People with back pain are always looking for products that will help ease their pain. There are numerous items on the market, some of them are bogus, but there are, in fact, many products that can prove useful. So, if you are looking for some better back health gifts for a friend or loved one, here are some suggestions for you to consider.
Better Back Health Books
There are numerous books on the market related to back pain and back health. One of my favorites is 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee and Foot. This book comes with a 5-star rating and has some great reviews–
“The most lucid account I have read of how the human spine works, with handy lessons in how to stand, sit, walk, and sleep free of back pain.” —J. M. Coetzee, Nobel Prize–winner in Literature
“8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back is the best back pain book on the market. I had significant problems with low back pain and sciatica for more than two decades before Esther Gokhale was able to help me. If I had found her earlier, it could have saved me a great deal of pain and grief.” —Paul R. Ehrlich, author, Human Natures and Population Bomb
“Esther’s technique for treating chronic back pain is totally unique and her research really backs it up. This is a great tool for all of us.” —Billie Jean King, winner of 20 Wimbledon titles“A great book for someone who is serious about achieving a pain-free back and willing to work to reach that goal.” —American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons
“Esther Gokhale helped me resolve a five-year injury after nothing else had worked. Her work is unique and thorough.” —Patti Sue Plumer, three-time Olympian, 1992 World Record holder for 1500m and 500m run“Every year, tens of thousands of patients undergo major back surgery without any benefits. By using Esther Gokhale’s novel techniques, many of these patients can avoid such needless and expensive medical procedures, and quickly return to a pain free life.” —John R. Adler, MD, neurosurgery, Stanford University Medical Clinic“This book . . . will eventually be recognized by the medical community as the greatest contribution ever made to nonsurgical back treatment in this country.” —Helen Barkan, MD, PhD, neurology, Mayo Clinic
“This is not only a stimulating self-help guide for relief of back pain through healthy posture, but also a work of art that celebrates the grace and poetry of the human body.” —David Werner, author, Where There Is No Doctor
How to improve back health through exercise, yoga-based stretches, and stress reductiona reasonable plan. Brownstein (a clinical instructor of medicine at the University of Hawaii, Manoa) suffered multiple injuries and severe back pain for 20 years; when traditional medicines and surgery failed to help, he found relief by creating a regimen drawing on yoga, meditation, and other alternative therapies. His program is sound, and his starting point valuable rather than looking for an initiating catastrophic injury as the basis for designing treatment, chronic back pain sufferers would do better to understand their acute event as the culmination of years of stress, poor body mechanics, and possible weight and nutrition problems. His second important point is that almost all back pain originates in the muscles (rather than bone or other structures). This program is aimed, therefore at muscular fitness, principally with the extensive, progressive stretches based on yoga poses. Brownstein is careful to give appropriate cautions along the way: when to seek medical help, possible signs of serious disease. Nutritional advice, stress- reduction exercises, advice on lifestyle chan: ges, and “Emotional and Spiritual Lessons for Healing” round out the program. Reliable advice for a common problem, with a spiritual/yoga flavor that will have special appeal for some sufferers.
Healing Back Pain promises permanent elimination of back pain without drugs, surgery, or exercise. It should have been titled Understanding TMS Pain, because it discusses one particular cause of back pain–Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS)–and isn’t really a program for self-treatment, with only five pages of action plan (and many more pages telling why conventional methods don’t work). According to John E. Sarno, M.D., TMS is the major cause of pain in the back, neck, shoulders, buttocks, and limbs–and it is caused not by structural abnormalities but by the mind’s effort to repress emotions. He’s not saying that your pain is all in your head; rather, he’s saying that the battle going on in your mind results in a real physical disorder that may affect muscles, nerves, tendons, or ligaments. An injury may have triggered the disorder, but is not the cause of the amount or intensity of the resulting pain. According to Sarno, the mind tricks you into not facing repressed emotion by making you focus on pain in the body. When this realization sinks in (“and it must sink in, for mere intellectual appreciation of the process is not enough”), the trick doesn’t work any more, and there’s no need for the pain. (Healing Back Pain should not be used for self-diagnosis. Always consult a physician for chronic or acute back pain.) –Joan Price
“I thought my lower back would be my Achilles’ heel forever. Foundation training took that thought out of the equation. I feel strong and flexible, and my posture is better than it has ever been. This stuff is just plain good for you.”—Matthew McConaughey, actor“I have always been in great shape and take pride in maintaining a certain level of fitness, but in the time I have been working with Peter Park and Eric Goodman, I have reached a new level of endurance, stamina, and strength. The program pushes me without exhausting me, conditions me, and has completely changed the way my body moves and feels.”—Derek Fisher, LA Laker and NBA champion
“I am fortunate enough to represent some of the world’s greatest athletes, and after working with Peter and Eric for the last two years, I am starting to feel as strong as one! The core principles of this book have made me stronger and fitter than I ever imagined possible, and I intend to make them
a part of my daily routine for many years to come.”—Casey Wasserman, chairman and CEO of Wasserman Media Group
Better Back Health DVDs
Videos are a great way to learn exercises that will help improve your back health and lessen your back pain. You can do the training and exercises in the privacy of your own home. However, you still need to discuss any exercise program with your personal physician so that you don’t cause any more back problems. We have a few DVD’s to recommend–
Yoga and stretching exercises come highly recommended for people with back problems. Yoga for the Rest of Us–Back Care Basics starring Peggy Cappy comes highly recommended. An reviewer by the name of “zeelinda” gives the DVD the following assessment–
I chose this DVD to inspire me to do the daily PT that my back needs after surgery. Peggy does a WONDERFUL job, leading even the novice through each pose, with variations for different levels. She gives you plenty of time to work into each pose and reminds you about every inhale and exhale! It has been 9 days and I am totally addicted! And this from someone who hates to exercise!!!! I can already feel the difference in my back: less pain and more stamina!
Another great DVD is Back RX: Clinically Proven Exercises for STOPPING BACK PAIN Without Surgery with Dr. Vijay Vad. Sandip Sachar provides the following review for this DVD–
After reading and following Dr.Vad’s books; this DVD really puts everything into a clear perspective. It serves as a visual aid and provides a step by step approach to holistic living and ensures you are doing all the exercises accurately as to gain the maximum benefit. The Yoga and Pilates combination streamlines the healing and strengthening process. There are various levels of exercise and treatments available in this DVD. HIGHLY RECOMENDED to try and avoid more invasive techniques.
Total Stretch For Beginners With Tamilee is a great video that emphasizes stretching and flexibility which are important points in dealing with back problems. V. Messner from Pennsylvania gives the following review on Amazon.com for this video–
I’m a male in my mid-thirties. I am and always have been inflexible. I recently had back surgery and I realized that I could do one of two things: decide to never again take any physical risks in life and accept that I will continue to lose flexibility at an alarming rate due to lack of movement/activity. Option two was to take a serious look at how I could regain some of my range of motion and possibly even extend it. I chose the latter.
I’ve amassed a wide variety of yoga and stretching DVDs over the last year. The two I bought first were Tamilee’s Total Stretch for Beginners and AM/PM Stretch for Health with Madelaine Lewis. These two remain favorites of mine.
Both are more geared toward the average person; no intimidating, foot-behind-the-head yoga poses here. These are basic stretches that should be safe for all, when coupled with common sense.
Although I like both DVDs mentioned above, Tammilee’s DVD gives more bang for the buck. There are multiple options here, depending on how much time you have, There are three different 10-minute, total body workouts – one standing, one sitting and one on the floor. All the workouts are perfect for when you lack either the time or ambition to commit thirty-minutes or more to stretching.There is also a thirty-minute workout that gives you a more thorough stretch when that’s what you’re looking for.
This DVD gives you a little bit of everything. I’d recommend both this and AM/PM if you plan to purchase two DVDs, but Total Stretch is my recommendation if you only buy one. It gives you all the options you could need and is the best stretch DVD I’ve ever had.
As we all know, stress can lead to back pain and vice versa. Yoga Therapy For Back Pain and Stress Relief With Kanta Barrios can help you deal with both problems. Helen M. gives the following review on Amazon.com–
I always wanted to find something to releieve the pain and tension in my back,this is a great solution, very easy to understand the poses and techniques,the results are noticeable and impresive.This video proves how wonderful Yoga is. Very happy with it, I recommend you try it.
