Back-Pain Books

This is an amazing and easy to use book that gives the experience of taking a workshop on how to sit, stand, bend sleep and walk correctly. It is beautifully written, has wonderful pictures and is a clear guide to a healthier way of living with your body. It requires some time and motivation but if you have that this book can help you to rethink all your movements. I am a Tai Chi Instructor and an ESL teacher. This book, and I've only had it for two weeks, has changed the way I walk, sit, stand and sleep. I am even changing some basic things in my Tai Chi set. I feel fortunate to have this book. I took one lesson with Esther in person and it helped tremendously, but only because I had studied her book so carefully before I went to see her. My presenting problem is pain in the heel of my right foot. I am very encouraged by all the exercises she presents as well as the new way to walk. Everything that is presented is not strenuous or complicated. It just takes practice. Ester's book provides a great service to modern man.

8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Foot (Remember When It Didn't Hurt)

Esther Gokhale uses ancient methods to treat a modern problem. Especially for people who spend a lot of time on the computer, back pain is a wide-spread problem. Esther's solution focuses on posture, taking cues from cultures that never experienced back pain. I first learned about her work when she exhibited her photographs of women in Africa, India, and elsewhere with the "right" posture in a gallery in Palo Alto. Her approach is unique and widely endorsed by orthopedic experts.

After reading this book and employing the techniques I am stronger, straighter, and healthier. If I start to experience back twinges I can track them to my poor posture (long airplane rides, sitting in overstuffed chairs, being in a hurry when I walk/hike and forgetting to pay attention to my shoulder & spine position, etc.). When I make a correction with the techniques described in this book, my pain disappears. Overall, it took less time than I would have thought to shift into good posture habits. The effect is very reinforcing and there is something intuitive about standing and sitting properly. It's as though my body takes over and remembers how it is supposed to be used.

This is an excellent book for learning how to avoid and alleviate chronic body pain, including back, neck, and knee pain. Gokhale's methods are based on scientific principles and anthropological studies -- and clearly a lot of research. The book provides a detailed description of ideal posture and gives in-depth instructions on proper techniques for standing, sitting, walking, bending, and sleeping to avoid pain. Exercises and stretches to facilitate the methods are included. The explanations are clear and concise and supplemented with numerous excellent photos and illustrations. I found Gokhale's teachings easy to follow and, most importantly, have been able to easily and consciously incorporate them into my daily life. These methods work! The book is beautifully presented and a joy to read. I highly recommend this book.

I think the book is based on solid theory, but it is very difficult to explain, even with numerous pictures, the proper postures in a book. This book is based on a hands-on class. It is like reading instructions on how to ride a bicycle.

I have had several accidents and hard falls in my younger years, and was a chiropractic patient for long periods of time. I have been suffering intermittently with sciatica pains for the last year, and last August I started having various lower back and hips pains, with changing intensity, going from side to side and radiating down beyond my knees. I would like to add that I am 79 years old. My MRI shows various dysfunctions, which I will not enumerate here.

Massage, physiotherapy did not help, I finally agreed to have a cortisone injection. Two weeks after the injection the pains started to return.

My orthopedic surgeon was giving me signals that we are moving towards surgery, and I decided to try anything else. I started enzymatic therapy ( serrapeptase) and having had in my life many good results with exercise, went for an exercise program that sounded very promising. I gave it 2 months , but it did not do what it promised.

I am glad to report that finally after discovering a couple more inaccessible because of distance or cost alternatives, I have purchased Dr. Brownstein book a week ago. I read it thoroughly, the part on various meditations twice, and am doing the stretches once a day, with a few of them also in the evening. I am almost pain free - and I am only in the first days of applying the program, without spending entire days on it. In addition to almost no pain, my mood is incredibly improved, not only by the painlessness, but I sleep better and feel energized, getting up in the morning with zest for life. I have a living proof that I can lead a painless life till the end of my days, without getting caught up in the surgery merry-go-round. I feel my body is in total approval of this new way of moving and thinking, it is developing a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship with my mind. Radiant health is in our power.

I am looking forward to starting the advanced stages of stretches and positions, I enjoy the meditations and visualizations trmenedously, and am planning to purchase several copies of this book for gifts for my friends who have similar problems. I cannot give them anything of better value!

I will add to this review later, I feel I am doing something to help people floundering about as I was for a year in pain and sometimes despair.

Thank you, Dr.Brownstein, for sharing your invaluable knowledge with me!

I am absolutely delighted both with the condition of the book and the speed in which I received it.

The text was so interesting, sensible and practical that I finished reading the book in one day.

An absolutely 'must have' for those already experiencing back pain and those trying to avoid it.

A great read.

Monica

I have found this book to be an effective approach for back and hip pain. I recommend and have gifted this book to several people. It does take doing the exercises. I had some hip pain that was bothersome for a couple of months and went away never to return after using Dr. Brownstein's approach.

This book is excellent. Suffered for over 20 years with back pain, diagnosed with degenerative discs and multiple level herniations. Experienced many times the kind of intense pain that finds you on the floor. Tried physical therapy, chriopractors, acupuncture, pain management, anything to avoid surgery. But I was afraid that surgery was my only hope. Now since I've read this book I no longer worry about surgery. Because I'm pain free and can even do yoga - something I never thought possible.

My husband was experiencing crippling lower back pain, that was also running down his right thigh. We were wanting to avoid pain pills and another surgery. I bought this book based on the reviews, and he has been faithfully doing the back exercises at least every day. He found relief within a few days. It's worth a try if you are going through this kind of stuff. He had been through one back surgery that relieved his pain, but we misunderstood the need to do exercises initially. When the pain started coming again, in a different area, we thought he should try this first. I would highly recommend this book.

I've been having back pain in the morning for the last few months after some furniture moving. I stopped at Borders for a coffee and picked this up to read (ok, I'm shameless). After about an hour with the book, I developed a game plan for dealing with the backache which I learned is of a very common garden type. It might be too early to declare victory but I woke this morning with almost no pain after sleeping in the prescribed position with a heating pad and taking a few NSAIDS before bed.

I have family members that opted for surgery years ago and it ruined their lives - possibly even led to a death of a cousin from OD of narcotics. I wish that they had had this book to read. A lot has changed in medicine and it seems like the author has much more modern thinking than most of the medical profession that still seems bent on drugs and surgery first.

This book is laying on the floor next to my bed. Why? I do the exercises every morning, and refer to the chapter to make sure I don't miss any. I do most of the exercises on the floor, so that's where the book lives. It is a part of my life now.

I've suffered from low-grade back pain for years, and learned a lot from this book. I especially like the integrated mind-body approach, the solid, realistic information about the mechanics of the spine, and the practical advice for care and recovery.

I've spoken with a chiropractor and an MD about my back problems, and the advice they gave me is identical to the advice in this book -- and the book was far less expensive.

Unless you were injured, your back took years to get into its current condition, and it will take a while to improve. This book is a first-rate map of the road to recovery.

This books covers a lot of territory but I did not find it particularly helpful. It feels like it has a lot of filler material to get it to "book length", without focusing in on the most useful information. Also, it completely ignores the neck, apparently assuming that all problems are lower-back problems.

Save your money on Back Pain Remedies for Dummies or just check it out of the library and skim it; in my opinion it is not worth the space it takes up on my book shelf.

Overall, a very informative book, as everyone else says. My only reservation - be careful doing the exercises in the book. The author also has a warning about this - he says "at no point during your back exercise program, should you feel that you are straining...to the point of significantly increasing your pain."

I tried doing a lot of the exercises in the book, and it did add to my pain, so I then got a referral to a physical therapist, who then worked with me, showing me the 9 exercises that were best for me - using the big exercise ball. Those exercises (and perhaps the glucosamine that I take) have gotten me back to where I can again play badminton once a week, and no longer have the serious back pain I had before. (The book does mention, of course, the possibility of getting help from a physical therapist.) I'd recommend the book - just don't increase your pain by overdoing the exercises - as the author warns, in that chapter.

i love this book! its so easy to understand, and it really put my mind at ease on alot of pain issues.it covers so many topics that you dont usually read about, such as: the pros and cons of back surgery, who to seek help from, exercises, getting back to work and the feelings associated with it,etc. a definite must read!

Very informative book. I highly recomment this to all whoe suffer from back and neck pain. It simply explains what pain is coming from where and what the alternative could be for help. A very good book....

The appointment with the surgeon about the pending back surgery of my husband let us confused, as the information blended together. By reading Dr. Filler's book, we were able to inform ourselves, and understand the procedure which had been recommended. It was a great help, and obviously written by a professional. Thank you, Dr. Filler!

This is a pretty comprehensive guide for understanding the workings of the human back. The author takes you through an anatomy lesson where you learn about the different sections of the human spine: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacrum. The structure of the individual vertebrae and the differences among the vertebrae in the various sections are described. Then he goes into the actual spinal cord and nerves and how they are affected by problems in the vertebrae. Various back pains are discussed including 'referred pain' which is where you feel pain in one of the body's extremities that is actually caused by nerve trauma in the spinal cord or one of the nerves that branches out from the spinal cord to that extremity. All facets of spinal health are presented in easily understandable terms.

The second half of the book proceeds by discussing the various surgical methods that can be utilized to treat spine related problems. Historical procedures are included along with current medical trends for treating spinal problems so that you can see how back surgery has progressed over time. Even future directions and experimental techniques are discussed to give you a feel for what is up-and-coming in the field of spinal surgery. Risks are discussed as well so that you can make an informed choice to have a particular operation and understand the related consequences.

There are even chapters that discuss types of pain, pain medications and their associated complications, non-surgical methods for treating back pain and their effectiveness and potential consequences, genetic spinal disorders, recovery from spinal surgery, and even cost and health insurance matters. In fact, the health insurance chapter has valuable information describing the differences among the various type of insurance available such as HMO's, PPO's, and PSO's and explains the difference between 'contracted' and 'uncontracted' providers so that you'll know what to ask when seeking surgical help and how to control your costs.

All-in-all the book was worth the price for the information you will gain. However, I found that there was little discussion about 'degenerative' spinal problems in specific though I could imagine some of the techniques described might be useful for these situations such as transpedicular kyphoplasty. I would have liked to see the book spend some dedicated time discussing this particular type of spinal condition with, perhaps, some information about technologies that are on the horizon. Perhaps a few references to internet sites where one could find information on specific disorders would be nice as well.

I am a physician who specializes in interventional spine procedures. I suggest this book to my more educated patients. Very good,well written overview of spine anatomy,physiology,and repair. Another reviewer suggested that there is not enough info in this book on disk replacement technology and kyphoplasty. My response is that understanding everything in this book will put you ahead of 99% of laypeople. This is not meant to be a textbook on cutting edge medical procedures.

I especially enjoyed the section on understanding health insurance. I have found the "Dummies" and "Idiots" books useless in helping patients understand back problems. Five stars.

After a few years of worsening spinal stenosis I recently had to have a multiple laminectomy. There have been some post-operational complications or further problems, and I am trying to sort things out. I may have to decide to have further surgery or not.

Dr. Filler's book has been very helpful to me in understanding my situation regarding my spinal problems and my possible options for addressing them. The book presents basic, practical information in a comprehensive, well organized, and detailed manner. The writing is clear and straight forward. Dr. Filler clearly has a lot of knowledge and experience, and he shares it in a way that is very useful for patients.

The Essential Low back Program brings relief and joy to angry low backs. This is a complete restorative and rebuilding program. First, Robin relaxes and relieves the tension that has built up from back pain, then she masterfully rebuilds the strength needed to have a healthy back.

After doing the first CD I felt relief and after completing the entire program as instructed I was without that nagging low back painful companion.

The program is easily understood and a pleasure to do. The combination of Robin's wisdom with her yoga are priceless to anyone sincerely interested in improving their health.

This is an excellent program. I have had lower back pain for years. I have tried muscle relaxers, pain medications, physical therapy and manipulation nothing worked as well as Robin Rothenberg's low back program. After using The Essential low back program I no longer have any pain or stiffness. I recomend this program to anyone with lower back problems.

Even if you don't have back pain, this book and accompanying CDs are for you. And if you are a yoga student or teacher, the program should be on your bookshelf.

For those who are not familiar with Robin, she is a master yoga teacher and therapist with a studio in Issaquah, WA called the Yoga Barn. She also ran the yoga program in an NIH-sponsored trial which showed viniyoga to be the most effective therapy for those with chronic back pain. This book and CD are based on that program.

I am a yoga teacher and am currently learning the program by teaching my students. I always credit Robin with the program and tell them that it was validated by NIH, and I think this is of a lot of interest to them. In order to teach the lessons, I am following the book and CDs word by word and doing this has immeasurably increased my appreciation for the mind-body connection and the importance of relaxation as well as the strengthening and balancing of the body to alleviate back pain.

Robin's a great and straightforward teacher and it shows in this program.

Jacky

I have suffered from lower back pain off and on for a number of years. When I am regular about doing the yoga practices Robin has given me the pain inevitably goes away. This book along with the CDs gives me that and more! Great clear descriptions and explanations of the postures and why! I highly recommend it.

I found the exerecises in the book to be simple, stress-free processes for relaxing and strengthening the lower back muscles. The explanations about the physiology were straight forward and were coupled with easy to follow exercises that are not difficult or demanding. I did not work up a sweat doing the various exercise groups, yet they left me feeling refreshed at the end of each session. But the real payoff came in my ability to work at projects or chores and not have a sore back at the end of the day, or wake up with a stiff back the next morning.

I have been using Valerie's trigger point self-therapy techniques for several years on myself and my clients with amazing and tremendous results.

I will definitely recommend this long-awaited book for everyone who suffers from headaches and migraines.

Ray Ang
www.rayang.com
www.rayangacademy.com

This book has excellent pictures of all the trigger point locations and easy to understand directions.

Anyone who suffers from headaches or migraines will benefit greatly from this book. I am a massage therapist and consider this information crucial when educating my clients proper self care. It is extremely easy to understand with clear instructions and great diagrams showing muscles and possible trigger point placements. I am very grateful for this book as it has contributing greatly to my education on helping others with migraines and headaches.

I also have Valerie DeLaune's excellent CD-ROM, "Pain Relief with Trigger Point Self-help." I don't actually suffer from headaches or migraines, myself, but bought this for a friend. The other reviewers have positive experience in using this book, and discuss it very well - I can only add that I think the book is well organized, clearly written, and importantly, has numerous photos.

I've struggled with migraines for 10 years and this book not only gave me an understandable reason why and where the pain was originating (not in my head, where I assumed it started), but it also details how to manipulate those "trigger points" for lasting pain relief. Thank you, Valerie!!!

My answer to back pain used to be 3 extra strength advil and a few days lying down...until I read this book! It's really great and easy to understand. Props to Dr. Sinett for writing such a great and helpful book. I recommend it to everyone I know (well, everyone whose back hurts...which is actually just about everyone I know!)

If you are unable to seek the professional medical care that Dr.Todd Sinett and associates at Midtown Chiropractic Health and Wellness provide there is still reason to celebrate - this book.

Full disclosure - I have been a patient of Dr. T. Sinett for over four years and have benefited tremendously from his three prong approach to uncovering the source of back pain.

Prior to being treated by Dr. Sinett's methods, I suffered daily for over 5 years with chronic, yet not diagnosable, back pain. In addition to seeing medical doctors, physical therapists, and massage therapist - I read EVERY book on back pain on the market. None are as clear and concise as Dr. Sinett's slim volume, The Truth About Back Pain. My gratitude for this book is over whelming because I know it will help others wake-up to the true causes of their chronic pain.

If you are beating yourself up for having mysterious back pain (or shoulder pain or stomach pain etc.) that keeps you from living the life you know you should be living - this book will begin to reveal to you that the pain is not just in your head. It is real; however, it might not be bending over to pick up the car keys that started it. It might be poor diet or unrecognized emotional stress.

Share this book with your chiropractor or current medical profession and see if you can help heal your pain without costly operations or Western pain killers.

And, if you do live in NYC - read the book then seek treatment at Dr. Sinett's practice. You don't have to live with back pain. You deserve to be happy and pain free.

I'm not going to say this book is the end all be all for back pain...but, it's pretty darn close!! I've dealt with lower back issues for years, and after reading Dr. Sinett's book and following his simple ideas and guidelines, I haven't experienced pain in months. His book is incredibly straight forward and not filled with any "mumbo jumbo"...I recommend anyone with a back issue to buy and read this book!!!

So many doctors and practicioners claim to have the answers to this age old question. Well, it is refreshing to finally have a one-stop resource that actually lives up to what it claims. Dr. Sheldon and Todd Sinett put in a clear and conscise format not only what causes back pain, but they provide so many practical examples on how to help aleviate it. I have already begun to incorporate what I have read, including some easy to implement changes to my diet that require almost no sacrifice. Also, by having a series of pages with step-by-step exercises and practical tips throughout the book, I expect to refer back to this book for years to come.

This is the best book on back I've ever had. Easy to read, easy to understand and follow through.

The book, Yoga Heals Your Back, can help you get started on the road to back pain relief. It's author, Rita Trieger, editor-in-chief of Fit and Fit Yoga, has been practicing yoga and meditation for more than 20 years. In addition to good introductory information regarding back pain and yoga, Yoga Heals Your Back includes several 10-minute routines designed to stretch and strengthen you back - simple daily programs that only take a few minutes.

The first routine is a morning stretch that can be done on your bed or on the floor. It's a great way to check in with your body and begin your day in a healthy way. The next routine is called, Align the Spine. It's a gentle yet invigorating series of eleven poses that will get your blood flowing while giving your spine and hips a good stretch. Other routines include:

Backbends - to correct your posture, tone your back muscles, and improve circulation.

More Backbends - deeper work for your back muscles.

Moving Forward - forward folds to soothe your nervous system and stretch your spine.

Unwind - six poses to relax your neck and shoulders.

Warm-up For More Vigorous Work - 6 poses to get your blood flowing and warm your muscles.

Strengthen the Lower Back, Hips, and Glutes - standing poses to build lower body strength.

Abdominal Strength - great moves to strengthen your core.

Modified Sun Series - A full body workout in 14 flowing movements.

Yoga Heals Your Back also has a chapter on using props (chair, blocks) to modify poses and concludes with an introduction to meditation.

I turned to this book for guidance recently when I overexerted myself jogging and ended up with an aching low back. The gentle poses helped me stretch and strengthen safely and I am happy to report that my back pain has resolved.

So, if you are ready to give your back some care and attention with yoga, Yoga Heals Your Back offers a great collection of 10-minute yoga routines to guide you.

Highly Recommended

I'm an ex-Physiology Teaching Fellow with a strong background in yoga. I own and have reviewed many books and this particular volume has much to offer. One of the things I most like about it is that it is broken down into 10-25 minute routines that anyone can do. Also, the author who has excellent credentials has simplified routines and covers the use of props which can make it possible for older people or others with limitations to safely practice yoga.

This book is attractively illustrated, concise and can be something you implement right away. While I would have liked to see more detail on the correct performance of some of the poses, there is certainly enough to get you started. The routines are also complementary even though they are listed by body area. This makes sense because the whole body is one unit or system.

It can be very intimidating to start yoga on your own and to put together routines that make sense. It is also fairly easy to get hurt doing things wrong, but this book presents a sane and easy to follow approach. If you have a back problem, I would also pick up Back Care Basics: A Doctor's Gentle Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief. This is THE book on the subject as far as I'm concerned, but the level of detail is higher with less of a broad scope.

Also, if you are serious about doing all the poses correctly and want to get the most benefit from this book, then [[ASIN:1930485042 30 Essential Yoga Poses: For Beginning Students and Their Teachers] would give you more routines beyond this book and more importantly detailed instructions for all the poses including the ones that are used in the book that I am reviewing.

Although I am a fairly advanced yoga practitioner, I use this book regularly. If I had to reduce my review to two words it would be SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE. It has all meat, no fluff and no hype. In addition, the author has excellent credentials. She is the editor-and-chief of FIT and FIT YOGA magazines and has been studying yoga for over 20 years in a variety of traditions. She also studied with some of the top yoga masters and taught in a variety of settings including hospitals.

You can't go wrong with this book and it is reasonably priced. I believe it will also be helpful to those with back problems, but if that is your situation then I think the other book above that I mention is important to own as well. You can't afford to make mistakes with a delicate back. If you are reasonably healthy in this regard, then or are already familiar with yoga then maybe you can get away with just this ONE book.

I hope this review was helpful and you can see other yoga books I recommended on my profile as well as a listmania list on the topic. Good luck with your yoga and thanks for reading my review.

This is a Wonderful Book.Easy to Use to get the results.Beautiful book as well....all pictures in color..and big for the page..glossy pages as well..we dont find many well made books like this any more..ITs the Best.B.W.

I purchased this book after I was told to try yoga for my herniated disc. So far so good. I can feel the numbness in my leg disappearing daily with the exercises in the book.

This book is wonderful! It has practical, easy-to-follow 10-minute routines that fit into my hectic days (I have 2 kids under 3). It has strengthened my back to where I don't have to constantly worry about what might or might not throw my back out. I can go about my day with ease.

overall this book gives many good techniques to ease muscular pain.
It is simple to read and understand and better than using drugs for muscular problems.

What a great idea this book was! These are simple exercises for two people to do together. Back pain is ubiquitous in our country and many people, especially office workers, will find this information very valuable.

This is a great book. The instructions are simple, the illustrations are clear, and Dr. Kirschner has genuine insight into pain and how it affects couples. I can't wait for the DVD.

Besides being a great addition to my own collection, this book has become my new standby wedding gift. It makes a wonderful personalized addition to a gift off the registry. I have already added the book to 2 wedding gifts and both couples thanked me multiple times for the wonderful bonding experiences and relief the book had provided them.

I absolutely love this book! I've been a chronic neck and back pain sufferer for more than 7 years and this book has really saved my life. No more am I trying to explain how to adjust my back based on what feels like my I've read the book cover to cover. It's a permenant fixture on my coffee table now! Thanks for writing a practical, hands on, fix to my pain!

Excellent book. Well writen yet simple and easy to comprehend. Now all I have to do is get into a reg scedule.

The information in this book is helpful and worth reading, but could be condensed from 100 pages to about 30 because of the repeated messages throughout the book. For example, the advice of doing a standing back bend after sitting for a period of time must have been written 10 different times.
I believe that one of the biggest benefits of reading ANY book for back pain is that it makes you start to think more about your back and how to care for it throughout the day. So this book serves as a source for some good stretches as well as being a conscious reminder to focus on back health.

I love this book! It helped ease my back pain. The exercises were easy to follow. I reccomend it to everyone with back pain.

Not only did I learn why I have back pain but also how to treat it. My range of motion has increased dramatically and my back pain is gone!! It's an easy read with uncomplicated exercises. A must for those with chronic back pain.

Being a Physical Therapist I have found this to be a great book to give to my patients. It is easy to understand and very informative. The author uses characters to represent different aspects of the spine. This makes it a fun book to read for all. This book educates the person on posture and how to protect their spine as well as help reduce existing back pain. I highly recommend this book.