Back Mechanic-VIDEO ENHANCED VERSION

I gotta tell you. This book isn't cheap and I took my chances. I have had lower back issues most of my life and now being 60 years old its finally caught up with me. I tried many/all of the standard back exercises that I had been exposed to. Little did I know, after reading this book, that they were all wrong and likely contributed to the demise of my lower back. Before you buy this, you can Google the authors name, Dr. Stuart McGill, and try out his Big 3 exercises. However, the book explains so much more about our every day posture and movements that keep the back pain from ever truly dissipating. He also provides tests you can do on yourself to find the sweet spot of your posture. I found, for example, that sitting for any period of time left me with so much pain I could not stand up, upright, upon rising from a chair. I had to slowly stand up. I now use a cushion on my chairs that has helped immensely; but you have to find the right size. I made the mistake and got one that arched my back too much. Lastly, keep in mind that this is all about not only correct posture in standing sitting and walking, but also every day movements and he even touches on some workout moves performed with correct form. Its all about spine sparing and stiff spine vs the normal PT stuff of providing flexibility to your spine. Supper important distinction. Very counter to the PT culture. If you are an athlete (and I am one) he offers another book you may want to check out after this one. (I also purchased the video series that actually explains all this further and shows you how to do certain things - well worth paying for that upgrade). THANK YOU DR. STUART MCGILL!

I love this book. The methods listed are clear and easy to follow. You are different from me, you are unique, and Dr. Stuart McGill addresses different methods for different pains. I personally have to avoid laying on my stomach, it is a trigger. You will have to work for your recovery to return to a pain free state. Do your physical therapy everyday: breathe and brace, and stick to your movements. It took me 3 months to get to a point where I could off daily advil dual action use, novicane patches, and capsaicin cream. I finally ditched the back brace. It was worth it to avoid the pitfalls that surgery presents. Dr. Stuart McGill saved my life. I hope this book will help you too.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone experiencing back pain. This book was truly a lifesaver for me, and has allowed me to live a pain free life. Professor Stuart McGill has condensed over 30 years of expertise on the spine, into a single volume that is accessible to the layperson. About fifteen years ago, I first threw my back out. I didn’t know what hit me, the pain was so intense I couldn’t move. I spent 8 years in the military, but this was a different kind of pain. It would take me thirty minutes just to get onto my feet, and my back was convulsing with spasms intensely. I thought I had broken my spine. After three days of this, my husband took me to the emergency room. There, they gave me powerful painkillers and shot me up with cortisone and sent me home. This took care of the pain, but was not a long-term solution.For the next year, I tried everything to fix my painful back. Acupuncture, massage, yoga, elliptical cardio, nothing worked on a long-term basis. I went from an athletic person who ran 40 miles a week, to not able to put on my own shoes. From embarrassment of asking my husband for help, I started wearing slip-on shoes. Only in my 30s at the time, I thought my body had betrayed me and was broken. Even breathing was painful, and I never knew when my back would get stuck in extension, so that I was barely able to move.Eventually, I tried physical therapy, which helped greatly but I was still in a lot of pain. Then, after reading “Crooked” by Cathryn Jakobson Ramin, where she chronicles her experience with back pain, I found Professor McGill’s books. It took me two days of serious study to go through the Back Mechanics book, including the self assessment to realize I had flexion intolerance. Finally, I had a diagnosis and understood why I was in pain and what I needed to do to fix it. No doctor in fifteen years was able to do this for me. Professor McGill explains how to avoid your pain triggers, how to move again without compromising your spine. He provides exercises to strengthen your core, that must be done daily and can simply be incorporated into any workout. Today, thanks to Professor McGill, I am stronger than ever and do daily bodyweight callisthenic workouts, love to go on long walks, and am in the best shape of my life (apart from right after basic training of course ☺.)

Since I have 2 herniated discs and sacralization, I find myself coming to this book time and time again. Being consistent with the exercises and practicing the proper spine hygiene that I learned from this book has given me so much relief from my everyday pain. I only wish that access to the exercise videos on Vimeo lasted for more than a year