The Back Book - 9780801890437

In this guide for general readers, two MDs overview the anatomy of the back and explain the most common causes of back pain and how to avoid them or minimize them. They offer a tour of diagnostic processes used for back pain, including X-rays, MRIs, and other tests and studies, and describe methods of nonsurgical pain management, with a chapter devoted to physical therapy. They also offer advice on deciding whether back surgery is appropriate, and explain what's involved with each type of surgery. Information on chiropractic and acupuncture is relegated to one page. An eight-page section of color anatomical illustrations is included, but advice on proper lifting, sitting, and sleeping positions, and on different types of physical therapy exercises, is not illustrated. Gokaslan is the director of the Neurosurgical Spine Program at the Johns Hopkins University. Riley is the director of the Orthopedic Spine Division at the Johns Hopkins University. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)