Back Sufferers' Bible

Cover Page......Page 1
SOME READERS’ REVIEWS......Page 2
Title Page......Page 4
ISBN 1741751896......Page 5
Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
2 The stiff spinal segment......Page 8
3 Facet joint arthropathy......Page 9
5 The prolapsed ‘slipped’ intervertebral disc......Page 10
6 The unstable spinal segment......Page 11
Reference reading......Page 12
THE WAY IT MIGHT BE . . .......Page 14
THE WAY IT IS . . .......Page 15
THE WAY IT GOES WRONG . . .......Page 18
Stage 2: Facet joint arthropathy......Page 20
Stage 4: The prolapsed ‘slipped’ disc......Page 21
THE WAY AHEAD . . .......Page 23
WHAT IS A SPINE?......Page 26
The lumbar vertebrae......Page 28
The spinal ligaments......Page 32
The intervertebral discs......Page 36
The nutrition of the discs......Page 41
The vertebral movements......Page 43
The facet joints......Page 46
The bending human spine......Page 49
The spinal nerves......Page 53
The muscles which work the spine......Page 54
WHAT IS A STIFF SPINAL SEGMENT?......Page 63
Unremitting spinal compression reduces disc metabolism......Page 65
Gravity squeezes fluid from the discs......Page 66
Abdominal (tummy) weakness allows the spine to ‘sink’......Page 68
Sustained postures accelerate fluid loss and poor varieties of movement prevent fluid replacement......Page 69
Chronic protective muscle spasm compresses the problem disc......Page 75
Abnormal postures increase neurocentral compression and reduce metabolic activity of the discs......Page 77
Injury can rupture the cartilage endplate between vertebra and disc......Page 82
THE DISC BREAKS DOWN......Page 84
The acute phase......Page 87
What causes the acute pain?......Page 89
The sub-acute phase......Page 90
Chronic palpation......Page 91
What causes the chronic pain?......Page 92
Aims of self-treatment for segmental stiffness......Page 93
A typical self-treatment for acute segmental stiffness......Page 94
A typical self-treatment for sub-acute segmental stiffness......Page 95
A typical self-treatment for chronic segmental stiffness......Page 96
WHAT IS FACET JOINT ARTHROPATHY?......Page 98
Diagnosis by manual palpation......Page 102
Disc stiffening allows the facet capsules to tighten......Page 104
Disc narrowing causes the facet joint surfaces to override......Page 105
A sway back causes the lower facets to jam......Page 107
Weak tummy muscles can jam the facets......Page 110
A shorter leg invokes a greater restraint role of the facets......Page 111
The acute phase......Page 114
Manual diagnosis of an acutely inflamed facet......Page 115
What causes the acute pain?......Page 116
Interrupting the pain cycle......Page 117
Lessening the pain......Page 118
What causes the chronic pain?......Page 120
The aims of self-treatment for facet joint arthropathy......Page 122
A typical self-treatment for acute facet joint arthropathy......Page 123
A typical self-treatment for sub-acute facet joint arthropathy......Page 124
A typical self-treatment for chronic facet joint arthropathy......Page 125
WHAT IS AN ACUTE LOCKED BACK?......Page 127
A natural ‘window of weakness’ early in a bend......Page 130
Segmental stiffness predisposes to facet locking......Page 131
Muscle weakness contributes to facet locking......Page 133
The acute phase......Page 135
What causes the acute pain?......Page 136
The sub-acute phase......Page 137
The chronic phase......Page 138
The aims of self-treatment for an acute locked back......Page 139
A typical self-treatment for acute locked back......Page 140
A typical self-treatment for sub-acute locked back......Page 141
A typical self-treatment for chronic locked back......Page 142
WHAT IS A PROLAPSED DISC?......Page 145
Diagnostic techniques......Page 150
Disc surgery......Page 152
CAUSES OF A PROLAPSED DISC......Page 154
Pre-existing breakdown alters the properties of the nucleus and weakens the disc wall......Page 155
Bending and lifting stress breaks down the back wall of the disc......Page 156
Intensifying the breakdown......Page 157
The acute phase......Page 159
What causes the acute pain?......Page 161
The chronic phase......Page 163
What causes the chronic pain?......Page 166
The aims of self-treatment of a prolapsed disc......Page 167
A typical self-treatment for acute prolapsed disc......Page 168
A typical self-treatment for sub-acute prolapsed disc......Page 169
A typical self-treatment for chronic prolapsed disc......Page 170
WHAT IS SEGMENTAL INSTABILITY?......Page 171
Diagnosis......Page 175
Spinal surgery......Page 177
Primary breakdown of the disc......Page 178
Primary breakdown of the facet joints......Page 181
Incompetence of the ‘bony catch’ mechanism of the facet joints......Page 182
Weakness and poor coordination of the trunk muscles......Page 184
Some speculation......Page 185
The acute phase......Page 186
The sub-acute phase......Page 187
The chronic phase......Page 189
The aims of self-treatment for segmental instability......Page 191
A typical self-treatment for acute instability......Page 192
A typical self-treatment for sub-acute instability......Page 193
A typical self-treatment for chronic instability......Page 194
HELPING YOURSELF......Page 196
Preliminary thoughts......Page 197
Bed rest......Page 199
The correct way to rest in bed......Page 200
Medication......Page 201
Painkillers and NSAIDs......Page 202
Muscle relaxants......Page 203
Rocking the knees to your chest......Page 205
The correct way of rocking the knees to the chest......Page 207
Rolling along the spine......Page 208
The correct way to do rolling along the spine......Page 210
Legs passing......Page 211
Reverse curl ups......Page 212
The correct way to do reverse curl ups......Page 214
The BackBlock......Page 215
The correct way to use the BackBlock......Page 220
Segmental pelvic bridging......Page 221
The correct way to do segmental pelvic bridging......Page 222
The Ma Roller......Page 223
The correct way to use a Ma Roller......Page 224
Squatting......Page 225
The correct way to do squatting......Page 226
Toe touches in the standing position......Page 227
The correct way to do toe touches......Page 228
Diagonal toe touches......Page 229
The correct way to do diagonal toe touches......Page 230
Floor twists......Page 231
The Cobra......Page 232
The correct way to do the Cobra......Page 234
The Sphinx......Page 235
Spinal intrinsics strengthening......Page 236
The correct way to do spinal intrinsics strengthening......Page 238
Reference reading......Page 240