Lars Avemarie is one of the most well-read, clear-thinking people I have come across in the fields of pain science and rehabilitation. Born in Denmark, he currently works in Sweden. He is a physiotherapist and personal trainer, and a prolific blogger, educator and public figure on social media.
In this conversation, Lars shares his experiences going back to university at the age of 39 to study physiotherapy, his advice on learning to think critically and challenge your own beliefs, and how to develop your confidence to effectively apply the biopsychosocial approach to pain rehabilitation.
You can follow Lars on Facebook.
Lars’ recommended resources:
- How to think like a sceptical neurologist TAM talk ~ Steven Novella
- Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide To Critical Thinking Skills ~ Steven Novella
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Thinking beyond muscles and joints: Therapists’ and patients’ attitudes and beliefs regarding chronic musculoskeletal pain are key to applying effective treatment ~ Nils et al. (2013)
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Therapist as operator or interactor? Moving beyond the technique ~ Jacobs & Silvernail (2011)
- Outcome measures measure outcomes, not effects of intervention ~ Herbert et al. (2005)
- Socratic dialogue and motivational interviewing ~ Bronnie Lennox Thompson
Clarification from Lars
In the interview I talk about the manipulation of force vectors, my example is rack pulls, but I meant to say rope pulls, not rack pull, which doesn’t change force vectors much, just decreases ROM.
While I might come across as very certain of myself, I would like to acknowledge there is a high degree of uncertainty in this field, but that is not often displayed on social media.
