Talking Rehab with Dr. Fred Bagares
My name is Fred Bagares a board certified sports and spine medicine physician in Virginia Beach, Virginia. After 10 years of practice, I still find musculoskeletal medicine both fascinating and challenging. This podcast is about the lingering thoughts and questions I’ve had after residency and fellowship. My hope is to spark discussion, challenge dogma, and share our experiences in musculoskeletal medicine.
Episodes
76 episodes
Are steroids good for your knees?
Are steroid injections the answer for knee pain—or a shortcut that costs you in the long run? In this episode of The Talking Rehab Podcast, Dr. Fred Bagares unpacks the real story behind corticosteroid injections. You’ll learn why the ...
•
Episode 75
•
10:50
"But everything looks normal."
You’ve heard it before: “Your MRI looks fine.” But if the scan is normal, why are you still in pain?In this episode of Talking Rehab, Dr. Fred Bagares unpacks why imaging often fails to tell the whole story, the fou...
•
Episode 74
•
14:37
The Knee Decision: Surgery or Rehab
Most people assume that when your MRI shows a meniscus tear, surgery is the only answer. But here’s the surprising truth: the most common surgery for meniscus tears can actually speed up arthritis.In this episode, Dr. Fred Bagares unpack...
•
13:31
Controlling Your Pain Baseline
What if your biggest breakthrough in recovery isn’t eliminating pain, but learning how to keep it from getting worse?In this episode of The Talking Rehab Podcast, Dr. Fred Bagares reframes one of the most overlooked wins in reha...
•
Episode 72
•
11:00
Dr. ChatGPT Will See You Now
What happens when patients consult ChatGPT before they see a doctor—and the physician becomes the third opinion in the room? In this episode, Dr. Fred Bagares breaks down the new hierarchy of medical advice, why most doctors are reacti...
•
Episode 71
•
13:15
Is your orthopedic care "off the rack?"
When you walk into an orthopedic clinic, are you getting a one-size-fits-all protocol or a treatment plan designed specifically for you?In this episode of The Talking Rehab Podcast, Dr. Fred Bagares shares the real story of a pa...
•
Episode 70
•
14:09
Excuses Are Clues
📍 Episode Description: In this episode of The Talking Rehab Podcast, Dr. Fred Bagares invites you to stop dismissing your excuses—and start listening to them. Drawing from the story of a patient named Sarah, he unpacks how o...
•
Episode 69
•
10:19
Building Momentum in Rehab
“If I stop pedaling, I’ll crash.” A simple truth from a 7-year-old learning to ride a bike sparked this conversation about one of the biggest mistakes people make in recovery: stopping when the pain stops.In this episode of ...
•
Episode 68
•
10:19
Are you destroying your knees?
Are You Destroying Your Knees? Why the fear of arthritis might be worse than running itself.Episode Summary: "Doc, I had to stop running. My knees are shot." If you've ever heard—or said—those words, this e...
•
Episode 67
•
12:22
Fix It So I Can Punish It
Here's the humanized version with timestamps:Ever heard this one? "Doc, can you fix my shoulder so I can get back to tearing it apart?"That's exactly what Bugs asked me last month. He wasn't joking.Bugs' a 43-year-ol...
•
Episode 66
•
11:55
What is 5% better?
🎙️ Episode 65 – What is 5% Better?Podcast: Talking Rehab with Dr. Fred Bagares Length: ~13 minutesDescription: When a patient tells you they're “only 5% better,” what do you do with that? For so...
•
Episode 65
•
13:10
Nudging Our Patients
🎙️ Episode 64 – Nudging Our Patients“She’s one fall away from paralysis.” “If it were my mom, I’d do the surgery.” “This is your window.”These aren’t just medical phrases—they’re nu...
•
Episode 64
•
15:02
Telemedicine: My Origin Story
From Skeptic to Startup: How a Telemedicine Idea Survived—and Thrived—in a Broken SystemIn this reflective solo episode, Dr. Bagares shares the untold backstory behind his early adoption of telemedicine, the struggles of launching...
•
Episode 63
•
18:03
Are our tools any good?
Are Our Tools Any Good?Are our tools really the problem—or are we just not using them well?In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Fred Bagares, DO, takes a closer look at a recent study questioning the effectiveness of comm...
•
Episode 62
•
16:35
Do disc herniations go away?
🎙 Episode 61 – Do Disc Herniations Go Away?Podcast: The Talking Rehab Podcast Host: Dr. Fred Bagares, DO Location: Virginia Beach, VABack pain can stop you in your tracks—sometimes literally. In...
•
Episode 61
•
16:08
The $2,000 Hip Pain: Why Systemic Solutions Matter
🎙 Talking Rehab Podcast – Episode 60: "The $2,000 Hip Pain: Why Systemic Solutions Matter"In this episode, I walk you through a real case involving a 10-year-old boy with hip pain. What started as a simple clinical concern quickly...
•
Episode 60
•
15:14
Be a rowboat.
🎧 Sailboat or Rowboat: Motivation vs. Discipline in RehabIn this episode of the Talking Rehab Podcast, I explore a powerful analogy I shared with my kids: are you a sailboat or a rowboat? Sailboats move when the wind (mot...
•
Episode 59
•
16:34
Don't Get Automated
In this episode of the Talking Rehab Podcast, Dr. Fred Bagares dives into the evolving role of artificial intelligence in the healthcare space, particularly within the world of rehabilitation. From streamlining administrative tasks to ...
•
Episode 58
•
15:45
Value in a Visit
🎧 Episode 57 – "Value in a Visit: A Doctor Becomes the Patient"Hey, it’s Dr. Fred Bagares. In this episode, I share my recent experience as a patient in a traditional insurance-based clinic—something I rarely do since switc...
•
Episode 57
•
16:49
The Pathology Pivot
In today’s episode, I dive into a fascinating case that changed the way I think about diagnosis and treatment. I share the story of a patient with chronic lateral foot pain who everyone thought had a tendon problem—but it turned out to be somet...
•
Episode 56
•
14:44
Should You Exercise on Vacation? Rethinking Movement When You Travel
In this refreshing episode, Dr. Fred shares his personal reflections after a family trip to Jamaica. He explores the deeper value of movement while on vacation—not just as a workout, but as a form of physical restoration. From pacing in airport...
•
Episode 55
•
15:18
Direct Care: My Vision for Patients
Hey everyone, it’s Dr. Fred Bagares. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of my recent trip to the 2025 Free Market Medical Association Conference in Oklahoma City. This wasn’t just any conference — it helped reignite a spark I’d been ...
•
Episode 54
•
13:43
Movement Buckets
In this episode, I’m sharing the story of a young, athletic patient who did everything “right” after a meniscus injury—PT, injections, surgery—but still couldn’t get back to playing the sport they loved: soccer. Sound familiar?We dig int...
•
Episode 53
•
15:08