week. Aimed at increasing awareness about the problem of pain, and drawing attention to the role that education plays in overcoming all epidemics. The images representing pain populations in Australia and the US went viral.

6. Un-deconstucted

The headline Dismantling ‘the core’ to better back care, promised so much, but lamentably, did not deliver. 

5. Two knees and a hip

David Butler interviewed his dear friend John Barbis about his experience with a total hip replacement (to go with his two previous total knee replacements)

4. Selfie elbow epidemic

Just a bit of fun.

3. Avoiding empathy burnout

Hayley’s post on the challenge of remaining connected to patients, while protecting ourselves as clinicians.

2. Thought Viruses

This March NOInote included a video designed to be used in the clinic to introduce the idea of Thought Viruses and knowledge as their vaccine.

1. Summer is coming – Frozen Shoulder

April’s NOInote was the runaway winner this year. Featuring an outstanding paper from our friend Max Pietrzak positing a hypothesis for adhesive capsulitis that covered metabolic syndrome, pro-inflammatory cytokines, chronic low grade inflammation, a dysregulated autonomic nervous system, and the unexpressed evolutionary function of the shoulder joint! Yes, it is quite a read.

And we’re out

Our thanks to all who have shared the 2016 noijam journey with us – as trite as it sounds, we really wouldn’t have a blog without you.

We’ll be back in 2017 – it is going to be a big year for NOI and we’re looking forward to having you along for the ride.

Safe and happy holidays to all

-The NOI team

Melbourne, 31 March – 2 April EP + GMI
Adelaide, 26-28 May EP + GMI
Wollongong, 14-16 July EP + GMI
Darwin, 4-6 August EP + GMI
Brisbane, 25-27 August EP + GMI
Newcastle, 8-10 September EP + GMI