Rapidly Reversible Low Back Pain (Paperback)

by Ronald Donelson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Unknown to most are the many studies reporting that most low back pain is a rapidly reversible condition; that is, it can be eliminated, often quickly, by the patients themselves. This large subgroup can now be identified early on, providing opportunity for great cost savings and a goldmine of research discoveries about the causes of, and solutions to, low back pain. Dr. Donelson is a veteran spine specialist, researcher and educator who brings badly needed common sense and evidence to this complex problem of low back pain. In this hard-to-put-down account, he accurately exposes flaws in the low back pain scientific process and then offers simple, logical remedies. His insightful review of this valuable, yet ironically overlooked, clinical research reveals both clinical and economic solutions from implementing patient-specific treatments, rather than the "one-size-fits-all" guideline recommendations. This refreshing approach offers clinicians clinical methods to objectively determine non-pharmacologic ways for patients to gain control of their own low back pain and to recover more quickly and simply. Such objective decision-making offers new insights into how to avoid the need for medication, expensive imaging, or specialist referral, including low back surgery. And for the first time, psychosocial factors and manual therapies are placed in their proper perspective. This is a valuable read for any stakeholder seeking to improve the management of low back pain and to dramatically reduce its annual U.S. cost of $50 billion or more. Employers, payers, and disease management groups alike will benefit from these reliable means of determining the few necessary and many avoidable costs of managing low back pain.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Self Care First, LLC (December 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979038707
• ISBN-13: 978-0979038709
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #546,190 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who should read this book?, July 20, 2007

By	M. F. Miglis (Melbourne, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Low back pain is one of the most common causes of visits to family doctors. One in eight adults will experience an episode of low back pain in a lifetime. And yet, there are a bewildering array of treatments available. How is one to make sense of the options? In Rapidly Reversible Low Back Pain, Dr. Donelson has written a superbly readable guidebook. He looks at the latest scientific evidence with fresh insight and writes in a clear and compelling style, with special emphasis on evaluating the method of back care known as the McKenzie method. The McKenzie method, practiced worldwide, has attracted the most scientific scrutiny of any form of non-surgical back care. Dr. Donelson, an orthopedic surgeon and McKenzie method specialist, is uniquely qualified to discuss the benefits and risks of the various back care options. Who should read this book? Anyone who suffers with significant lower back pain (with or without leg pain) and anyone who pays for the treatment of such conditions.

Mitchell F. Miglis, DC, Cert MDT
Certified in the McKenzie method

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Book, August 19, 2007

By	A. Mollin (usa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was a brilliant book. Although I have read the McKenzie Texts cover to cover, it is only through the information in this book that I now truly understand the research and guideline dilemmas that exist in LBP management. In turn, I understand why it is taking so long for MDT to be more widely accepted, and how approaches lacking any significant evidence have been able to flourish, in particular, related to the field practice of manual therapy and alternative treatment approaches, never mind the pervasiveness of surgical intervention, etc. You have also presented some innovative ways of trying to spread the word and make MDT more accepted.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you need to know about low back pain, August 16, 2007

By	Joseph G. Maccio (Troy,New York USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a book that should be read by everyone involved in low back pain care. Dr. Donelson uses great analogies to question past research methodologies and has compiled all the evidence that supports Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) in an easy to read format. Insurance companies and employers involved in paying into the $90 billion a year low back dilemma should be particularly aware of the lack of evidence for very expensive and often ineffective diagnostic testing and treatments. Donelson's analogy of how these costs could be significantly reduced simply by using MDT as a presurgical gold standard is enlightening. The study sited in Denmark was quite impressive by showing the reduction in surgical rates by two thirds when simply utilizing MDT. For our patients, this book will allow them to make informed decisions regarding low back care. With "centralization" and "directional preference" occurring in 75 - 85 % of individuals with low back and leg pain, and 50% with chronic low back pain why would you not demand that this be your first course of treatment? For Physical Therapists who are not trained in MDT, this an excellent reason to begin training. Very often physical therapists are looking for studies to support what they do and they are often frustrated by the lack of valid research. Donelson's book is an almanac of relevant literature and scientific studies that confirm the importance of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy. For those of us who have received the advanced training in MDT, it is a wonderful read as it validates what we see in the clinic on an everyday basis. I am personally very appreciative of the effort that has gone into this book. It is an excellent reference book that helps explain to industry, insurance carriers, referral sources, and patients that what we do as clinicians not only produces extremely good results with minimal expense but has a wealth of scientific data to support it as well.


Joseph G. Maccio, MA, PT, Dip. MDT
Diplomat, Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy