When you have musculoskeletal pain, the natural instinct is to try and treat it directly. But the cause of that pain often starts somewhere else in the body.

I learned that from this week's guest, Dr. JJ Thomas, who is my physical therapist and good friend. She was my patient first, and now we are each other's patients. She has practiced physical therapy for more than 25 years and has worked with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and athletes from the UFC and US Olympic programs.

What you'll learn in this episode:

Why a chronic tendon injury can come right back, even after eccentric loading or PRP
Whether a frozen shoulder in menopause is a hormone problem, and one of the first movements Dr. Thomas checks
Why she works lying on her stomach, and the 10-minute band routine she wrote for an eight-hour desk day
Why sitting up taller won't fix your posture, and what poor posture tells her about your body
Why she gives patients shoulder blade exercises for their pelvic floor
How much a standard squat does for your posterior chain, and the position she wants you in more often
Why she believes “overuse” injuries are often underuse injuries, and how that changes the way she treats shin splints
Why needling a clinician's quad and adductors normalized his neck rotation
What her blood work showed after years of hard training, and the nutrition change she calls her “game changer”

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Manukora - Get 31% off at https://www.manukora.com/drlyon

• Timeline - up to 20% off when you subscribe and save at https://www.timeline.com/lyon

• Bon Charge - Use code DRLYON for 15% off at https://www.boncharge.com

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Find Dr. JJ Thomas at:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjjthomas

• Website: https://primalphysicaltherapy.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjjphysicaltherapist/

Connect with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon:

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• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drgabriellelyon

• Facebook: http://facebook.com/doctorgabriellelyon

• X: http://x.com/drgabriellelyon

• Apply to become a patient – https://drgabriellelyon.com/new-patient-inquiry/

• Weekly newsletter – https://institute-for-muscle-centric-medicine.ck.page

Chapters

00:00 – Posture Myths & Why Sitting Up Straight Fails

02:18 – Treating Root Causes vs. Bandaging Pain

06:48 – The Hazards of Sitting & Reframing Movement as Health

13:39 – The 7 Primal Movement Patterns Every Body Needs

25:28 – Scapular Stability, Pelvic Health, and Primal Movements

39:12 – Fixing Glute Amnesia & Activating the Posterior Chain

51:57 – Why "Overuse" Injuries Are Really Underuse Problems

58:34 – Dry Needling & System-Based Movement Resets

1:13:53 – Dialing in Hormones, Protein, and Metabolic Health

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Disclaimers: This episode includes paid sponsorships.

The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Podcast and YouTube are for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, YouTube, or materials linked from this podcast or YouTube is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professional for any such conditions.

Dr. JJ Thomas: Pain Is an Alarm. Why Your Injury Keeps Coming Back and How To Fix It

The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show

Dr. JJ Thomas: Pain Is an Alarm. Why Your Injury Keeps Coming Back and How To Fix It