Treat Your Own Back

Bought this book after suffering a prolapsed disc (L5, S1) and was facing surgery as my only option. Firstly it's an easy read and you can read all of it within an hour or so, which I would recommend before trying out any of the exercises. It is clear, simple and informative. A bit of background: My disc prolapsed in Dec 14, but was not diagnosed until having an MRI in Feb 15. During this time I was in immense paid that meant I couldn't stand or walk for more than a few minutes. Had the usual sciatic pain travelling all the way down my left leg. Painkillers were really not offering much relief, though thankfully I was comfortable when sitting and lying down. I am a complete wuss when it comes to hospitals and the thought of surgery was terrifying me, but the exercises in this book completely changed my outcome. I carried out the exercises as directed and within a couple of weeks there had been enough improvement that my consultant decided to leave to me carry on with the exercises. I have to point out that I had to have 2 MRI's and it was after the first MRI that I started to use the McKenzie technique, hence the consultant was able to visually see the improvement when having the 2nd MRI 2 weeks later. Yes, it could also be coincidence, but I feel these exercises and the theory behind them were the correct solution for my back issue. My prolapse was quite severe so the time taken to recover (measured to when I felt I could get back to the gym on light duties) was about 6 months, but today I am back at the gym 5 times a week and touch wood, my back feels really good. It will never be perfect, but it doesn't stop me from exercising, which at one point I thought it would. I still occasionally use the Mckenzie technique if I feel I've maybe twisted funny or if something just doesn't feel quite right (you get to know your back very well after an injury) and the book does recommend that the exercises become a regular maintenance feature for those of us who have the need. I have also worked hard on improving my core strength and as the book suggests try not to slouch when sitting at your desk. I now use a balance ball as my office chair! I wholeheartedly recommend this book, but be patient, and do as instructed. It won't be the miracle cure for everyone, but if you have a bulging disc or prolapse disc without other complications then this could be gold dust and if you are anything like me, stop you from having an emotional breakdown at the thought of surgery.

if you have back pain...read on 13 years ago I dug a big hole and that was that. from then on I had pain pain pain in my back. doctors appointments,tablets, pain in the arms, lower legs, aching and endless numb pains coming and going until one day I visited my other doctor. he is retired now, shame. I remember sitting there explaining and he had pain as well in his back. he just showed me the book. my life changed from that day. my pain didn't. it took about five months to get control of it, and then once I got control, to keep it under my power was a trial. without this book I would be in more pain today. the whole point is, exercise into the pain, not beyond. and to recognise a stiff back as a big warning and to stop right there and then. and do something about it, not one minute later, or ten minutes later, but there and then. it is crucial you catch the warning stiffness and to stop the angle you are bent at when it comes on. if you can do this you can control your back pain. so, why am I here buying this book so far on? this is ordered and delivered to a friend who is in unforgiving pain, and the only option from here in is operate, and they do not want that. would you? this book may not bring pain free life back, but it gives you control as to how painless you can be, if you want. please read everything carefully before starting, and never let go of this book once you have got it. and never ever again slouch in that comfy seat/chair after working hard or lifting. lordosis is the secret, and car seat is your enemy, office seat is your enemy, very soft matress is your enemy. ***** update20/06/2014******* Since years I have suffered also with sciatica. I understand I cannot provide links here but I feel compelled to mention that this book, coupled with a yoga exercise or two has completely eased my awful sciatica. It is from a video I found by typing Sukie Baxter sciatica. if you google it you will find it. I am quite grateful to her so feel I have to share this wherever I go, as we all know that terrible feeling sciatic pain brings and its relentless unending constant pain that even tablets do not seem to have an effect on. I understand if amazon refuse to publish this, but at least I will have tried

I have use the McKenzie approach for my neck and shoulders, and have tried to follow the instructions contained here. The exercises seem to hit the right spot, and I put the lack of complete success down more to my own lack of perseverance. Good, clear explanation of the likely underlying causes of problems with some useful suggestions about what to do if something more serious is likely to be behind the problem.

This is an interesting book to read but also the exercises do seem to work. Best of all, they are simple and easy to do and to remember. Sometimes it's very difficult to exercise from books or videos but this is not the case with these exercises. I would recommend this for anyone who has back problems and can't afford to keep going to osteopaths.

I’ve never struggled from back pain until this year where I had a bulging disc turning into a herniated disc because I ignored it as a piriformis pull - the first 4 months we’re bearable but the past 4 have been hell with the most intense searing sciatica. I’ve seen physios, osteopaths and having acupuncture (that WAS helping manage the pain slightly). Mornings are my hell, getting out of bed is like pain I’ve never experienced and I was really starting to doubt if I would ever get better. As someone who is usually so active it’s been a mental health ride also. I stumbled across this book thanks to Bert & Bob (look them up!) and read it in a few hours. Do not skip any of the pages, as others have said it’s really important to understand why you need to do the exercise and why you mustn’t do certain things. Well, here I am a few days later and I got out of bed and dressed myself without pain this morning and I could have cried with the relief. I felt compelled to come on and write a review because so far this has been the most helpful thing for my pain management by far. I get myself on the floor on waking and do the push up exercise first thing and I can feel it moving the pain from my leg to my back where it decreases and I can get up and go to the loo! The trick is the sag in the belly I think, I can feel all sorts of goodness going on when I get into that. If you’re here it’s because you’re in pain and feeling a bit desperate as I was - buy this book, what have you got to lose? Even if it doesn’t help now it will give you all the information you need to maintain back health when you’re out of this hell! I should also mention that I bought the sleep roll too, it’s kinda weird sleeping with it but let’s face it what’s comfortable about a herniated disc? I’ll take slightly weird over pain any day! I really believe it’s helping me sleep without pain.

If you're under treatment for back problems chances are that whatever exercises is covered in this book has already been taught to you by your Physio. This was my first book regarding fitness/ therapy and I am uncertain if other authors exhibit a similar level of Narcissism! After going through first 20 pages I was in half mind to return back the book. The book does cover a few important lessons as to why it's necessary to maintain posture of back etc. You might end up learning more from first few chapters than the last which cover the exercises.

OK, what to say that others haven't already. I had pretty much despaired (at the age of 40) of ever ridding myself of chronic lower back pain, of being able to run and jump around after my young children without fear of suddenly collapsing in pain. I had been to the various specialists, and they had all just given me the same old strengthening exercises, which were OK, but never really provided any relief to speak of, either immediate or long-term. None of the physios EVER mentioned anything about bending your spine the way McKenzie (RIP) does - it seems counter-intuitive, doctors had told me NOT to do that as it impacts the vertebrae and causes more trouble. So I had reason to be sceptical that this approach could help me - but I was wrong! Yes, the exercises can cause an initial ache and stiffness (that is "centralised" in the way McKenzie describes), but that very quickly dissipates and I have actually experienced almost immediate relief from symptoms, especially after doing the exercises for a few weeks and getting past some initial pops and clicks from my back. However, it wasn't even the exercises that helped me most - in fact, a few months down the line I don't really even do them any more unless I actually have an attack of pain (which has been maybe once or twice at most). It was the simple suggestion about propping up your spine in bed so it doesn't sag that really helped me. Since I started doing that I have never once woken up in the morning unable to straighten up properly, and no back pain that I then carry into the day! So could it really have been the mattress/sleeping position all along?! Well, I have to say that I still believe I do have an underlying problem - and the studies that have been done seem to bear this out: that these exercises probably cannot ultimately fix a long-term problem (I have done an MRI and do seem to have some protruding discs and suchlike). It's an anatomical fact you probably have to live with, and things like bad sleeping posture merely exacerbate it. So this book doesn't promise to "cure" you of your back condition. But what it has done is helped relieve me of most of the symptoms in a way I really couldn't have hoped for. So - if you have debilitating lower back pain you'd be crazy not to at least try and follow this book. I am going to give a copy to my doctor - who also suffers from lower back pain...

Never left a review for anything before but felt compelled to do so with this book. I have had a really awkward crunchy, tight, lower back for years and years and lately it has got real bad . I am quite tall and of a reasonable build, half fit but like a beer and a pizza. I love the gym but haven't been for two months now because I tore/ripped/broke something whilst squatting because I had been at my desk all day and didn't warm up, a few days later I then helped a delivery driver unload a brand new trampoline, which was awkward and heavy at a customers house and something really went, ouch. Since then I have had a lot of pain and sciatica, at first after sitting for a while or first thing in the morning I would stand up and the pain/sensation from my left buttock down to the back of my left foot would drop me on the floor like a sack of spuds. I have been swimming a few times and I really found that beneficial but the pain was still there. Over the years I have seen Chiros, Osteos and Physios - they do help but all the best ones seem to take off to some far flung corner of the globe. So rather than going down the manipulation route I thought I would do some more research so I was looking over the internet and found several references to Robin Mckenzie so read the reviews on Amazon about Treat Your Own Back and was gripped. I ordered the book which took a couple of days to appear but I read the book from the beginning and have started in on the exercises. I am doing just exercises 1,2,3,4,1,2,3 today, my first day and already things are improving massively. I have been at the computer nearly all day and feel great. I have carried out the exercises three times ( exercise numbers 1,2,3,4,1,2,3) and have been able to move further into the exercises each time. I am truly amazed and whilst something still is not right in there I feel so much better. I would definitely recommend this book to any one who has a back issue but you do need to read the intro and subsequent chapters before starting the exercises. You also need to be honest with yourself as to how bad your back is and just take it very easy and get into the exercises slowly. I cannot believe how different I was with my third lot of exercises compared to my first lot all in the same day. The body is an amazing thing and its incredible that you can start to fix yourself if you have the right instruction. Reading this book I have also become massively aware of my posture when standing and sitting and realise how it needs improving and also how most of my furniture really doesn't do my spine any favours. Second day got up and put pants on without holding onto the window sill, those of you who suffer with bad lower backs will no how good that feels. Thank you Mr McKenzie.

The book is excellent - and printed on excellent quality paper.

Way too much irrelevant fluff and author patting himself on the back. Save your money, search for McKenzie exercises online, you won’t miss anything.

Esta muy practico y facil de leer ademas da consejos muy faciles de hacer y te enseña tanto en momentos de crisis de dolor como en momentos donde tienes que corregir para ya no tener dolor muy buen libro

Bueno para ilustrar pacientes y repasar el método

I am a complete skeptic regarding most self-help health and fitness books. Most seem to either give too much background information to justify why their program is superior to everyone else's, or they are written as an advertisement for being treated by them or buying their equipment and supplements. Not McKenzie. This is a quick read, right to the point, short book that tells you why most lower back pain is caused by poor posture. Usually years of poor posture. It points out that Chiropractic & Osteopathic treatment usually brings only short-term relief. And if you go to them for evaluation, spinal manipulation will usually be recommended because that is what is in their arsenal to treat your back. The book illustrates a few exercises and positions to use to alleviate the problem. And suggests using a lumbar support for sitting and possibly sleeping. (Yes, it does mention that McKenzie has lumbar supports for sale.) I've never had a problem with my back until recently. I started having back and rib pain after an almost 4 hour flight in the exit row of an American Airline plane. I couldn't recline the seat at all and there was zero lumbar support. Quite the opposite—the seat back was concave. I am 6' 2" tall and my back was killing me by the time I got off the plane. It was so bad, I went to get a massage for my back at my hotel. It helped, but didn't rid all of the pain. The flight back was better, but I was hurting afterwards. The rib pain actually got worse over the next three weeks. My back was also acting up and hurting at odd times. Then I saw this book. After reading the reviews, I decided to try it. Now I know I've had bad posture most of my life. I slouch when I sit. And I've been sitting at my computer a lot over the past year or so. 12 hrs a day or more. My office chair has almost no lumbar support. It never bothered me before. Nor did slouching in the couch as I watched TV. Now it's agony after less than an hour or so. I read the book and it makes sense. The stretches started to help immediately. I'm doing the simple exercises (which are really stretches) and watching my posture. And my lower back is much better. My rib pain is gone unless I start to slouch again! I use a small pillow for lumbar support (until my proper lumbar support pillows arrive from Amazon). I do the stretches and it helps a lot. It's going to take some time to reverse decades of bad posture, but this book has made a huge difference in relieving my back pain. Wow! I'm skeptical no more. It's not a placebo effect. It actually works for me. Simple to do. Now, I'm trying to make it a habit. Correct posture and stretches every two hours. The pain comes back when I forget and slouch while sitting—otherwise, it's gone. Outstanding! I recommend this book to anyone who has lower back pain. Read it before you decide to go to a Chiropractor. Try the stretches. See if they work for you. It's a whole lot cheaper than a series of manipulations and a lot better than taking muscle relaxants and pain drugs. If it doesn't help then go to the doctors. (McKenzie states this as well.) I am in no way affiliated with McKenzie or his products. Just a person who found pain relief by using his book. I hope it works for you as well as it did for me. This book was the best $25 I've ever spent—except maybe for a marriage license.