Your Aching Back: A Doctor's Guide to Relief »

Augustus A. White III, M.D, is professor of orthopaedic surgery at Harvard Medical School and orthopaedic surgeon-in-chief at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.

THREE OUT OF FIVE ADULTS WILL EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT BACK PAIN AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES, MAKING BACK PAIN AMERICA’S NUMBER ONE AILMENT

NOW IN ITS THIRD EDITION, the classic back pain manual Your Aching Back has been revised and updated to ensure that you have the latest science to speed your recovery.

Drawing on new research as well as decades of clinical experience, leading specialists Dr. Augustus White and Dr. Preston Phillips give you everything you need to know to manage this frustrating condition. To help you hone in on the source of your pain, they give a short primer on the basics of back mechanics as well as a discussion of the wide array of possible causes.

Treatment is the primary focus of the book. Emphasizing evidence-based medicine, the authors give a full account of the risks and benefits associated with treatments from acupuncture to spine surgery. You will find out when self-care makes sense, when you need to see a doctor, what questions to ask, and how to tell if you need a second opinion. Along the way, you’ll learn about exciting advances in implant technology, recent studies on ergonomics, cutting-edge imaging technology, the newest forms of alternative care, and much more. And because dealing with chronic back pain can have an effect on every aspect of your life, this book offers sensible, empathic advice on everything from sex and sports to the financial and emotional consequences of long-term disability.

In its trademark conversational and unintimidating style, Your Aching Back places you back in control of your health and puts you on the path toward relief.

Library Journal

In this book, revised from his first edition of the same title ( LJ 9/8/83), White uses an informal style to update lay readers on new developments in the diagnosis and treatment of structural problems and disease of the spine. When considering only his coverage of spinal disorders, White, a leading orthopedic surgeon, has few peers. However, aggressive rehabilitation of back muscle injury by either the patient or a therapist is given little attention. A more thorough treatment of such rehabilitation can be found in Constance Bean's The Better Back Book ( LJ 4/1/89). But for those whose backs ache from disorders of the spine itself, White's book is superior. Recommended for public libraries.-- Robert Jordan, Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 Who Suffers? 1

Chapter 2 Basic Back Mechanics 14

Chapter 3 Why Does My Back Hurt? 36

Chapter 4 Pain and the Mind 79

Chapter 5 Basic Back Self-Care 97

Chapter 6 The Problem Back 141

Chapter 7 To Operate or Not to Operate 180

Chapter 8 Sex and the Aching Back 224

Chapter 9 How to Avoid and Relieve Backache in Sport and Dance 239

Chapter 10 Answers to Backache Questions Patients Frequently Ask 266

Chapter 11 The Future of Back Care 291

Glossary 301

Bibliograph 315

Index 335