Avoiding FAI Surgery: Dr. Garrett’s Hip Recovery Story

If you've been diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), you're probably familiar with the overwhelming advice to get surgery. But what if you could avoid the knife—and come out stronger, more mobile, and pain-free?

In this post, we share the story of Dr. Garrett Kuljian, a physical therapist who faced the same frustrating diagnosis—hip impingement with labral tears—and refused to accept that surgery was his only option. What followed was a multi-year journey of pain, trial and error, stubborn determination, and eventually, transformation.

From FAI Diagnosis to Defiance

Dr. Garrett grew up playing soccer and football. Even as a kid, he had stiff hips—no baby pictures of deep squats here. In high school, he struggled with flexibility during strength training, often feeling blocked rather than in pain. But by college, that tightness turned into real hip pain that worsened over time. Doctors diagnosed him with FAI and told him he’d need surgery to squat deeply—otherwise, he’d risk arthritis.

But Garrett wasn’t having it. “No way I’m giving up six months for surgery,” he thought. Instead of surgery, he doubled down on mobility training—hoping, experimenting, and often failing.

Chasing Performance (and Making Mistakes)

After college, Garrett dove deeper into Olympic lifting and powerlifting—but still had terrible mobility. Warmups were 90 minutes of foam rolling, band work, and joint mobilizations... with minimal payoff. And soon, it wasn’t just his hips. His shoulder flared up so badly, he couldn’t even bench press the bar without pain.

That’s when reality hit: how could he be a physical therapist who couldn’t move pain-free himself?

What Finally Worked

Eventually, Garrett started approaching flexibility and mobility with the same programming mindset used in strength training: volume, intensity, frequency, and recovery all mattered. He stopped trying to force multiple full programs together and began integrating flexibility training in smarter ways.

He explored systems like FRC (Functional Range Conditioning), Kit Laughlin’s methods, Emmet Louis’ flexibility work, and even attended Ido Portal seminars. He slowly learned to tailor movements to his structure rather than fight it. He understood how to program flexibility alongside strength and stopped hammering his joints with random drills.

His deep squat? It took over two years to achieve. But it came—and without surgery.

Big Lessons from Big Mistakes Training with Hip Impingement

• More flexibility ≠ less pain. Many ultra-flexible people are still in pain—strength and control matter more.
• Flexibility gains come slower as you advance. You need more recovery, more patience, and more precision.
• “Magic” exercises (like 90/90s or splits) can be helpful—or completely wrong for you. It depends on your body, technique, and programming.
• Pain doesn't always mean damage—but dosage, intensity, and nervous system recovery must be respected.

Want to Avoid Surgery for FAI?

Garrett's story isn’t just inspirational—it’s educational. If you’re an athlete or active person with FAI, it’s not hopeless. With the right mindset and movement strategies, you can make serious progress—even when doctors say your bones are the problem.

▶️ Watch the full interview above to hear all the details of Garrett’s journey, including how he’s helping others walk the same path.

🔗 Want help with your own hips at home? Visit uprighthealth.com/fai to learn about the Healthy Hips Program and how to rebuild your hips at home.

💪 You can also check out Dr. Garrett’s channel and Instagram