Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates #426 Dr. Justin Farnsworth - Do You Really Need Surgery For Your Injury?
Dr. Justin Farnsworth is a highly respected physical therapist who emphasizes strength training, movement, and education as foundational tools for managing pain and injury.
In this episode, Justin joins me to challenge some of the most deeply held beliefs in modern healthcare - particularly the assumption that pain automatically requires surgery or rest.
Justin brings clarity, nuance, and evidence to a conversation that affects almost everyone at some point in their life.
Justin and Andrew explore:
• Why surgery performs no better than placebo for many common injuries
• Which injuries truly require surgery and why elite athletes may make different choices than the general population
• New understandings around ACL injuries and how many can heal without surgery
• Why belief and expectation are often stronger predictors of pain than tissue damage
• Why not exercising is a greater long-term health risk than many feared behaviors
• How running can be protective for knee cartilage
• How to safely and progressively reintroduce running into your life
• How to train around pain without making it worse
• And much more
CHAPTERS
01:36 The Role of Imaging in Diagnosing Pain
02:54 Understanding Degenerative Conditions
03:37 The Placebo Effect in Surgery
04:21 FAI and Other Common Diagnoses
07:48 When Surgery is Necessary
09:18 The Importance of Second Opinions
24:20 Manual Therapy and Pain Management
28:53 Manual Therapy and Its Effects
29:23 Understanding ACL Injuries and Treatments
35:47 The Role of Exercise in Long-Term Health
38:37 Challenges and Solutions in Promoting Exercise
45:15 Running and Knee Health
54:23 Programming Around Pain
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