This week we have on the back mechanic himself, Dr. Stuart McGill. If you do not know Dr. McGill, you must have been hiding under a rock for the past 10 years. He is a 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 240 peer-reviewed scientific journal papers, several textbooks, and many international awards. 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. Today he continues as the Chief Scientific Officer for Backfitpro Inc and regularly sees clients with difficult back cases who have tried everything else and are thus referred to him for consultation. In this episode we discuss his path to become the world leader in spine biomechanics, understanding back pain, and how to have tough conversations with clients. Let’s dive right in.