7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life: How to Rapidly Relieve Back and Neck Pain (Paperback)

One thing is glaringly absent from this book though--strengthening exercises for the back muscles. I did a little digging around and found that people with back pain actually have smaller than normal back muscles (Danneels,2000 and Parkkola,1993) when examined with CT scans and MRI's. People with back pain also have much weaker back muscles as well (Cassisi,1993 and Roy,1989 and Mayer,1989 and Mayer,1985 and Smidt,1983).

I am thinking that since it is so well documented in the medical literature that the majority or back pain sufferers have smaller and weaker back muscles, a book on back pain for the masses should definitely have included an exercise to strengthen the back muscles. I therefore recommend that buyers of this book use it in conjunction with a back strengthening exercise. For that, I recommend "The Multifidus Back Pain Solution" (also here at Amazon) to learn an easy back strengthening exercise you can do in your own home.

I bought this book when I was in trouble with my back - sciatica pain - and could hardly walk, couldn't get out of the car, and couldn't walk upstairs (coming downstairs was alot easier than going up!) and always had to sleep sitting up in bed (actually doing more harm than good, but I couldn't sleep otherwise). It was excruciating. I did the excersises and got better, then put the book away and carried on my life as normal (BIG MISTAKE) - only for the pain to return. After analysing my lifestyle I found out the bouts of sciatica pain often followed long periods of inactivity. For example, I would be fine during late autumn and winter, then as soon as the better weather started in the Spring I would become more active and the pain would come back big time. I also always suffered after sitting in an airplane seat for 4 hours - spoiling our holiday with back pain. Since using this book religiously, I have learned how to control my back instead of my back controlling me.
I have now been pain free for exactly 12 months - normally I have 3-4 bouts of sciatica every year, each used to last for 6-8 weeks.
Now that I'm pain free, I still do my excersises 3-4 times a week (slowly reduced from several times a day), and do extra excersises if I've been doing anything that involves my back - decorating, gardening, leaning over a car engine etc.
In the past few months, things have improved so much that I can now feel when my back is under strain, I immediately do the 'extension while standing' excercise and I can hear my back click back in place, this has never happened before and I am really reaping the benefits of continually obeying the excercises and 'rules' in this book.
I work in IT and spend about 10 hours sitting in front of a PC. A lumber roll has improved my posture massively and stopped my 'hunching' over the keyboard like 99.9% of my collegues - some of whom also suffer and I have recommended this book.
DO NOT GIVE UP. Make this book a part of your life - you've only got one back - look after it!