Sciatica Solutions: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Cure of Spinal and Piriformis Problems [Hardcover]

Loren Fishman (Author), Carol Ardman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0393058344 | ISBN-13: 978-0393058345 | Edition: 1

A world-renowned clinician's practical and complete guide to understanding and alleviating neurological pain in the lower back, buttocks, and legs.

Sciatica is the acute or chronic feeling of pain, hot or cold, numbness, weakness, "electric shocks" or strange sensations, starting near your seat and going down your leg. It is a condition for which some 20 million Americans will seek help this year. Usually neurological, sciatica may originate with a herniated disk, spinal stenosis, or piriformis syndrome, and may be caused by a fall, physical overextension, or being cramped in an airplane or car. In Sciatica Solutions, Loren Fishman, MD, a researcher with twenty-five years of experience, offers help. In easy-to-understand terms, he demystifies the relationship between neurological injury and sciatica, explains the most common causes, and leads you to an exact diagnosis. Outlining the range of physical therapy, medicinal, and surgical options, Fishman focuses on a comprehensive guide to behavioral, exercise, and lifestyle adjustments you can make for lasting comfort and cure. 20 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Loren Fishman, MD, is a rehabilitation specialist and professor at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Carol Ardman is a freelance writer and editor. Co-authors of Cure Back Pain with Yoga, they live in New York City.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton; 1 edition (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393058344
• ISBN-13: 978-0393058345
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #72 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Aging > Back Pain

More About the Author

Loren Fishman, MD is Medical Director of Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in New York City, (www.manhattanphysicalmedicine.com) author of seven books, author or editor of more than 70 academic articles, and a world-recognized pioneer in the treatment of rotator cuff syndrome, piriformis syndrome, and other types of back pain. He is Associate Editor of "Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation," on the staff at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and past President of the New York Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Fishman has written four books about yoga and medical conditions. He has used yoga in his medical practice for 35 years as an adjunct to Western techniques and has published research on yoga's healing effects. He is also a practicing yogi himself, having spent one year with BKS Iyengar in India.

Dr. Fishman went to India after receiving his B.Phil. in Philosophy at Christ Church, Oxford. His medical interests include electrodiagnosis, functional assessment, non-surgical orthopedics, peripheral neurology and minimally invasive pain management. He lives in New York City with his wife, and has 3 grown children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and generally useful tool for sciatica problems, February 25, 2011

By 

Comdet - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sciatica Solutions: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Cure of Spinal and Piriformis Problems (Paperback)

Summary: There are not many books out there that deal strictly with sciatica issues. Of the few I've seen, this is clearly the most comprehensive and informative. While it comes up short on a few areas, it's a good read if sciatica pain is a part of your life.

I found this to be a helpful compendium of information, resources and techniques to deal with sciatica pain. It's heavy on the "why" issue, discussing at length the several factors that cause sciatica pain. It also provides a wealth of information concerning piriformis issues, a topic that is not discussed nearly as often as a causative factor (versus disc and spinal-based causes).

The second half of the book deals with controlling and curing sciatic problems. This was a bit of a disappointment for me, since I was expecting more "self-help" tools such as exercises and stretches that can help alleviate sciatica pain. There are some provided, but it's not nearly as much as I had hoped for. On the plus side, each exercise is described as to whether it is effective for a spinal-type issue or a piriformis issue. But, they are sparsely illustrated, mainly using text to describe something that clearly would benefit from a good series of illustrations.

Much of the control and cure portion of the book is dedicated to the various techniques used to control sciatica pain, such as physical therapy, medications, surgery and many others. It's good information, but with so many areas/techniques to cover, none are dealt with in as much detail as I would have wanted.

The overall writing style is clear, and there are many, many references cited for additional research.

It's a decent book if you're a sciatica pain sufferer (as I am). But, I found it to be a good book to check out from the library rather than purchase (unless you can get it used for a very low price). There's not much in the book that I wanted to refer to again and again to make it worth purchasing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Siatica Solutions by Fishman, January 13, 2012

By 

rocco - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sciatica Solutions: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Cure of Spinal and Piriformis Problems (Paperback)

When I reviewed the book options on Siatica, this was the only one that mentioned Siatica goes away sometimes. That led me to hope and indeed, it is going away, albeit slowly. There was also a test one can do alone to determine if there is disc damage. Very helpful.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INCREDIBLE, July 5, 2009

By 

Larry H. Minkoff - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sciatica Solutions: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Cure of Spinal and Piriformis Problems (Paperback)

I cannot believe that there is such a thorough, such a complete book on the subject of Sciatica but here it is. This book touches on any and all questions one would have on this condition from what Sciatica is, what might cause this condition ( there are many ), to treatments of this sometimes debilitating problem and much, much more. I am a Podiatrist and I highly recommend this for a necessary read for I too suffer severely from this Malady and it has helped me understand my condition as well as put me in the direction of a treatment that I feel comfortable with.