Description
Book SynopsisIncludes a wide range of pain-alleviating exercises to practise at home
Covers every aspect of back and neck pain
Relieve pain now and avoid problems in the future with this comprehensive guide covering everything you need to know to treat your back and neck pain. Packed with expert advice on the common causes of pain and the various treatment options available - from conventional medicine to popular alternative methods - this patient-friendly guide helps you to decide what suits your situation best and safely alleviate pain yourself.
Discover how to
* Understand and manage the causes of back and neck pain
* Choose a treatment plan that suits you
* Prevent pain in the future
* Be aware of your legal rights and benefits as a back and neck pain sufferer
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
What You’re Not to Read 2
How This Book Is Organised 3
Part I: Getting Back to Back and Neck Basics 3
Part II: Conventional Treatment Options 3
Part III: Complementary Approaches: Are They for You? 4
Part IV: Rehabilitation 4
Part V: Resuming Normal Activity and Preventing Future Injury 4
Part VI: The Part of Tens 5
Part VII: Appendixes 5
Icons Used in This Book 5
Where to Go from Here 6
Part I: Getting Back to Back and Neck Basics 7
Chapter 1: Ouch! The Problem of Back and Neck Pain 9
Defining Back and Neck Pain 10
Who experiences back and neck pain? 11
What causes back and neck pain? 11
Treating Back and Neck Pain 12
My back or neck pain can get better, can’t it? 13
Who can treat my back or neck pain? 14
How is my back or neck pain treated? 16
How do I choose a multidisciplinary approach? 18
Chapter 2: Introducing the Parts of Your Spine 21
Feeling Fine with Help from Your Spine 22
Touring Your Splendid Spine 23
The spinal column 24
The vertebrae: the bones of your back 24
The discs 25
The facet joints 26
The ligaments 28
The spinal canal 29
The sacrum and the coccyx 29
The sacroiliac joints 30
The spinal nerves 30
The muscles 30
The vertebral arteries 33
Chapter 3: Examining the Nature and Causes of Back and Neck Pain 35
Discovering the Gate Control Theory of Pain 36
Understanding Categories of Pain 38
Debating the Need to Diagnose: Helpful or Harmful? 39
Diagnosing based on an imaging scan 40
Recognising the role of psychological and emotional factors 40
Understanding the Deconditioning Syndrome 41
Considering Conditions That Cause Spinal Pain 41
Herniated disc/arm pain/sciatica 42
The sprain–strain diagnosis 46
Cervical migraine and headaches 48
The whiplash neck 48
Bizarre (ear, nose, and throat) neck symptoms 48
Neck, shoulder, and arm pain 48
Stress-related back and neck pain 49
Arthritis of the spine 49
Degenerative disc disease 50
Facet syndrome 50
Arachnoiditis 52
Spondylolisthesis and spondylolysis 53
Coccydynia 54
Spinal fractures 55
Lumbar spinal stenosis 56
Chronic back and neck pain syndrome 57
Exploring Other Conditions That Cause Back and Neck Pain 58
Discitis 59
Fibromyalgia 59
Osteomyelitis 60
Scoliosis 60
Transitional vertebrae 61
Osteoporosis 61
Chapter 4: Finding Someone to Help with Back and Neck Pain 63
Who Treats Back and Neck Pain? 63
Primary care doctors 64
Specialists 64
Pain clinic consultants 65
Physiotherapists 65
How Well Qualified Is Your Specialist? 65
Dealing with Osteopaths, Chiropractors, and Other Complementary Practitioners 66
Building a Positive Relationship with Your Health Care Provider 68
Chapter 5: Knowing Your Rights and Benefits 69
Being Aware of Your Rights 69
Seeking a second opinion 70
Your right to hospital treatment 70
Leaving hospital after treatment 71
Checking Out the Alternatives 71
Accessing Medical Reports and Health Records 72
Getting Around the Benefits Jungle 72
Taking time off work: Short-term absence and benefits 73
Looking at long-term absence and benefits 73
Dealing with disability: The personal capability assessment 73
Getting a helping hand 74
Getting Personal Advice 75
Part II: Conventional Treatment Options 77
Chapter 6: Home Remedies: First Aid for Your Back or Neck 79
Heading to Your GP 79
Using Home Remedies 81
Climb into bed – but not for too long! 81
Cool down and heat up 85
Try anti-inflammatory drugs 86
Starting to Move and Returning to Normal Activity 87
Chapter 7: Back and Neck Pain under the Microscope: Common Medical Tests 89
Appreciating the Importance of Your Medical History and Physical Examination 90
Getting personal 90
Getting physical 91
Examining Your Doctor 92
Exploring Your Diagnostic Testing Options 93
Plain X-Rays 94
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) 95
CT (computerised tomography) scanning 96
Myelography 96
Bone scanning 97
Discography 98
Electrodiagnostic studies 98
Moving from Body to Mind 99
Chapter 8: Going the Conservative Treatment Route 101
Analysing Active Therapies 102
Exercising healthily 102
Understanding pain and functional restoration programmes 107
Perusing Passive Therapies 108
Hot and cold packs 108
Ultrasound 109
Massage 109
Bed rest 110
Water therapy 110
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) 110
Traction 111
Corsets, braces, and collars 111
Mulling Over Medications 112
Analgesics 113
Anti-inflammatory medications 114
Muscle relaxants 115
Sedatives 116
Anti-anxiety agents 117
Antidepressants 117
Investigating Invasive Conservative Treatments 119
Trigger point injections 119
Facet joint injections 119
Spinal epidural steroid injections 120
Selective nerve root blocks 120
Implantable pain therapies 121
Chapter 9: Choosing to Have Surgery 125
Choosing to Have Surgery 126
Determining When Surgery Is Necessary 126
Medically necessary spinal surgery 126
Elective spinal surgery 127
Addressing Psychological Issues and Surgery 129
Getting a Consultation with a Spinal Surgeon 131
Understanding the Different Types of Spinal Surgery 132
Chymopapain injection or chemonucleosis 132
Percutaneous discectomy 133
Microsurgical discectomy 133
Laminectomy 134
Spinal fusion 135
Preparing for Surgery 136
Looking at the Future of Spinal Surgery 137
Part III: Complementary Approaches: Are They for You? 139
Chapter 10: Ancient Eastern Wisdom and Contemporary Ideas 141
Selecting a Complementary Medicine Practitioner 142
Choosing the Best Complementary Medicine Approach for You 143
Asking the right questions 143
Avoiding quackery 143
Considering Specific Complementary Treatment Methods 144
Acupuncture: Needling your way to a better back and neck 144
Appreciating aromatherapy 148
Taking up t’ai chi 149
Rebalancing with reflexology 149
Bodywork 150
Chapter 11: Chiropractic and Osteopathic Solutions for Your Back and Neck Pain 155
Understanding the Chiropractic and Osteopathic Ways of Thinking 156
Choosing Chiropractic or Osteopathy 156
Knowing What to Expect 158
Making a diagnosis 158
Starting treatment 159
Looking at the Side Effects of Manipulation 160
Stopping Manipulative Treatment 161
Chapter 12: All in Knots: Trying Yoga 163
Beginning Hatha Yoga 163
Practising yoga postures 164
Controlling your breath 164
Meditating towards samadhi 166
Using Yoga to Treat Back and Neck Pain 166
Using yoga exercises for your back and neck pain 167
Keeping a daily journal 168
Resting and Relaxing 169
Chapter 13: Using the Power of the Mind–Body Connection 171
Taking Control of Your Thoughts and Emotions 172
Recognising automatic thoughts 172
Using automatic thoughts to your advantage 173
Changing your thoughts 174
Using the three- and five-column techniques 175
Recognising the Relaxation Response: More than Just Relaxing 178
Trying Different Types of Breathing 180
Breathing awareness 180
Diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing 181
Relaxed breathing 182
Considering Cue-controlled Relaxation 183
Using Imagery Techniques 185
Practising imagery 186
Trying some standard imagery exercises 188
Beginning Biofeedback Training 190
Homing In on Hypnosis 191
Part IV: Rehabilitation 195
Chapter 14: The Importance of Posture 197
Sizing Up Static Postures 197
Standing up for yourself 198
Sitting casually 202
Lying down on the job – and anywhere else 205
Dealing with Dynamic Postures 207
Walking tall 208
Looking at lifting and bending 210
Chapter 15: Exercising Your Way to a Healthy Back and Neck 217
Exercise Tips 218
Exercise Warnings 219
Your Exercise Programme 219
Exercise 1: Pelvic tilt 220
Exercise 2: Single leg pull 221
Exercise 3: Double knee to chest 221
Exercise 4: Pelvic lift 222
Exercise 5: Partial sit-up 223
Exercise 6: Oblique sit-up 224
Exercise 7: Hamstring stretch 225
Exercise 8: Gentle press-up 226
Exercise 9: Cat and camel 226
Exercise 10: Arm reach 227
Exercise 11: Leg reach 229
Exercise 12: Alternate arm and leg reach 230
Exercise 13: Wall slide 231
Exercise 14: Side stretch 231
Exercise 15: Back arch 232
Exercise 16: Head roll 233
Exercise 17: Head pull 236
Exercise 18: Neck tilt 236
Exercise 19: Shoulder shrug 237
Exercise 20: Shoulder roll 238
Chapter 16: Products to Improve Your Back and Neck Health 241
Relaxing at Home 242
Everyday chairs for the home 242
Massage chairs 243
Sleeping Soundly 243
Mattresses 243
Pillows 244
Opting for Office Comfort 244
Office chairs and stools 245
Changeable-height workstations 246
Ergonomic footrests 247
Travelling in Comfort 247
Staying Fit and Healthy 248
Part V: Resuming Normal Activity and Preventing Future Injury 249
Chapter 17: Getting ‘Back’ to Work 251
Pondering the Purpose of Work 251
Identifying Risky Occupations 252
Jobs that require lifting and bending 252
All shook up: Exposure to vibration 253
Sitting down on the job 255
Identifying What’s Stopping You from Returning to Work 255
Preparing to Return to Work 256
Physically reconditioning 256
Understanding your limits 257
Preparing for flare ups 257
Returning to the Office 258
Chapter 18: Returning Safely to Your Favourite Sports 263
Getting Involved in Sport Safely 264
Warming up and cooling down 264
Considering competition in your sport 265
Knowing the risks 266
Playing Sport with Spinal Pain 267
Low-risk sports 268
Low- to medium-risk sports 269
Medium-risk sports 271
Medium- to high-risk sports 273
High-risk sports 277
Chapter 19: Getting Back in the Saddle:
Back and Neck Pain and Sex 279
Understanding the Vicious Circle of Back and Neck Pain 279
Communicating With Your Partner 280
Getting in the Mood 283
Getting Physical 284
Getting Down to It, or Spine-Friendly Sexual Positions 284
Getting started 285
Outercourse 285
The missionary position 286
The female superior position 287
Doggie style 287
Side by side 288
Putting It All Together 289
Part VI: The Part of Tens 291
Chapter 20: Ten Common Questions about Back Pain 293
Can I Manage My Herniated Disc Without Surgery? 293
What Kind of Practitioner Should I See for My Back Pain? 294
Why Do I Still Have Pain When My Imaging Scans Are Normal? 295
What about Alternative Treatments for My Back Pain? 296
Is My Diagnosis as Terrible as it Sounds? 296
When Should I Consider Surgery for My Back Pain? 297
Can Stress and Emotion Cause My Back Pain? 298
How Can Pain Only in My Legs Be Related to My Back? 298
What Makes Up a Good Medical Evaluation for Back Pain? 298
Should I Continue Exercising if Doing So Worsens My Pain? 299
Chapter 21: Ten Common Questions About Neck Pain 301
I’ve had Neck Pain for Years but my Doctor Says Nothing’s Wrong and I Must Live With It Is this True? 301
I’m Going Out and Doing Less Because of My Neck Pain. Do You Have Any Advice? 302
Why Have I had Three Different Diagnoses for my Neck Pain in as Many Weeks? 302
Am I Ever Going to Find a Cure for My Neck Pain? 303
What are the Pros and Cons of Neck Surgery? 303
I’m Worried that My Family Thinks I’m Malingering What can I do? 304
Could My Headaches Originate in My Neck? 304
An X-Ray Shows I Have Cervical Spondylosis What does this mean? 305
How Should I Deal With Whiplash Following a Car Accident? 305
Can Neck Problems Cause Shoulder Pain? 305
Chapter 22: Ten Steps to a Healthy Back and Neck 307
Stay in Shape 307
Do Your Back and Neck Exercises 308
Maintain Your Proper Body Weight 308
Watch Out for High-Risk Sports 308
Foster a Positive Attitude 309
Lift and Move Properly 309
Don’t Lift and Twist 309
Don’t Stand or Sit for Long Periods 309
Use a Good Chair 310
Avoid Carrying Heavy Luggage 310
Chapter 23: (Almost) Ten Reasons to See a Doctor for Your Back or Neck Pain 311
You’re Weak in the Legs or Feet 311
You Can’t Control Your Bowels or Bladder 312
Your Back or Neck Pain Awakens You 312
You Have New Symptoms or Excruciating Pain 312
You Have a Serious Accident 313
You Want to Pursue Complementary Treatments 313
You Need More than an Aspirin for Your Pain 314
You’re not Seeing any Improvement 314
Your Medication Isn’t Working 315
Chapter 24: (Almost) Ten Tips for Working Successfully with Your Doctor 317
Identify Your Communication Style 318
Become an Assertive Communicator 319
Plan Your Consultation in Advance 320
Prepare Your Medical Fact Sheet 320
Check Your Attitude 321
Allow the Doctor to Ask Questions First 321
Make Sure that You Understand the Conclusions 322
Bring a Friend 322
Explore Other Sources of Information 323
Part VII: Appendixes 325
Appendix A: Glossary 327
Appendix B: Resources for Additional Information 337
Organisations 337
Acupuncture 337
Alexander technique 337
Alternative and complementary medicine (general) 338
Ankylosing spondylitis 338
Arthritis 338
Aromatherapy 338
Bodywork 339
Chiropractic 339
Consumer information and protection 339
Drugs, medications, and products 339
Fibromyalgia 339
Homeopathy 340
Hypnosis and hypnotherapy 340
Massage therapy 340
Meditation 340
Mental health 340
Naturopathy 341
Nutrition 341
Osteopathy 341
Pain (general) 341
Reflexology 342
Support groups 342
Surgery 342
Yoga 343
Product Resources 343
Index 345
