If you are suffering from back problems or are proactive enough to try and avoid them, then this book
is for you. I am a 74 year old male with a diagnosed case of spinal stenosis (2017). Prescribed
physical therapy helped a little but did not alleviated my pain very much. I couldn't walk up my
driveway without being in agony. I read Dr. Roth's book and began his recommended exercises two
years ago and it has made a vast difference in my condition. Now, I can walk my dog up to three
miles if I stretch frequently.
I briefly met Dr. Roth when he responded to my wife's brain tumor nine years ago. I found him to be a
thoughtful and compassionate doctor. That intelligence and humanity are apparent in his book, "The
End Of Back Pain". He admits early in the book that the purpose is not to end the pain but to mediate
it. The crux of his thesis is that the sufferer take responsibility and control of his condition. The person
should proactively address the condition by understanding it and doing a set of strengthening and
stretching exercises.
He provides a solid introduction to the anatomy of the back particularly the core muscles that form a
protective belt around the midsection supported with vivid diagrams of the key muscles and spinal
structures. Briefly, they are the abdominal, oblique and various back muscles (multifidus, erector
spinae, etc.) along with the supporting muscle groups above and below them. These chapters should
be read and reread carefully to internalize the concepts that are key to form a foundation of
understanding necessary to intelligently address your condition.
The exercise program the author recommends is intended to strength the core muscles and their
supporting muscle groups. Five of the fifteen exercises employ kettlebells. When used properly they
are safe and highly effective. I have been following this program for over two years and have noticed
significant decrease in my back pain as well as achieving excellent physical condition. In addition to
strengthening the core, kettlebells have a significant aerobic and anaerobic impact. Roth
recommends that the reader also view YouTube videos of kettlebell technique. For me the best
instructors are Keira Newton and Brittany van Schravendijk.
He surveys a number of nonsurgical approaches to addressing back pain. Roth delves into a few
conditions that tend to be lumbar (lower back) related. I am personally thankful that there is an
excellent overview of spinal stenosis.
A significant strength of the book is Roth's (Chairman of Neurosurgery at Hackensack University
Medical Center) treatment of a patient's approach to considering surgery. He presents it as one's last
option after pursuing exercise and nonsurgical options. The patient should be in the proper mindset to
speak to a specialist. Here again it is the patient's responsibility to be clear and specific about the pain
he/she is experiencing. The objective is to form a partnership with the surgeon. He suggests a
number of questions to ask the doctor about his/her experience, approach and post-operative care.
He gives excellent insights into three type of spinal surgery.
The book imparts a wisdom for taking control of one's back health and, I think by extension to a
person's general health and approach to the medical community.
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Top reviews from other countries
Juan L.
Completo a nivel de profano y pedagógico
Reviewed in Spain on November 2, 2017bearr guy
Best book I have read on back pain, I recommend highly
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 16, 2015