The Back Pain Book: A Self-Help Guide for the Daily Relief of Neck and Low Back Pain

Relieve your back pain once and for all.
Eighty-five percent of Americans suffer from some type of back pain, and our sedentary lifestyles only exacerbate the problem. Drugs and surgery are costly solutions for easing the symptoms. This book, written by physical therapy experts at The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago—the top-ranking rehab hospital in the nation—empowers you to take control of your pain by managing it, so that its impact on your life is minimized. Emphasis is placed on using posture, positioning, and movement to ease, relieve, and prevent the reoccurrence of pain.
Presented in a clear style, the book describes a better way of thinking about daily movements and activities and how they can influence the production of pain; it addresses immediate pain relief, good moves/bad moves for everyday activities, and provides strategic exercises for long-term relief. In this new edition, more functional exercises have been added along with positioning recommendations for workouts on gym equipment.
The Back Pain Book includes thorough guidance on how to:
Achieve quick pain relief
Heal and prevent pain during all of your daily activities
Perform all types of exercise, from gentle stretching to vigorous movement
The Back Pain Book offers user-friendly features such as:
Hundreds of helpful line drawings
Clear, easy-to-follow instructions
Complete cross-references to help you locate all treatment procedures for your particular problem

Mike Hage, MS, PT, was the physical therapy supervisor for the Pain Program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. He passed away in 2000.

Karen Dirr, MAMS, is a medical illustrator. She lives in Illinois.