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This clip is from episode 287 – Lower back pain: causes, treatment, and prevention of lower back injuries and pain with Stuart McGill, Ph.D. Stuart McGill is a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo and the chief scientific officer at Backfitpro Inc. ( where he specializes in evaluating complex cases of lower back pain from across the globe.
In this clip, Peter and Stuart discuss:
– How to maximize the longevity of the spine
– How young people should be thinking about keeping their spine healthy
– The best exercises and resources for promoting back health
– And more
——–
About:
The Peter Attia Drive is a deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing longevity, and all that goes into that from physical to cognitive to emotional health. With over 70 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including exercise, nutritional biochemistry, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.
Peter Attia is the founder of Early Medical, a medical practice that applies the principles of Medicine 3.0 to patients with the goal of lengthening their lifespan and simultaneously improving their healthspan.
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Constant mobility is the best medicine for all future pain… 🙄🙄🙄
What about back extensions?
No posture is a bad posture unless you get stuck in it!
Best professor i ever had. Stu is the man
Some of this is bad advice, not consistent with current evidence on low back pain
Good work
The weight of that mustache is a contraindication to spine health in its own right
https://youtu.be/05NN8hypY-s?si=6NmyPZusm13kVhRP
Really interesting. I could use a visit to that old man. I’ve managed to stall my back decline since breaking 27 bones and 4 vertebrae 13 years ago but don’t seem to be progressing past about 80% with endurance being my biggest issue now. Maybe he can get me a little further along.
Dr quack strikes again 🦆 Stuart McGill has very little evidence for the things he speaks about
Key takeaways: 1. Teaching how to prevent a problem may be a waste of time because people tend to only be interested when something is wrong. 2. Online resources are often inadequate for providing solutions because an individual needs a specific assessment of their problem to understand how to address it. 3. Seeking help online and operating in an increasingly digital world is helping cause many of our problems in the first place.
I walk, run, swim, bike regularly and I still suffer tightness/ stiffness and in my traps, Scalenes, Rhomboid, Deltoids, lats, QL, glutes, quads, Hip flexors, hamstrings, calves. It’s probably quicker to mention the muscles that don’t cause me bother. If I lift weights or do body weight exercises it just makes the problems 10 times worse. In fact, the less exercise I do, the more mobile I feel. Work that one out.
Ps That’s with all the stretching and mobility work I can can fit in.
I damaged tendons on the back of my knees. My body’s biomechanics is off. Pain in my lower back and neck.
I use to look like Spider-Man.😢
So walking 30 minutes every morning prevents back pain?
I fixed my posture 20 years ago with Alexander Technique. Fixed a pinched nerve in my neck. It was a game changer. I can relate to everything discussed here.
Gold thank you!
9:45 Retiring early
First few minutes was comedy 😂
I'm in my early 30's and I recently started doing light exercise like bodyweight squats after rarely ever exercising in my 20's and I started getting constantly worsening lower back pain about a month ago and I'm at the point where I almost can't walk. I really don't know what to do.
Gosh, I’m depressed. I have a computer job… and I believe him he is healthier now without computer all day long
I fell off a roof in my late 20's, a bit more than 15ft. I hit the ground (combination of dirt, grass and rocks) like a long jumper because I was trying to land on my feet instead of my backside. I landed 1,2. Heels and then backside. The force of landing split my shoes and skin on my heels. I was in incredible pain. I was on the ground for maybe 20 minutes before I crawled in to the house. A relative actual cleaned and then super glued glued shut the wounds on my heels. We were rural, 1hr+ from the hospital. I spent 3 days in bed taking over the counter pain killers. When I saw my family doctor some time later, he happen to measure me. I had lost about 3/4's of an inch from 6'4" 1/2 to 6'3" 3/4's. An X-ray confirmed that my spine had a slight "S" curve to it now. The thing is, I had hurt my back playing football when I was 18 and it would "Go out" on me maybe twice a year after, it would hurt and tighten up to the point where I couldn't walk. Incredibly painful. After my falling accident and nearly 2 decades later now, it never went out again, I sometimes have minor back pain, but it's nothing like it was before. My doctor had offered procedures to get my height back but I don't want to risk having extreme back pain again.
Stop wiggling your back and strengthen your erectors through squats and deadlifts.
That’s why everyone is on pills, they do not want to put in any work, just 5 seconds of swallowing a pill that only masks the issues.
Read Dr. John Sarno, most back pain is caused by repressed emotions, specifically internalized anger to the point of rage.
Pain is a good teacher.
I have high triglyceride 400 and Apob 76, my doc put me on statins,I am very much active in gym and addicted to peanuts 🙂
Thank 😊 you. Fantastic interview.
I used a couple of chiropractors but ended up fixing my own problem because I was riding my bike pulling on my bars…big mistake. btw, first missed it as l4 problem but he made that joint loser but the second diagnosis was right tight s-i joint 30 years ago, at least
Walking, running, bicycles, escooters, green open spaces, electric buses, electric commuter trains and trams are all parts of a good transportation system. Speak up for improved transportation options in your city. Every train station needs safe, protected places to park and lock bicycles. Children and older adults should be able to ride bicycles to work, school or for fun safely. Stay active for as long as you can.
3:10 You guys walk? Don't you guys have "smart" phones and outsource walking to the other guy?
@peterattiamd thoughts on internal hip rotation and back pain? Can you ask mcgill this question? Over the years hip rotation can be affected by age
He changed mylife
Second
👍👍