Brian Carroll X Professor Stu McGill interview 2024

To read Prof McGill’s CV, you can go HERE, but here is a little bit about him:

“Dr. Stuart M. McGill is a “distinguished professor emeritus”, University of Waterloo, where he was a professor for 30 years. His laboratory and experimental research clinic investigated issues related to the causal mechanisms of back pain, how to rehabilitate back-pained people and enhance both injury resilience and performance. His advice is often sought by governments, corporations, legal experts, medical groups and elite athletes and teams from around the world. 

His work produced over 245 peer-reviewed scientific journal papers, several textbooks, and many international awards including the “Order of Canada” in 2020 for leadership in the back pain area. He mentored over 37 graduate students during this scientific journey.

During this time he taught thousands of clinicians and practitioners in professional development and continuing education courses around the world.

He continues as the Chief Scientific Officer for Backfitpro Inc. Difficult back cases, and elite performers, are regularly referred to him for consultation. Any product associated with this website has been tested in Dr. McGill’s laboratory.”

Again, If you still need to watch last year’s first McGill interview series, check it out! Last year, I did a series with Professor Stu McGill interview 2023, and as such, I am following up with more profound questions so we can all learn from someone with such vast experience.

What did Professor McGill and I discuss?

“What is the biggest misconception about your work (McGill method)?” 

I ask Prof McGill about his favorite person type or athlete to tune from back pain to performance. His answer may surprise you, as it did me. “As you know, Brian, I like cars, trucks, fast snowmobiles; I like tuning all machines.” 

Part of this interview is about my curiosity. I wanted to ask Prof McGill which cases (back) he sees and says to himself, “Oh man, this is going to be a rough one.” Sometimes, when people come to us, the answer/solution to their pain is straightforward and can be a simple fix. Other times, it’s much more challenging to sort out multiple levels of injury/pain and various pain triggers, i.e., Facet, disc, and nerve pain, or, as Stu discusses, a botched surgery case concerning a disc and nerve scarring. 

We discuss when to be hands-off with an athlete, soldier, or layperson who isn’t listening to your advice. Working with athletes can be challenging. Fighters, lifters, and special forces soldiers sometimes need help to slow down. When do you let go and let them do what they want, even if it’s not the best choice for them? As discussed in Gift of Injury, I had to learn the hard way. I had to fail, and I rushed it. Luckily, I learned from a failure that helped take me to the next level of training.

I ask Professor McGill about manipulations, magic hands, and different types of hacks or snag workarounds for back pain and when appropriate. He shares his experiences with manipulation and the good and the bad he’s seen. With my background in massage therapy, I ask Prof McGill when he needs someone with manual therapy skills to step in for back pain. Also, how does he feel about aggressive yanking /pulling adjustments for the back and body?

Without fail, I’m surprised by Professor McGill’s answers, experience, and wisdom. It gives me a unique perspective to see how far I have to go before I am truly a master in the pain and performance world. I cannot wait to do the next one!

Brian offers Virtual & in-person coaching

Back Injured Average Mary or Joe who wants their life back

Back Injured Athlete Wanting to Return to Sport

Lift and exercise coaching & cueing to troubleshoot form

Program adherence & accountability coaching

Nutrition & Supplementation Coaching & Guidance (10 or 20 weeks)