The problem of back and neck pain continues to grow and has now reached epidemic proportions in the UK, America and many other countries. Statistics support the enormity of its impact on productivity and finances, but the costs in terms of human suffering are immeasurable. Complete Back Workbook explores what underlies back and neck pain and related symptoms, the various ways of coping with these causes and strategies to promote healing.
The first chapter, Background on the Spine, presents a brief and straightforward overview of the structure and functions of the spine and associated structures. Even a cursory reading will be well worth your while. It will help you to appreciate what can go wrong and why, and also the rationale for the measures suggested to help prevent certain problems from arising.
In What Can Go Wrong we look at the many departures from normal functioning that can occur in various spinal structures, and learn about some common tests and procedures used by health-care personnel to identify these disorders or to assist them in planning treatments.
Coping With Pain explores why pain occurs and the numerous ways of dealing with it, including methods you can try without professional assistance.
You will learn, or be reminded of, the significance of good posture in Posture Matters, and the impact on spinal health of persisting in bad habits when carrying out everyday activities. We also look at ways in which to correct poor habits and so minimise wear and tear on spinal components.
Exercises to help heal back ailments and prevent their occurrence are the focus of our next chapter, Healing Back Exercises. Two ‘healing’ sequences are offered, in addition to warm-up and cool-down sessions. Also included in this chapter is a reminder of why stretching is so important, and how you can add fun to your exercise programme through the use of a Swiss ball.
Finally, Ailments and Healing Options has information on more than eighteen common ailments that can arise from injury, disease or degeneration of the spine and related tissues: what they are, their symptoms and causes, preventive measures and treatments, both non-surgical and surgical.
Whether you’re one of the few fortunate people who have never experienced a back problem, or one of the many who at some time have had to cope with backache or another spine-related ailment, Complete Back Workbook will be of interest to you. It may, in fact, be the only guide you’ll need in your quest for a strong, healthy, problem-free back.