it's one of the best things that I ever did with my practice, you know, neurosurgical practice

was to integrate a functional training centre and it's very, very satisfying. I think,

you know, my colleagues look at me, you know, my conventional neurosurgeons,

go, what's David doing? What crazy stuff is there? But you know, what they're now starting to

refer patients to me. Hello and welcome to Pursuing Health. I'm Dr. Julie Fouche,

family physician and former CrossFit Gains Athlete. Here I bring you information and inspiration

to help bridge the gap between fitness and medicine and support your journey toward your healthiest

self. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. David Johnson. Dr. Johnson is a brain and spinal neurosurgeon

who has a pioneering practice in Brisbane, Australia. He's also the co-owner of CrossFit

Neural, the first clinical CrossFit affiliate. Dr. Johnson combines his passion for CrossFit,

Olympic weightlifting, neurosurgery and science to deliver the fundamental message that learning

to move proficiently is key to preventing movement dysfunction, which can lead to chronic

back pain symptoms. Many of Dr. Johnson's patients go on and become members of his affiliate as part

of their recovery process to rehab and to avoid future spine surgery. I first had the opportunity

to hear about Dr. Johnson's work when he presented at the 2018 CrossFit Health Conference,

and I was excited to catch up with him to learn how his practice has changed and evolved over the

years and how he has created a model that is so effective. In this episode, we talk about the

importance of addressing the root cause of pain rather than just treating symptoms and why other

factors like sleep, nutrition and stress management also play an important role in managing and

preventing back pain. Before we dive into the episode, I do want to make it clear that this

podcast is for general information only and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you

seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns. So with that,

...