RoadtoHealthBlog

Learn the best way to walk. Sherry Brourman P.T., teaches her straightforward and innovative method for balancing the body and eliminating pain. With a comprehensive, easy to understand self-evaluation, and illustrated stretching, strengthening and walking exercises, you can learn how to eliminate neck pain, back pain, hip pain, leg pain, knee pain and all types of structural pain, naturally, without surgery or drugs. ....read more

Simple, quick yoga routines that stop back, shoulder, and neck pain for good! Back pain is the number one reason people stay home from work, and the best way to help chronic back pain is with exercise. Yoga, with its gentle stretching and breathing, is one of the most effective ways to combat back pain, along with reducing stress and improving overall fitness. ....read more

The Pilates Prescription for Back Pain details the self-care program that trained Pilates physical therapists have been using for decades to eliminate back pain. The authors explain each step of the program, outlining the relevant anatomy and teaching the fundamental concepts of Pilates. The book's three-stage approach builds patient confidence as it strengthens core muscles. The series of coordinated exercises improves postural alignment and body awareness, helping to prevent problems and alleviate existing conditions. Detailed illustrations and photos of each exercise are included. ....read more

This practical text, written by four key researchers in the field, offers an effective approach to the management and treatment of back pain based on applications of biomechanics. By linking the clinical anatomy of the spine to biomechanics principles, it provides a bridge between anatomy and practical applications. This highly illustrated, up-to-date book is essential reading for anyone involved in the care and treatment of patients with back pain, as well as for those studying its causes and methods of prevention.

• Addresses the important and prevalent problem of back pain thoroughly from a unique biomechanics perspective.
• Written especially for practitioners, the book presents information in a way that is relevant to therapists who treat patients with back pain.
• Authored by four of the leading researchers in the field from different professional backgrounds, the book comprehensively examines back pain from diverse perspectives.
• Provides an understanding of back mechanics that is necessary in order to form an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

• Six new chapters are included: Growth and Aging of the Lumbar Spine; Spinal Degeneration; Biomechanics of Spinal Surgery; Surgery for Disc Prolapse; Spinal Stenosis and Back Pain; and Conservative Management of Back Pain.
• Expanded sections on spinal growth and aging provide additional comprehensive information on this important topic.
• Includes additional and updated information on the interpretation and explanation of spine research literature.
• An expanded color plate section with 23 new black-and-white photographs and 21 new line drawings illustrate the content clearly.

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A comprehensive study of the impact of saddle fit on horse and rider health and performance. ....read more

Nortin Hadler knows backaches. For more than three decades as a physician and medical researcher, he has studied the experience of low back pain in people who are otherwise healthy. Hadler terms the low back pain that everyone suffers at one time or another regional back pain. In this book, he addresses the history and treatment of the ailment with the healthy skepticism that has become his trademark, taking the Hadlerian approach to backaches and the backache treatment industry in order to separate the helpful from the hype.



Basing his critique on an analysis of the most current medical literature as well as his clinical experience, Hadler argues that regional back pain is overly medicalized by doctors, surgeons, and alternative therapists who purvey various treatment regimens. Furthermore, the design of workers' compensation, disability insurance, and other health schemes actually thwarts getting well. For the past half century, says Hadler, back pain and back pain-related disability have exacted a huge toll, in terms of pain, suffering, and financial cost. Stabbed in the Back addresses this issue at multiple levels: as a human predicament, a profound social problem, a medical question, and a vexing public-policy challenge. Ultimately, Hadler's insights illustrate how the state of the science can and should inform the art and practice of medicine as well as public policy. Stabbed in the Back will arm any reader with the insights necessary to make informed decisions when confronting the next episode of low back pain. ....read more

Back Stability: Integrating Science and Therapy, Second Edition, is designed to help practitioners recognize and manage back conditions using proven clinical approaches to stabilize the spine. More than just another sequence of back exercises, this text provides a theoretical foundation that will guide you in selecting the most effective exercises for each client and integrating them into a complete program to offer the best possible care in back health.

A focus on evidence-based practice pervades Back Stability to address one of the most common maladies of modern living: back pain. This text combines research from around the world in the areas of anatomy, physiology, pathology, biomechanics, exercise physiology, and motor skill training with the practical knowledge of author Christopher Norris, a physiotherapist, exercise professional, and teacher for more than 30 years. With his expertise, you will gain the practical knowledge to help you recognize and assess inappropriate movement patterns--whether caused by injury or simple day-to-day activity--and use a process of clinical decision making to determine which exercises to use in developing effective back care programs.

In addition to updated research, the second edition has undergone many changes that improve the book's layout and make it more user friendly:

• The 33 new exercises as well as modified versions of previous exercises help refine and customize each program.
• Detailed teaching elements throughout the book provide constructive and motivating ways to prescribe exercises to clients and patients.
• Photographs clearly demonstrate each exercise technique and, where appropriate, are overlayed with arrows or lines to show proper body alignment.
• A second color is integrated throughout the text, enhancing the visual flow.
• Bullet points summarize and facilitate quick reference of exercise technique, and checklists aid in exercise prescription.
• A larger format for the text allows for a more attractive presentation with bigger photos and easier recognition of important information.

The second edition of Back Stability is organized into five parts that follow a logical progression from initial concepts to clinical applications. The text introduces the problems of back pain and instability and provides an explanation of spinal anatomy, movements, and the physics of lifting. A discussion follows of the basic skills required for developing stability. Assessments of posture and muscle balance are highlighted, and foundational movements for development of core stability are introduced.

After covering the basics, the text moves into more practical applications by presenting progressive exercises and basic equipment used for developing greater stability. Information on abdominal training, resistance apparatus, speed and power, and practical functional progressions will help your patients or clients increase back stability and enhance performance. Finally, real-life patient examples illustrate how to structure a full back stability program.

Back Stability: Integrating Science and Therapy, Second Edition, presents an alternative method for the treatment of back pain and provides each patient or client the opportunity to actively participate in recovery and maintenance. By integrating the science behind back pain into a useable format for understanding and application, Back Stability offers proven methods of care and assists your work with clients and patients to alleviate their pain, increase their back stability, and help them return to a fully functional lifestyle. ....read more

Cox Low Back Pain Clinic, Fort Wayne, IN. Comprehensive text covering eight years of updated research in the care of low back pain. Discusses diagnostic tests, clinical and home treatment, depression, and fibromyalgia. Halftone illustrations. For chiropractitioners. Previous edition: c1985. DNLM: Low Back Pain. ....read more

An invaluable reference dedicated to the equine back, providing comprehensive coverage by international specialists. Equine Back Pathology: Diagnosis and Treatment is the first book to explore conditions and problems of the horses back and pelvis, which are often difficult to diagnose and treat. The importance of the horse's back to their function and athletic ability cannot be underestimated. There has been considerable progress in recent years in understanding back problems in the horse, and this book brings together the most recent research.

The book is divided into sections covering:

* the normal anatomy and kinematics of the horse's back

* the approach to investigating suspected back pathology

* diagnosis and treatment of specific conditions

* back pathology in specific sporting disciplines

* complementary therapy and rehabilitation

This book is a vital tool for those engaged in improving the diagnosis and management of all horses with back problems. ....read more

This book presents the latest information and research on the prevention and management of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. It introduces the reader to an approach to clinical management and prevention based on that research. This text's impressively thorough coverage makes it an indispensable text for both researchers and clinicians in the field of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. • Written by 3 of the foremost researchers in the field, the material features a high level of credibility and respect, unlikely to be found in any other reference on musculoskeletal dysfunction. • Coverage offers the most up-to-date information available, as it is based on the very latest research from the key workers in the field around the world • Practical examples demonstrate the clinical relevance of the research to the student and busy practitioner • The text presents a new, problem-solving approach to back pain assessment and management, based on the latest understanding of the anatomy, physiology and biomechanics involved. • Extensive illustrations, line diagrams, and photographs complement the text with visual aides. ....read more

Spinal Stabilization - The New Science of Back Pain, 2nd Edition is the most comprehensive and scientifically accurate resource for the general public on the subject of low back pain.

Updated and expanded to include the most current research regarding low back pain and its treatment, this easy-to-read guide provides readers with 'need to know' information about the spine, effectively taking the mystery out of back pain and its treatment.

Based upon sound and current research, 'Spinal Stabilization' describes how the spine and its muscles are intended to work, and how this changes once back pain sets in.

New to the second edition is a clear discussion of the critical differences between stabilization exercises used by people with back pain and those who want a more high-performance, athletic spine. This is a key area author Rick Jemmett felt compelled to address.

There is still a significant amount of confusion in the rehabilitation, fitness and sports conditioning professions as to what truly constitiutes therapeutic stabilization exercises. The better quality research is actually quite clear on this yet many people remain stuck on the idea that exercising on a ball will correct low back pain. Some low back pain patients might feel better temporarily with such programs, but we now have the ability to do so much more than this. Instead of simply reducing the symptoms for a short while, we have the ability to achieve a true correction of the problem.

Spinal Stabilization, 2nd Edition is divided into two sections. The first describes in detail the scientifically proven Australian approach of therapeutic segmental stabilization exercise. Clear descriptions along with illustrations and photos give readers the tools they need to correctly perform these important exercises. The second section discusses the use of 'Integrated Training' in sport-specific conditioning programs. This involves the simultaneous training of the body's stability, balance and strength systems for maximum athletic performance. ....read more

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An expert fitness team shares their cutting-edge program for achieving stellar abs-in just three hours a week.

A strong, athletic physique, highlighted by a flat midsection with well-defined abdominal muscles, is the goal of everyone who works out, from lifelong gym rats to the New Year's resolution crowd. But most people who seek these goals undermine their efforts. In The New Rules of Lifting for Abs, Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove offer unique programs based on the latest breakthroughs in exercise science. And, as they did in their previous books, The New Rules of Lifting and The New Rules of Lifting for Women, the authors debunk ab-training myths while showing readers how to strip off even the most stubborn flab.
Surprising revelations include:

• Washboard abs do not always equal a healthy, pain-free back
• The crunch is actually a poor choice for most people
• Extending the core can be much more effective than flexing ab muscles • It's impossible to isolate the core muscles
• And much, much more

Readers get three months of intense workouts, combining fat-busting conditioning work with intense strength training, which they can easily expand into a yearlong program. Schuler and Cosgrove also include a nutrition component detailing how to eat for fat loss, muscle gain, and improved health. Home-gym friendly, and illustrated with more than 150 black-and-white photographs, The New Rules of Lifting for Abs delivers the goods. ....read more

Trigger point therapy is one of the most intriguing and fastest-growing bodywork styles in the world. Medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists are all beginning to use this technique to relieve formerly undiagnosable muscle and joint pain—conditions that studies have shown to be the cause of nearly 25 percent of all doctor visits. The technique involves applying short, repeated massage strokes to trigger points, tiny contraction knots in muscle tissue where restricted circulation and lack of oxygen cause referred pain. Trigger points create pain throughout the body in predictable patterns characteristic to each muscle, producing discomfort ranging from mild to severe. Trigger point massage increases circulation and oxygenation in the area and often produces instant relief. This dynamic technique has made a huge impact among health professionals and the public alike, becoming an overnight classic in the field of pain relief. The book has sold over 220,000 copies since the release of the first edition in 2001. The second edition is a complete update and includes a new chapter specifically for massage professionals, as well as a chapter on systematic muscle relaxation techniques that can reinforce the therapeutic power of trigger point work. ....read more

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Back Pain: a movement problem is a practical manual to assist all students and clinicians concerned with the evaluation, diagnosis and management of the movement related problems seen in those with spinal pain disorders. It offers an integrative model of posturo-movement dysfunction which describes the more commonly observed features and related key patterns of altered control. This serves as a framework, guiding the practitioner's assessment of the individual patient.

Key features:

1. The book explores motor control and functional movement, its development, and explores how and why it is altered in people with back pain.

2. It integrates contemporary science with the insights and experience of extensive clinical practice.

3. The book maps the more common clinical patterns of presentation in those with spinal pain and related disorders.

4. It provides a simple clinical classification system for back pain.

5. Abundantly illustrated to present concepts and to illustrate the difference between so called normal and dysfunctional presentations.

6. Written by a practitioner for practitioners. ....read more

After the ordinary flu/cold, back pain is the second most common medical complaint worldwide. Most people will suffer some form of back pain at some point in their life. For some, the pain in the back may be tolerable and so it escapes notice. For others, it may come and go erratically and will need some form of remedy from time to time. Then there are those who live with back pain 24 hours a day 7 days a week due to an injury from some sort of accident. Though some back disorders and back pain can be the result of a traumatic injury, the most common forms of back pain arise from months or years of: * Poor posture * Badly organized workplace design * Improper bending and lifting * Stressful living * Poor nutrition * Lack of physical exercise Benefit from some of these really helpful advice found in this collection of tips: * Depression can lead to chronic back pain * Never twist your body to the side when lifting, or lowering * Don't get locked in the sitting position for a prolonged period of time. Get up and move around from where you're sitting time and again. * Abdominal crunches are one of the basic exercises to help relieve and prevent back problems. ....read more