Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6911 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback

Synopsis
This easy-to-follow patient handbook which has sold over 3 million copies and has been translated into 17 different languages provides the reader with an active self-treatment plan to resolve and manage back pain. Now in its 6th edition, Treat Your Own Back has probably helped more people achieve freedom from back pain than any other publication. Several scientific studies show that after reading and complying with information provided in Treat Your Own Back, patients experienced great pain reduction, reduced rates of recurrence of painful episodes and were able to prevent the onset of back pain. The programme of care described in Treat Your Own Back provides all the recommended low back pain treatment protocols as suggested in current international guidelines. Treat Your Own Back & Treat Your Own Neck have been awarded Gold Bestseller status in the Premier New Zealand Bestsellers Awards, accredited by Booksellers New Zealand.

Customer Reviews

Worth a try.
This book talks a lot about posture and how it can affect your back. Posture suggestions follow. The exercises recommended for most cases of back pain involve a person bending their spine backwards. These are done in the standing and on-your-stomach positions.

One thing I did notice about this back pain book is that it contains no exercises to strengthen your back- which I think is strange as it is well documented in the back literature that people with back pain have smaller than normal back muscles (Parkkola 1993 and Daneels 2000) when examined with CT scans and MRI's as well as weaker than normal back muscles (Smidt 1983 and Mayer 1985 and Mayer 1989 and Roy 1989 and Cassisi 1993). On this basis, I felt that this book was overlooking this important point and should probably address it with at least one strengthening exercise.

Having said that, I think this book will be most helpful for people with back pain that radiates into one or both legs due to a disc problem. People with spinal stenosis or a slippage of one vertebrae over the other (called a spondylolisthesis) will want to be careful with the backward bending motion as this might actually aggravate their pain. Other fix-it-yourself books readers might be interested in include Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff for those with shoulder pain or a torn cuff.

Informative, but not really a treatment guide.
After seeing so many "rave" reviews about this book, it seemed like this was the obvious choice... My boyfriend suffers very badly with sciatica, and after reading all the reviews about this book, this appeared to be the best buy in helping to treat/ cure it himself.

When the book arrived, we both read it, and although very informative about the back and how problems occur etc... there was only a few exercises. It was an interesting read, but really to anyone that has problems with their back - nothing new!

And then for the exercises just to make up the last couple of pages was disappointing. Like my boyfriend said, it is like they have padded out the book to make it worth publishing and selling.

I have given it a 3, as it is informative, and the exercises given are the key ones - so if someone has never had problems before and has not been given exercises by a professional (physio, osteo, chiro), then should help. However, if you already know how your back problems occur, and you have visited a professional then it is not really worth buying.

Really Amazing results within 24 hours
You will think that I have been paid to write this but I have not. I suffered for several months from severe lower back pain and sciatica in both legs. After being told by medical profession nothing could be done except painkillers I had treatment by osteopath and accupuncture which made no difference.

The book arrived yesterday and after doing the exercises last evening and more important changing my way of sitting whilst watching TV or at the Computer I find this morning the pain has almost gone already.

I thorougly recommend this book to people with low back pain and sciatica. Incidently I am 72 and my email address is peter@peterhay.plus.com if you want to ask me any questions please do. I hope that the Author gets to read this.