Get Your Lower Back Pain under Control - And Get on with Life »

Pain management specialist Dr. Anthony H. Guarino has created an accessible and up-to-date guide to the range of available treatments to relieve back pain.

Informed by the wealth of information in this book, patients can successfully manage their pain beyond their doctor's office. Dr. Guarino describes proven therapies and coaches patients on how to achieve results. He also offers helpful advice for dealing with the psychological effects of chronic pain and for navigating complicated insurance and disability plans.

With detailed information about medications, exercise, injections, surgery, psychological interventions, and alternative treatments, Get Your Lower Back Pain under Control-and Get on with Life is an invaluable resource for anyone who suffers from chronic back pain. As Dr. Guarino encourages his own patients, "Master your pain. Reclaim your life!"

Preface

Part I Why Does It Hurt? Who Can Help?

Chapter 1 All about Pain 3

Chapter 2 The Right Doctor for You 14

Chapter 3 Diagnosing What's Causing Your Pain 24

Part II Therapies from A to Z

Chapter 4 Tools for Managing Pain 35

Chapter 5 Exercise for Treating Pain with Elizabeth Pegg Frates, M.D. 47

Chapter 6 Tools for Reducing Stress 73

Chapter 7 Pain Medications 82

Chapter 8 Injections and Other Treatments 107

Chapter 9 Surgery 124

Chapter 10 Alternative Treatments 130

Part III The Cost of Chronic Pain

Chapter 11 Covering the Cost of Pain: Insurance 143

Chapter 12 The Ins and Outs of Disability 147

Chapter 13 The Personal Cost of Pain: Relationships 159

Appendix: The Anatomy of the Back 163

Notes 175

Index 179