Back RX: A 15-Minute-a-Day Yoga- and Pilates-Based Program to End Low Back Pain Fully Updated and Revised

This is a clear, comforting, gentle, supportive book, presenting a technique that combines western physical training, yoga "light," (there's no Sanskrit here, nor supernatural claims) and elements of Pilates. It's especially worth noting that this book addresses how to deal with the pain of a recent back injury, rather than just on-going long-term chronic back pain, too. After laying out basic anatomy, causes of back pain, and general recommendations to avoid causing future injury, Dr. Vad provides a stepwise progression of workout routines, escalating in difficulty/effort, and makes patient, slow-paced timeline recommendations for addressing the chronic issues we with back pain suffer.It does a surprisingly nice job of integrating western medicine with yoga and Pilates, with a feeling of mutual respect that is not too common, and is greatly appreciated. I'm dinging it one star, though, because it really could be a _special_ book if it managed to provide references to legitimate scientific studies supporting some of the claims. I know it's aimed at the layperson general reader, but since it does have a page dedicated to other resources, why not add a few supporting references? Including just two or three full-detail scientific citations would be a _huge_ boost to its credibility -- and turn it into a five-star, must-give-to-all-friends book... at least for those of us with a STEM degree and experience working in medical research. And, yeah, there's a touch too much "mind body" "follow the breath" and like squishyness for the left-brained cynic, and that may largely be lip service in an effort to combine east and west, but if that brings more readers in, and they subsequently get relief, I can't complain.Dr. Vad does get points, too, for addressing pseudo-medicine and medicine-adjacent therapies, in a fairer manner than others might, as he lays out alternative paths to pursue relief, if necessary. Case in point: He's nicer about chiropractic quacks than any MD I've met.If you're anywhere on the spectrum from "dammit! I can't get off the ground this hurts so much," through "man, my back is still kinda bugging me," to "I lost a chunk of 2015 to back pain, but I'm better now," there is help in this book for you. It won't be a magical only answer (we all know we weight loss is the best weapon against back pain, and I'm working on it, as well as some general behavior modification), but it does a very, very nice job of laying out routines along a series of levels of effort, with clear, helpful, simple explanations of how to perform them.I just wish a few of the bolder claims had citations.

I recently suffered my first real back injury. I spent almost a week on my back completely incapacitated by pain. As soon as I was able to move, I read this book and began doing some of the exercises from it. I found that the exercises had an immediate and very positive effect, first in reducing the pain and now building both strength and flexibility. When I was able to schedule physical therapy, the therapists were happy with my progress and added only a few exercises. My recovery has been very rapid and I'm certain this book played a significant role.I found the introductory commentary quite helpful in introducing the physiology of the back, describing various causes of pain and remedies, and mapping out the future of my spine as I age. The advice on posture when sneezing or coughing post injury ("lean back, look up!") was worth the purchase price on its own.I don't think there is any "one-size-fits-all" answer to back pain. Workouts need to be tailored to the needs of the individual, and will change over time as injuries heal and muscles strengthen. As such the ideal program will incorporate elements from many different sources. Because this book outlines three different workout regimens -- one for during healing, one for during post-trauma recovery, and one for ongoing strengthening -- I had a lot of options to help find a workout which works well for me.I do have a couple of criticisms of the book. The discussion of some of the exercises do not make it entirely clear what muscle group should be affected, which made it a little harder to figure out whether I was doing it right or if I was ready for a more challenging exercise. Also, the book is firmly focused on the lower back (and hips). As a software engineer, I find that I need help with my upper back and neck, and this book does little to help me with that.I doubt this book will be a single all-encompassing answer to your back-pain prayers. However, I expect it will help most people interested in it in the first place. For me personally, it was a real god-send.

This book does a nice job of providing a practical program for everyone. That is, you don't need to be an athlete to do the exercises. Nor do you need to spend an hour a day. While I felt the 15 minute approach was inadequate, the program can be done in 25 minutes. It needs to be emphasized that this is not a substitute for a good physical therapist. A therapist will provide a program specific to individual physical problems and limitations. In my case, for example, the number one issue is tight hamstrings. The exercises provided by a therapist were better than those found in the book. However, I believe the book gave me useful ideas that my PT guy overlooked. One thing of note: the zen breathing exercises, according to my therapist, are not irrelevant. Stretches are more effective when accompanied by rhythmic breathing. So, if you have lower back issues, get the book. It is worth a look.

I've had sciatica and lower back pain for several years now and have had various treatments for it, including physiotherapy. Despite a little improvement from the physio, over time the pain came back and this year it was worse than it had ever been before.It reached a painful peak a few weeks ago when I could hardly move, and that made me seriously consider shelling out for private consultation with a chiropractor or some other therapist. Instead, I bought this book hoping it might do the trick.The very first time I tried the exercises I was in agony afterwards and worried that I'd made things worse. I persevered, however, encouraged by the book which said that pain might initially get worse before getting better. I took things gently and over the next few days I noticed my back pain easing.Before getting the book, my pain had got to the point that I could no longer sit down to eat my breakfast, but I now do 15 minutes of Back RX exercises as soon as I get out of bed and can eat my breakfast seated in comfort.If you've already been to a specialist you may not gain much additional information from this book, but for someone like me who hadn't had anything beyond basic NHS care, it was quite an eye opener. I'm so glad I bought it, and although only time will tell if it continues to work for me, I'm very pleased with the results so far.I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 because some of the text is rather repetitive and I feel it could have been better edited, but in terms of how it's helped me I'd give it 5 out of 5.

Although many of the exercises are not unique to this book, the routines and advice have been valuable in my back recovery and I'm still using them every day. Each person's back problem is unique of course, and mine still requires an operation to relieve pressure on the leg nerves and spinal column, but whilst waiting for that this book's exercises have lifted my mood and minimised my discomfort, so I'm very grateful for that.

I found this book really helpful. I do the exercises at least 3-4 times a week, would recommend.

Excellent response - fast delivery - good product

After experiencing some back pain , I realized I better start doing some daily stretches and yoga to strengthen that area. This book gave me some great examples of yoga and stretch moves to do exactly that.