Sarah McGill

“I’m a 63-year-old man with mild degenerative disc disease, facet arthropathy, femoral impingement, and lateral lumbar stenosis. Recently, I also discovered I have degenerative joint disease in both hips, now bone-on-bone. Thankfully, a right hip replacement is scheduled for next month, thanks to Sarah McGill’s accurate diagnosis.

Over the past year, I’ve had low back and femoral nerve pain, likely from either my lumbar or hip issues, but I’ve struggled to pinpoint the root cause. My hip range has always been poor, and despite improving my flexibility and core strength through back-friendly yoga, my pain persisted and even worsened.

After numerous visits to specialists, no one helped as much as Sarah did in a single session. She identified mobility issues and suggested strategies, focusing on my limited hip range. Sarah said, “I think more of your problem may be due to your hip(s) than your back.” Afterward, she showed me the McGill Big-3 for core strength and provided a detailed action plan. My doctor agreed with her, and X-rays confirmed the need for two new hips.

Sarah, you’re a true professional, and I’m grateful for your help in uncovering the root cause of my mobility issues. I hope, and expect the hip replacement will alleviate my back pain and limp.

Recently, Sarah checked on my progress, offering further detailed explanations and strategies. If you’re dealing with back pain, don’t just rely on medication or guesswork—read Back Mechanic, get an assessment from the McGill team, and you’ll be on the right track.

Thank you, Sarah McGill!”

– Scott Kiser
Victoria, Canada

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“It was an absolute pleasure working with Sarah. Her high level observational and analytical skills and competence were evident throughout her assessment, summary and strengthening program for my particular needs. This was beautifully complemented by her kind and thoughtful approach. I learned so much! I wish the basics of back anatomy and effective movement were taught in schools.”

– Danielle Johnson

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“Sarah was fantastic – friendly and very easy to feel comfortable with going through the movements. Sarah shows you how to move and bend that is the best for your back and health over the long term – and gives you personal tips on your posture and habits that she notices. She will even video your movements that you can refer to later. My issues were minor, so it was more preventative and it helped me do the BIG 3 with better form. GREAT appointment and worth the time and value. THANK YOU SARAH”

– Angela Mackay

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“After over two years of consistent lower back pain, diagnosed as piriformis syndrome, visits to the doctor and a physiotherapist I finally decided I had to do something different. The final catalyst was while at the gym, I was unable to do a relatively benign leg lift, without excruciating pain in my lower back. I had already been introduced to Back Mechanic by Stuart McGill. I decided I would contact Sarah McGill. My call to Sarah was the beginning of my journey to finally experiencing pain-free movement and the ongoing ability to do simple routine tasks such as putting on my pants, sneezing, rolling over in bed, moving from sitting to standing and a host of other daily movements that without pain are taken for granted.

After our initial telephone discussion I met with Sarah and we went through a physical assessment of my back issues. Sarah showed me a series of exercise, ensured that I was doing them correctly and committed to following up our visit with an email summarizing the assessment and providing a detailed instruction on the exercises I was to do to help me overcome my back pain.

I followed through with the exercise program and about a month later I had a return visit to Sarah to go over my progress, and there had been progress at that point, less pain, more agility. Sarah gave me an enhanced exercise program, to supplement, the original program and again ensured I knew how to do the movements correctly before ending the session.

I am very satisfied with my progress to date and I am very satisfied with the caring, professional way that Sarah approached our interactions and her thoroughness in both our in person discussions and the summaries she provided by email. My only regret is that I wasn’t introduced to Sarah and the McGill Method earlier in my battle with back pain!!”

– Doug Pringle

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“I’ve struggled with back injuries for my entire adult life, and have tried most available options, from medications to physio to surgery. Despite experiencing temporary relief after surgery, back pain and sciatica have continued to be a dominant feature of my day-to-day life. As a physician, I systematically applied multiple evidence-based rehabilitation strategies with frustratingly mediocre results. Sarah and her application of the McGill Method have provided me with fantastic results comparable to the best possible surgical outcome. Crucially, she achieved this without the risk of potentially dire surgical complications. I almost certainly would have undergone another surgical procedure without her help, and I am incredibly grateful for her life-changing care. Her prescribed rehabilitation program required minimal time commitment and was extremely easy to integrate into my daily routine. I highly recommend Sarah and the McGill Method to anyone struggling with back pain.”

– Brendan Kelliher

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“I highly recommend Sarah McGill and the McGill Method, for helping heal and prevent low-back injuries. Prior to working with Sarah, I’d tried endless self-help back/hip videos, doctors and physical therapists. Those prior attempts all involved minimal diagnostic time and exercise experiments that made things worse. The doctors had recommended that I just live with it or use pain meds that the NIH views as non-useful.

I was unable to work, run, drive, sit, stand, or travel to see my aging mother. I was very discouraged and knew I needed a more thorough diagnosis and healing approach. My MRI showed disc bulges & herniation.

I’d seen videos on the McGill Method which incorporates a more thorough diagnosis and evidence-based steps to heal. I read the book, “Back Mechanic”. It struck me as scientific, pragmatic, and safe. I wanted to get coaching in the McGill Method, but I couldn’t travel without inflaming the nerves.

Sarah McGill agreed to help me via video call. After six weeks, my back is much better. I have found her coaching approach to be safe, gentle, gradual, and effective.

Sarah is a great listener and her experience allows her to present the info in a variety of ways so I can understand/visualize it. I intend to continue with her coaching to fully heal my back, integrate healthier movement patterns, and rebuild my athletic abilities. I wish I’d done this my whole life. Many thanks.”

– Michael Kelley Harris, Software Engineer and amateur runner and gardener

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“After struggling at 26 with severe back pain for over a year, I was ready to give up and accept there was no way to fix it, but then I met Sarah. I had been to countless specialists and had spent thousands of dollars on treatments but no one had any answers, and no treatment helped for long.

Sarah’s approach was unlike any other. She performed an extensive in-home assessment and identified what helped and what hurt my back. She also reviewed my MRI images with Dr. McGill and they discovered things that no one had seen in the past.

Her understanding of my spinal mechanics, and the way she explained my own back to me, made me trust her and her recommendations. I started following her movement suggestions and exercise recommendations and a week later I started to feel better.

Throughout the process Sarah has been diligent in answering all of my questions and helping me to adjust my lifestyle to support my back. I no longer complain about my back pain and believe I will live 100% pain free before too long with the help and support of Sarah.”

– Meghan Dunstan

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“I am so thankful for the opportunity to work with Sarah and her ability to resolve my lingering back pain.

After reading the Back Mechanic book (which I highly recommend), I implemented the program and was able to see some immediate results but was left with some specific questions and remained somewhat stuck in a cycle of re-injury each time I attempted to resume exercising.

Through a few online sessions with Sarah, she was able to pinpoint the behaviours I needed to change to stop injuring myself and build an exercise program to build resiliency in my back. It was extremely helpful to have her expertise and coaching to ensure I was doing the movements correctly and getting the benefit from each of them.

By diligently following the program Sarah laid out, I can honestly say the change in my level of pain and daily discomfort has been miraculous.

The exercises and behavioral changes have been easy to incorporate into my daily routines and by following them for the past 6 weeks my back pain has been virtually eliminated.

Being able to see this level of change in such a short time is astounding after dealing with an increasing level of pain & discomfort for so long.

I am very confident that I now have a program I can follow going forward that will help me stay pain free and continue to increase my ability to move well and do the things important to me in life.

The entire process has been overwhelmingly positive. Sarah is a joy to work with, is a great listener and communicator and even offered great guidance on things like sleep and breathing.

Thank you, Sarah, for all your help and for making my life better.”

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“I’m a competitive basketball player that had lower back pain. It kept me from doing any physical activity. Over the past 7 months of working with Sarah, she has helped me regain my ability to compete and beyond! Not only does she care for back pain, she also trains a number of mind and body exercises, along with breathing practices. All in all, Sarah is an amazing back specialist who is a joy to work with!”

-Halle
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“Sarah was incredibly thorough in my initial assessment and was able to explain the potential cause of my injuries immediately. We began working through various exercises, including “The Big Three”, which helped rebuild my core and spine stability to return to my favourite activities like cycling and hiking!”

​-Bert

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“I have read the books (Back Mechanic and Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance by Stuart McGill). I also spent a fair bit of time on Youtube trying to “fix” my problem with my low back. However, I realized after my first zoom meeting with Sarah that it is the small things that make a big difference. Sarah coached me through the McGill BIG 3 exercises and I was quickly in a sweat. It really felt different than “my version” of the BIG 3. After a little more coaching sessions I feel I am on my way and can already feel the benefits.
​I would recommend Sarah to anyone who wants to get serious about moving away from pain and discomfort.

-Henry”