The Good Back Book: A Practical Guide to Alleviating and Preventing Back Pain

This essential guide to a healthy back presents potentially technical information in an accessible, informative manner. Arming the reader with a clear understanding of the anatomy of the spine, the author also suggests a series of exercises essential for strengthening the muscles and structures that support the vertebral column. Superbly illustrated, with clear, full-colour step-by-step sequences, the book also provides an overview of the importance of posture including common posture faults, exercises to improve deviations from the ideal alignment, and the correct posture for a variety of day-to-day activities. It touches on common back problems and includes a chapter on a wide range of therapies and practitioners that focus on back treatments in particular.

Author Renita Fehrsen-Du Toit is a qualified physiotherapist who holds an honours degree in Advanced Physiotherapy in the direction of Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapy. Her post-graduate courses included muscle balancing, lower limb biomechanics, clinical reasoning and knee and shoulder problems. A part-time lecturer at the University of the Western Cape, she is chairperson of a branch of the South African Physiotherapy Society and also owns a private practice in Cape Town. Her passion is 'to make people aware of their backs and educate them about how to look after their spines in daily activity'. She feels very strongly that therapists should train people to prevent back problems and use their muscles correctly to stabilize the spine. Consultant Dr Ian Drysdale is Principal of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has a Phd in Clinical Endocrinology (London University), a Diploma in Osteopathy and a Diploma in Naturopathy. He is a registered Osteopath, has published numerous papers on subjects including the physiology of osteopathy, and is an active researcher in this field.