Treat Your Own Back
by Robin A. McKenzie
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Book Reviews of Treat Your Own Back
Book Review: physician gives 'thumbs up' for treatment of neck and back pain book
Summary: 5 Stars
It works!!!
I'm a physician and have no conflicts of interest financially or otherwise. My back/neck problems began while moving boxes and furniture in the transition to medical school. It eventually healed, but this started a series of injuries from any significant use of my back. Each episode took longer to heal, and the pain became more severe. An MRI showed bulging discs. Several rounds of conservative treatment and education on exercises by my pcp didn't help. Several rounds of physical therapy (PT) were unsuccessful. Next was referral to the surgeon. The neurosurgeon felt surgery wasn't called for and wanted me to try physical therapy. So I was unhappy about this and told the surgeon how I felt and that PT had already failed. He encouraged me to continue, and he would have me see his PT who specialized in backs.
This new PT had copies of McKenzie's books in the treatment room. The book was used during our exercises. She asked me to get the book and practice at home. Using the book while in the office, MADE IT SO EASY. I never had to return for another session. The pictures made everything so simple to follow. Many of them can be done without any changes to your schedule. I didn't need to go to the gym. The exercises can be done while in the shower, while in the office at a desk, or while watching tv at home relaxing. Many are lifestyle changes like bending at the knees to pick up something on the floor or correct seating/sleeping postures. AND THEY WORK!
I treat many people with chronic pain and ask these patients to get the book. Very few patients will buy a book and follow the instructions when a physician tells them to. People want quick fixes. But there are none. Eventually a few will get the book and half-heartily try it. And when the do, IT WORKS!
These are great resources for any type of clinician/medical provider to educate their patients. Education on proper techniques of posture, sleeping, and any type of movement is the key to preventing problems. Acute problems may need specific exercises based upon the location and type of injury. These books have all that. It's easy to read, not a lot of technical jargon. The pictures make the instructions impossible to make mistakes.
ANYONE WITH NECK & BACK PROBLEMS, PLEASE TRY THIS. ANY MEDICAL PROVIDER THAT HAVE CLIENTS WITH NECK & BACK PAIN, PLEASE TRY THIS. I can't keep a copy for myself. I wind up giving mine away each time I get a new one. That's why I'm writing this. I needed a new copy for the psychiatry office.
Book Review: Too simplistic but it might work for you!
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read four books on low back pain, and this was the most helpful of the four. The three more interesting ones all have their own specific slant, which may or may not be particularly helpful to any individual low back pain sufferer. For what it's worth, here are the four books, in my order of their helpfulness:
1. Treat Your Own Back, by Robin McKenzie. This mostly focuses on one exercize, the Mckenzie "press-up". A few other exercises are mentioned but mostly you hear about the press-up. However, the press-up IS the most-favored exercise by the majority of physical therapists today. The book is too simplistic, but that makes it easy to use by the amateur, which is the point!
2. Back Pain, by Loren Fishman, M.D., and Carol Ardman. This fairly readable book gives a lot of understandable information about back pain causes and symptoms. Particularly helpful to me was the section relating transferred pain symptoms of sciatica to the probable location of lumbar disk hernias. Dr. Fishman is a physiatrist and an advocate of very detailed physical examinations by physicians, but he gives you some self-examination tools as well.
3. Backache Survival, by Robert S. Ivker, D.O. This book is readable and even funny in places. However, the author gives you so many ideas, and so little specific documentation for the research leading to his conclusions, that I was pretty much overwhelmed. I did follow some of his nutritional recommendation. Ivker is a religious practitioner in favor of Tantric Yoga, therapeutic touch, and healing prayers to God. He's also in favor of practically EVERYTHING else except surgery. Ivker is the opposite extreme of simplistic McKenzie--he gives TOO MANY alternatives!
4. Understanding Low Back Pain, by Mario A Gutierrez, M.D. This book gets the booby prize for unreadability and for the complexity of its solutions, mostly surgery.
The bottom line is you're going to have a hard time curing yourself by reading books, but McKenzie comes closest.
Book Review: Book is good, but be warned
Summary: 4 Stars
The book does clearly state that for some people..the extension position might be harmful. That was the case for me. While I ended up on crutches (for the first time due to severe increased pain) I do not blame the book. Just be extremely careful. When I began...I actually felt some relief WHILE in extension at the start, but it would hurt worse as time spent in the position increased. And I hurt worse when I got up. So...it only took about 3 times of that before I became non-amb. w/o crutches. Then it took perhaps 6 mo. with the help of a good chiro. (traction, ultrasound and manipulation at 1x week) before I was out of pain. It's been 2 years since that incident and I've not had any diffficulty since. I totally avoid any extension positions beyond that which occur naturally in walking (even freestyle swimming puts noticible pressure on my LB due to the extension of bouyancy. Back stroke and floating are OK).
Best wishes and prayers to anyone combatting back pain. I'm a fairly strong and positive person. But after being in chronic pain for several months with difficulty and pain in EVERYTHING I did, including breathing, I fully understand the severe depression and mounting hopelessness chronic pain brings. When I began to have thoughts that living like that would be impossible, in spite of having young daughters, a great husband and great job...I became very scared.
Keep searching for an answer. I went through 3 chiropractors and much time before I found the right one. Keep your faith, keep your resolve, keep on praying and keep on trying.
Shelley M.
Book Review: Helped eliminate need for surgery.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have used this book with great success for almost 10 years; first treating and then preventing serious herniated disc problems. After an MRI indicated several severely herniated discs, my orthopedic surgeon prescribed injections into the spinal area (didn't help) and exercises that were the exact opposite of the simple ones indicated in this book. The book was sent to me by a relative who is a physical therapist. The simple explanations in the book regarding posture, spine alignment, and very easy simple-to-do exercises kept me from having the surgery my doctor said I would need. The relief of severe pain occurred within a few days, and long term daily practice of both the brief exercises and posture suggestions helped the herniated discs to heal enough to not need surgery for now ten years. With herniated disc(s) the key to exercise is to bend the back "backward," instead of forward as many back exercises prescribe (including those provided by my doctor.)
With that said, I can't attest to the effectiveness of this book when the cause of back pain is from a source other than herniated disc(s). The basic information is good to help prevent back problems in general, and for most people shouldn't in any way harm them.
This book is so easy to read, as it is written for the lay person. It also has clear illustrations and photos.
As an RN, I found the information in this book "made sense" and I strongly recommend it.
Book Review: ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!! SHORT AND TO THE POINT!! BUY IT NOW!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the most valuable back book I have ever read: 72 pages and right to the point. Though, I would highly recommend getting McKenzie's 7-Steps to a Pain Free Life for your neck and Back, if you are serious about getting better. It is updated and has loads of great information about the spine and posture in addition to all the material from his Back and Neck books.
I have had low back issues and pain for nearly forty years. I have done everything and anything you can think of to relief pain, gain range of motion, and get back to my daily functionality. This book was recommended by my PT after a recent flare-up, where he quickly proved the value of this book by testing my back, having me doing some VERY simple McKenzie exercises, then retesting my back - an IMMEDIATELY improvement with a immeasurable reduction in pain. I was sold immediately. I bought this book first, and followed the directions for the exercises explicitly.
Within two weeks of using these exercises and regulating my posture, I am pain free. AND now I know what to do in case of an acute flare-up, and have these VERY simple tools at hand to give to my clients. I am a Licensed Massage Therapist and treat neck and back issues all the time.
McKenzie's book are it, period. If you have sustained a serious injury involving the spine, PLEASE consult with your doctor first before attempting these exercises.