7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life: How to Rapidly Relieve Back and Neck Pain
by Craig Kubey, Robin McKenzie
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Book Summary Information
Author: Craig Kubey, Robin McKenzieBrand: OPTP
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-10-01
ISBN: 0452282772
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Plume
Product features:
- This resource includes real-life case histories.
- Softcover
- Illustrated
- Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)
- RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
- Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
Book Reviews of 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life: How to Rapidly Relieve Back and Neck Pain
Book Review: Worked for me too!
Summary: 5 Stars
In February 2002 I developed a problem with my back after a rough racquetball game, followed by shoveling heavy snow a few weeks later. At first, it was a subtle pain/annoyance, getting worse when sneezing, twisting, etc. But after shoveling the snow I could not get out of bed the next day. The pain was terrible, especially in the morning. I could not walk at first without pain. I could not lift my left leg.
I went to the orthopedic who diagnosed "sciatica". I had an MRI done and it showed disc bulge in all levels of my low back ( L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5, L5-S1) with herniation at L4-L5.
I had "pain blocks" (shots in my spine) that did not help, and only pain killers made it possible to go through the day. After several months from the first attack, I was able to walk slowly (dragging my left foot) and the pain level was reduced to general discomfort with some random pain attacks on my left leg, below the knee.
There seemed to be no progress, until a friend mentioned the back extension exercises, advocated by a Physical Therapist from New Zealand, called Robin McKenzie. Until this point, I was trying to do a bit of exercises which involved flexion, usually lay on my back on the ground and bring my knees to my chest slowly. These felt comfortable but did not improve my condition. McKenzie says that you need to do the opposite, lay on your belly and push up trying to bend your back backwards.
A healthy person should be able to bend his or her back both ways, forward (flexion) and backwards (extension). Apparently, I had completely lost the flexibility for bending my back backwards and my forward flexibility was severely reduced. The extensions felt extremely uncomfortable at first, even painful. However, especially since my orthopedic said it was OK to try these extensions, I decided to give them a try and see what happens.
Within one week I was pain free!
That was late May 2002. But my problems did not stop there. I started physical therapy via my orthopedic. Instead of continuing with the extension exercises which had removed my pain, the PT started me in abdominal strengthening and other exercises that included a lot of flexion. Now, under different circumstances these exercises might have been fine, but for me, still having nerve compression, these were really out of sequence. Also, feeling better I started using the computer more and repairing cameras, which meant very bad posture for long hours. My progress was halted. Three weeks later the PT said I was officially recovered. Two days after that, I had another attack, as bad as the first one! I was devastated!
At this point I wised up and ordered Robin McKenzie's book. That was a revelation for me. I read the book non-stop and immediately started the extensions recommended in the book. In one week again I was pain-free. But this time I continued the exercises until the pressure in my toes was reduced. And I also corrected my posture which was the root of many of my back problems. I did go to a different physical therapist, one that was trained in the McKenzie system. She was a very nice person and it was nice having someone monitor and discuss my progress, but I could have skipped this and just followed the book.
This book is much more than a few simple exercises. It taught me a lot of things, from why I should not be lifting heavy things first thing in the morning to what is the proper way to sneeze (looking up). Most important, it made me realize how important good posture is. I always thought it was an afterthought. A good thing to know but not really important. Guess what? Posture is extremely important! The pain will surely come back if the posture is not corrected, no matter how many exercises you do!
We spend a lot of time sitting, usually with bad posture, and then we bend forward a lot. As a result of overuse of flexion, our discs are deformed and we are setting ourselves up for future back problems. The extension exercises aim to compensate for the frequent forward bending and restore the shape of the discs. They are actually a good thing for a healthy (pain-free) person to do.
Bottom line: Read the book and learn from the advice about good posture, etc. Then check with your doctor and if he/she approves the extension exercises, try them. They might save your life, as they did with me. Three years after my painful back pain attack I am OK, I have resumed running and completed 2 marathons, thanks to Robin McKenzie. Good luck to you!!
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Summary of 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life: How to Rapidly Relieve Back and Neck Pain
The phenomenon known as the McKenzie Method has helped millions of people with chronic back and neck pain. In 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life, its founder, world-renowned physical therapist Robin McKenzie, shares the innovative program that can save you from a life of pain. 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life combines and enhances McKenzie's back and neck books that have sold more than 5.5 million copies worldwide.
The 7 essential steps that make up the McKenzie Method have become the keystone for back and neck care in 35 countries, including the United States. In this easy-to-follow, fully illustrated book, you'll read about:
* Common causes of lower-back and neck pain
* The vital role discs play in back and neck health
* Easy exercises that alleviate pain immediately
* How to stay out of pain
Complete with more than 150 photos and illustrations, and considered the treatment of choice by health care professionals throughout the world, 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life will help you get out of pain-and stay out of pain. It is an invaluable tool for better health.
The 7 essential steps that make up the McKenzie Method have become the keystone for back and neck care in 35 countries, including the United States. In this easy-to-follow, fully illustrated book, you'll read about:
* Common causes of lower-back and neck pain
* The vital role discs play in back and neck health
* Easy exercises that alleviate pain immediately
* How to stay out of pain
Complete with more than 150 photos and illustrations, and considered the treatment of choice by health care professionals throughout the world, 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life will help you get out of pain-and stay out of pain. It is an invaluable tool for better health.
What causes chronic, debilitating back pain, one of the most common--and expensive to treat--ailments in the world? According to Robin McKenzie, a New Zealand physiotherapist for over 40 years and author of the wildly popular self-help manuals Treat Your Own Back and Treat Your Own Neck, distortion of the spinal disks--either from bad posture or injury--is the cause of the pain. The magic cure is the McKenzie Method--seven very specific exercises that allow the spine to return to its natural position. But forget the doctors--McKenzie asserts that the management of your back pain is your responsibility. Practice his seven unique exercises (the book includes seven each for the back and neck) consistently and at regular intervals and just about anyone can cure his or her own back or neck pain without the help of professionals. McKenzie believes self-treatment is actually more successful than medical interventions like surgery, chiropractic, or physical therapy, and indeed, recent research does show self-treatment to be a highly effective method.
More richly detailed and in-depth than his previous books, this volume is illustrated with over 100 photos and liberally peppered with real-life case histories. Starting with an analysis of how the back and neck work, it moves on to a discussion of the common causes of pain--bad posture is most often to blame. At the core is a detailed explanation of how to do the McKenzie Method exercises, when to apply them, and how to adjust your personal program over time. Included are instructions for people who suffer with acute back and neck pain (with appropriate cautions regarding when to call a medical professional) as well as for people in special situations like pregnant women, athletes, and seniors. An impassioned introduction by coauthor Craig Kubey, a satisfied convert after suffering intense back and neck pain as a result of several auto accidents, could very well make a believer out of anyone. --Marianne Painter
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