Treat Your Own Back

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.

I have had lower back issues on and off for years. In 2012, had an MRI which confirmed herniated discs in the lower lumbar (L5-S1). This book was recommended to me once when my back was out so I promptly ordered it and put it on a shelf. One time while I was laying in bed with my back out (in a terrible position, by the way), I figured what did I have to lose. I was bedridden for the day so I should read the book. The book is well written, cuts to the chase, explains the 'why' of it but most importantly helps! I sort of rolled off the bed to the floor and started doing the recommended exercises. I did them throughout the afternoon and saw immediate improvement. Like many of us, I soon forget about the stretches when my back feels better so eventually my back would start acting up and I would go to the Chiro for an adjustment. Which by the way, was pretty successful. Until this last time. A long flight and slinging luggage onto conveyor belts did it for me. When I got home, I was "too busy" to see the Chiro so I put it off. By the time I went, I think my back was in full spasm mode and it just didn't work. It progressively got worse without me taking it as seriously as I should have and then I finally tried just about everything I could think of (expect re-reading this book). I was practically immobile at time. Especially going from sitting to standing or getting out of the car. The only relief I had was laying down on my back. At times, I was in tears and watching days go by where I couldn't do normal things or participate in life, especially with my kids. My husband had to pick up all the slack. I just turned 40. If I'm like this now, what does the future hold?! From there I saw a sports muscle/chiropractor, a deep tissue body mechanics PT and did 2 sessions of accupuncture and cupping. I had a couple hours of relief after seeing each of these people, partially due to the fact that I was laying on my back during treatment. But none of them provided any real relief. All 3 agreed I needed an MRI. I finally broke down and went to an orthopedist who did and xray and confirmed the compression and got an MRI ordered. A couple days ago, I had my worst day and decided to re-read this book. I have committed to doing exactly as it says. I set a timer on my phone for every two hours (and will do it more if I'm in pain). It's only day 2 and I have significantly less pain than two days ago. I ordered lumbar support for the car/home/work so I'm not undoing the benefit of the stretches. I'm going to keep it up because I can't live like this and even in just two days, plus previous experience, I have a sliver of hope that I can get back to normal. Today I went to work (office) and had the least amount of pain I could remember in a long time. I'm so encouraged! I strongly recommend this book. And I also recommend that you do it diligently right away. Don't wait until you are completely tweaked!

I feel like this book has good tips for back health. My physical therapist recommended it. However, I found that I had to do these exercises every few hours to ward off pain, so my life still wasn't back to normal. I wanted my normal, pain-free life back. I was diagnosed with 5 bulging discs in my spine. Even after months of physical therapy, I couldn’t sit or drive for more than 20 minutes, I had to do certain exercises every few hours to ward off pain, and even then I experienced some level of discomfort or pain daily. My PT said I would deal with this off and on for the rest of my life. I have always been fit and active, so this was not good news to hear. One day I received an email from a client who told me about Dr. John Sano, who uses the mind-body connection to help patients heal from chronic pain and illness. I was highly skeptical and rolled my eyes. But then I saw that his book has over 1,200 reviews on Amazon and almost 5 stars, so I decided to check him out. His theory is that inner rage causes the pain. The body tries to distract us from our deep feelings by causing pain, and the pain is caused by the body decreasing oxygen to that part of the body. The pain is real. It’s not something in your head (as anyone who experiences chronic pain will tell you). But the source of the pain and the cure can be found by tuning into those emotions. I watched Dr. Sarno’s interview on 20/20 and his 2-hour lecture on YouTube (his lecture is no longer available for viewing online, but you can find other interviews with him and clips from his lecture online). His book focuses on back pain, but as he mentions in the video, his method has worked for people with all kinds of chronic pain and conditions. After watching the videos, I journaled about what was happening in my life when I was injured – my frustrations, self-criticisms, and fears. I used some techniques I learned as a clinical hypnotherapist to dig a little deeper. Within 25 minutes, my pain was completely gone. It has been almost a year since that day, and I have been able to do whatever I want. I can sit or drive for as long as I want, I go running, do yoga, do cartwheels…anything I want to do, pain free! I don’t even have to do my special exercises from my physical therapist. I am completely healed. The funny thing is that Dr. Sarno doesn't think you can get in touch with what is actually causing the "inner rage". I think through normal talk-therapy, you probably can't. But if you find a good clinical hypnotherapist, you can go back in your mind to just before your pain started and recognize what was going on in your life then. What were you really frustrated about? They can help you work through those emotions. I never ever thought I would be able to write a story like this. I know it sounds unreal. But it worked for me and over 1200 other reviewers on his amazon book. I highly recommend checking it out to eliminate your pain completely. I'm not getting paid to write this, and I have no connection to Dr. Sarno. I just want you to know that if you are feeling hopeless about ever being pain-free (which I was), check him out. This book by Robin McKenzie is great for managing back issues and pain. So I give it 3 stars for getting me halfway there. But Dr. Sarno's method, to my complete surprise, helped me eliminate it.

I have scoliosis and disc herniation. Over the years, I've been having increasingly frequent and more severe back pain. The back pain would trigger migraines. I've seen physiatrists, chiropractors, acupuncturists and physical therapists and none of the treatments offered really helped and a few actually left me feeling worse. A couple of months ago, I was at the point where a few minutes on my feet was causing excruciating lower back pain. I figured I had nothing to lose by trying out this book, which already had excellent reviews. This book is a lifesaver. First of all, it's written in a no-nonsense fashion that's very approachable to the lay person and gets quickly to the point about the causes of back pain. It then describes the importance of correct posture and gives daily stretches and exercises that are easy to follow and provide real relief from back pain. In just weeks, I've gone from barely being able to get around the house to once again being able to spend a few hours on my feet, hike, do yard work and prevent the migraines triggered by back pain. Am I cured yet? No, I can still overdo it and end up with a painful back but I can do a few of the exercises in this book and recover more quickly than ever before. I feel encouraged now that keeping to this regimen will allow me to effectively control the pain and permit me to continue engaging in outdoor activities I enjoy. As far as I'm concerned, "Treat Your Own Back" is worth considerably more than it costs. If you have back pain, please get this book. Thank you, Dr. McKenzie!

I have herniated disc problems and after a bout in my early 30's in which I could literally not walk or stand the McKenzie method was taught to me by my physical therapist at TIRR in Houston. To start I was doing the exercise that are outlined in this book every four hours, after mobility started to return I was doing them 3 times a day followed by 20 minutes of brisk walking. When finishing my physical therapy mobility had returned and I was relieved of all the pain. I was given a copy of the book from TIRR to continue on my own. I was told that I should do the exercises in the book on a daily bases twice a day to keep from having another bout of such intense pain and immobility from happening again (as soon as I wake up and right before I go to bed). I probably did the first 3 months however out of sight out of mind. Over the last 15 years whenever I have an onset I have used this book with all the very simple exercises to refresh my memory of which exercises to do when. Usually within 3 days I can relieve myself from all pain and continue twice a day for a couple of weeks. I am sure if I did do the back exercises every day I probably would not be having the return or immobility and pain. I have purchased and gifted this book to several friends and neighbors when they have complained of chronic back pain. All that have read it, followed it , and done the exercises have said that it has relieved their pain and increased their mobility as well. To previous reviewers that gave it less stars for being to simple or exercises that they can find on the internet, no one wants exercises that are complicated, hard to understand, and the whole point of the book is the convenience to not have to do research on the internet but to have all you need in one place. If you can do better on your own that's great but if you were doing so great with your internet research you never would have been looking for a book to begin with. It works, I only wish there was a kindle edition so I always have a copy available to me when I travel. If you are suffering from back pain I highly recommend this book, but you do need to follow it in order for it to work.

Everyone with the beginnings of "back trouble" should buy this book. Most people find out they have scoliosis while still in elementary school, however, I wasn't diagnosed until my late 70's. I was on the verge of being referred to a back specialist when my doctor introduced me to this book. Needless to say, I have since avoided the inevitable shots and surgeries by following the simple regimen in this exceptional book. The exercises are simple and within 2-3 weeks of doing the exercises, I was pain free and have been ever since. But don't take my word for it. Try it and see for yourself.

this book is ~100 pages in length. It was written in 1980 and updated 9 times. It contains a lot of filler/fluff text, which if removed would boil this down to a pamphlet. My key takeaways.. the majority of back pains are problems with the moving parts, which are often brought on by bad posture. ligaments stretch out and take time to recover. thus, pain ensues when as they don't provide the spine support as they normally would do. pain normally persists for ~1 week. when pain is present the best positions for comfort is standing/walking. support lumbar area when sitting and avoid prolonged sitting. best posture is to ensure your lordosis (hollow in low back - lumbar area) is visible when you stand/sit (good posture). to resolve pain, spinal manipulation (think chiropractor) creates patient dependency and thus is undesirable in the long run. strengthening your core (exercise) is key to helping your body structure support the spine. the book illustrates several exercises, however some common exercises for good back health are excluded from the book. some of the included exercises aggravate back problems even more. when in doubt see a back specialist (e.g. sports medicine doctor). An MRI can show spine detail which is helpful in diagnosis. to avoid aggravating back pain when sneezing/coughing, it is advised to stand up... or if sitting, arch backwards a tad as we have tendency to bend forward when sneezing/coughing (bad posture). a supportive/non-sagging bed is ideal, but not super firm as it doesn't let the body conform to the mattress to provide needed support. the book suggests sleeping with a night roll (rounded pillow) behind your back for back sleepers or under your waist if you're a side sleeper. this might be useful if your bed is too firm or not supportive. the book suggests you can regain all your prior sport hobbies (jogging, tennis, football) after you recover, but I find that is not true. some of those activities can aggravate the back/spine. a personal tip: if you are experiencing back pain, try holding your core tight as you walk (think sucking in your abdomen/gut). it helps relieve pressure on your spine.

Great information for those with back issues. Very helpful.

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

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.

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