Overcoming Back Pain

Description

Overcoming Back Pain by Dr Tom Smith explains what your doctor can do and offers practical advice about how you can help yourself and lessen the pain

Back pain is very common - 80 per cent of the UK population suffers from the condition, and back problems result in the loss of around 52 million working days each year. Strained muscles, trapped nerves or 'slipped discs' are some of the causes, many of which can have a devastating effect on a person's quality of life. Dr Tom Smith shows how our backs work and what can make them hurt. He explains what your doctor can do and offers practical advice about how you can help yourself and lessen the pain. Dr Smith also provides useful information on alternative therapies, such as chiropractic and osteopathy.

This book aims to help you understand your condition, regain your mobility and move on with your life.

Dr Tom Smith is a GP and award-winning medical writer. His previous books include Living with high blood pressure, Heart attacks and Coping with stomach ulcers.

Contents

Introduction

• Our backs and why they hurt
• Pinpointing the cause
• Pain is just part of the problem
• Back pain - who gets it and why
• Patterns of back pain
• The mechanisms of back pain
• Reconditioning your back (1) - what can be done by your doctor for acute back pain
• Reconditioning your back (2) - what you can do yourself
• Osteopathy, chiropractic and physiotherapy
• Relaxing
• When the pain has become 'chronic'
• Chronic pain - bringing in the brain
• Chronic back pain - recovering your mobility
• Seeing a specialist - is your journey really necessary?
• When the specialist is necessary
• Getting active- — a few details
• Closing thoughts

References
Index

About the author

Dr Tom Smith has been writing full time since 1977, after spending six years in general practice and seven years in medical research. He writes regularly for medical journals and magazines and has a weekly column in the Bradford Telegraph and Argus. He also broadcasts regularly for BBC Radio Scotland. His other books for Sheldon Press include Heart attacks: prevent and survive, Living with Alzheimer's disease and Coping successfully with prostate cancer.