We always need to be careful about how we use research results, peer reviewed or not. As I am constantly saying:
“Research does not PROVE anything, it merely suggests …”
Scooby Werkstatt
And just because research suggests something doesn’t necessarily mean that it applies to you and your condition. The intricacies of research are mind boggling and just reading the abstract can easily lead you to form an incorrect opinion. You really need to read the whole research paper to understand and frankly, fully comprehending a research paper is usually beyond the reach of anyone who is not a researcher in that particular field. Before you make a big health decision based on something you have read, please ask your doctor/surgeon how they think the research applies or does not apply to YOU.
A great example is my last blog post on cardio and heart conditions, that is a great one to discuss with your doctor! Dont just blindly do more cardio because maybe for you and your condition, that is a bad thing.
This study on surgery for shoulder dislocations is another great example that is near and dear to my heart. The research seems to indicate that surgery for shoulder dislocations is for cosmetic purposes only. I can tell you that from personal experience this is not the case. I dislocated my shoulder in PE class in high school playing football. I did physical therapy. A few years later it happened again and was far worse requiring a sling for a month. Again physical therapy. A few years later an even more severe dislocation and even more time in the sling. In my particular case, the only way to stop these chronic dislocations was surgery.
Moral is, read the research and have an open mind but remember it proves nothing and it may or may not apply to YOU.