Customer Reviews

Fix Your Own Pain Without Drugs or Surgery

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Dr. Bookspan's approach is to teach you enough about body mechanics to understand how you are supposed to fit together, then give exercise suggestions aimed at either stretching tight areas out or sliding the parts that don't fit together back into place. A major theme is letting you feel how your muscles are supposed to work via the exercises so you can correct how you hold yourself and move all the time. Jolie speaks in terms of transferring what you learn about body mechanics by exercise into lessons for everyday life. Since the body is a system where misalignment in one area can cascade into pain in other locations, the book wraps up with some sample stories of people who started with one issue and then watched things go out of control from there. It details how these patients were eventually able to wean themselves off medicine (and often various quack "cures" like bad supplements) simply by focusing on how the body should work and exercising it until everything was back in place.

I suspect that the very active nature of these suggestions will be the main problem with this book for many people. Most solutions here are in the form of things you need to do every day for some period of time, perhaps even the rest of your life, in order to adjust your body to work the way it's supposed to as we all continue to get older. There are some quick-fixes to be found in this title, but that's the exception. For example, I had been suffering for about a year with problems related to what she calls forward-neck. In literally five minutes after reading her description of the problem (as part of the extensive free information given on the author's web site) and finally understanding what had gone wrong, I slid my neck back into place using one of her suggested exercises. There was a little pop, and just like that the pain that had been haunting me for months was gone. Hasn't been back since, because now I've learned to feel when my neck is moving in the wrong direction and correct it before it gets bad again. I can assure you that her suggestions were new to me even though I'd been searching for information on this topic regularly that entire year, finding little useful advice anywhere. That was a great lesson that took only moments to learn; the rest of what I'd like to "fix...without drugs or surgery" is going to take a series of stretches performed every day for quite some time.

The bulk of the book consists of seven chapters focusing on pain in a specific area of the body: neck/upper-back, lower-back, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle/Achilles, foot, and wrist. The chapters are aimed to be self-contained, which is both good and bad. The good side is that if you have a specific pain area you want to focus on, you can dive right into that chapter and go. The main problem with this approach is that there is quite a bit of redundant content, and often the information about a specific exercise is split across several areas. This book badly needs an index. The main saving grace of the organizational issues is that the text itself is so easy and fun to read, chock full of helpful advice on every page, that you'll eventually want to read it cover to cover anyway.

Along with the exercises, you get an outline of medical issues that might be causing problems so you don't let a more serious issue go undiagnosed. As suggested by the title, the main audience that will appreciate this book are those who have already done a tour of doctors and therapists, been through enough tests to rule out major problems, and then were told that serious medication or elective surgery were the only options available. Sometimes, that's completely incorrect, and all the patient really needs is to is reverse harmful posture and movements that are the root cause of the pain--a topic most doctors are woefully under trained at giving suggestions on.

It's not a plan for couch potatoes, but it can work. As a long-time gym rat used to suffering for my gains, the thing that impresses me the most about the specific exercises advocated here is how good they feel to perform. The week I first tried Dr. Bookspan's somewhat different back extension exercises, that felt better than anything else I did that week.

Having read most of the popular titles on this subject during the two years I've been trying to correct my own pain issues, I can tell you with some authority that this book is destined to be a classic in this area. Much of the material is unique, and all of it I've tried out has been extremely helpful. The only area I'd really suggest supplementing this title's coverage with is that of multifidus training for resolving back issues. While many of the exercises here will strengthen that area, I didn't note any that taught specifically how to note weakness there and how to focus on it. Either Jim Johnson's "The Multifidus Back Pain Solution" or Rick Jemmett's "Spinal Stabilization" would make great companion volumes to this one (and reading all three books is even better), and anyone who enjoyed those two will find this one has a similar tone and approach, but with much broader coverage.

I would recommend that you check out the book's web site, try some of the exercises presented there, and see if they seem sensible and/or feel good when you try them. If you like how a subset of Dr. Jolie Bookspan's recommendations sound, I guarantee you'll love the more comprehensive treatment offered in this book.

I am a 39 year old professional woman. Dr. Bookspan's book is great and her techniques are so simple and effective. It is amazing. I got a new job last year where I had to drive up to three hours a day in L.A. traffic and write up a lot of reports. I started getting more and more upper back and neck pain. My left arm was tingling like it was hot with sunburn all the time, day and night; I couldn't move my shoulders much to put things on high shelves. I was scared that I had some kind of nerve damage.

My doctor said I had to quit driving to my job or else just live with the pain. Then my lower back cramped up one day when I tied my shoes and I couldn't stand up straight to walk around! I'm only 39 and I thought I was healthy -- what was going on? I spent $2000 on chiropractors and massages and though they helped me somewhat, it was only while I was getting the treatments. And I started to run out of money for treatments. NO ONE had any help for me; that is what I found so frustrating. No explanations, no reasons, no plans. I kept hearing, "strengthen your abs, do crunches, sit up straight, have good posture." I did lots of crunches, but I still had pain whenever I was driving, working, sitting, reading, etc. I tried to keep good posture, but "sitting up straight" hurt worse than slumping. The only thing that didn't hurt was laying flat on the floor. Great. Maybe I could get a job viewing the stars at a planetarium.

I found Dr. Bookspan's website online, read everything she had there, and bought two books: "Healthy Living" and "Heal Your Own Pain." Both are great and they complement each other. I started doing the exercises she recommended and right away things got better. Really. I also learned some things about myself: I could do crunches all day, but I was too weak to do a single push-up. My back was weak, my arms were weak, and my posture was terrible. That's why my back hurt. And I was so non-flexible in my chest, hips, and neck (the "front body") that I couldn't even sit up "straight" in order to fix my posture. Since then (about three months) I have been working on getting stronger and more flexible where I need to be in order to live and move like a normal human-- not some slumped-over cave dweller that moves from car to computer to beanbag chair and back again, gradually getting more and more rounded until I looked like an armadillo! The pain is gone, and I have much more freedom of movement in my hips, back and shoulders. I still can't do a "real" push-up, but I am working on it. it I know it takes awhile to retrain muscles after a lifetime of slouching and doing the wrong exercise. Thank you Dr. Jolie!

I have had numerous massages, injections into back, pain and anti inflammatory drugs, with short term relief from back pain. Dr. jolies book has helped a great deal. I have had poor posture most of my life. This book has taught me how to correct my posture and is worth the few dollars it cost. I highly recommend it to anyone who suffers from back pain.

I've endured more-or-less constant pain in my back and shoulders for years due to chronic cervical disk issues. Physical therapy and related exercises have had little impact. Surgery and injections are risky in the cervical spine, so I live with it.

Enter Dr. Bookspan's guidance. Two of the simple exercises in the neck pain portion of this book provided an immediate degree of relief! The benefits were not temporary - I've enjoyed improvement every week for the past six weeks, along with the ability to reduce use of pain killers. It takes me about ten minutes a day to perform the exercies, and I'm already having occasional pain-free days. I expect a pain-free week soon, which would be the first in a long time.

Her innovative and novel approach works for me, and I'm grateful. Many thanks to Dr. Jolie Bookspan for publishing these remedies!

For those wishing to fix their aches and pains without resorting to surgery or turning to meds, this is a powerful first step. And as noted in previous reviews, you need to get up off the couch and just DO IT! Dr. Bookspan takes a practical, functional approach to addressing many of the problems we encounter each day and zeros in on the fact that we are often our own worst enemy - we don't want the pain but we often inflict it upon ourselves through poor posture, lack of proper diet/exercise, and improper lifting, moving, sitting, etc. The exercises and stretching WILL remedy many of the readers problems IF properly applied and put into daily practice (yes, you have to follow the wisdom to gain the benefits). The trick is to apply them, use them, and develop an awareness of when you're moving/sitting/lifting/standing incorrectly. USE the stretches and exercises, make the changes and you will see the difference. The author does not suggest that you will never have to resort to surgery or medication; rather, you may not have to if you implement these practices. And wouldn't we all rather avoid going under the knife and not having to pop a pill? The book is a most worthwhile investment and should be read by every doctor as well so that they could dispense this wisdom as quickly as they take out their prescription pads.

This is by far the best most current info out there on how to help yourself lessen pain. Structure and posture are the keys. Author shows latest info out there. There were some exercises my PT perscribed that were useless and new ones she will now incorporate.

A couple of weeks before I found Jolie Brookspan online and ordered this book, I was telling a friend about my decade-long neck and back pain and how I was even starting to have hip pain and walk with a limp sometimes, and she observed that many older people "look like they've been punched in the stomach." I started to see that sucker-punched posture everywhere: chin forward, butt out, a slightly crouching walk. But I'm 50 and fit and have been told for a decade that my problems are caused by an overly-straight spine, so I sympathized with those grandmas, but that wasn't ME. Then I found Brookspan's webpage, and I bought the book, and I looked in the mirror. And holy cow, me with the dancer's posture and the good abs, I was standing butt out, a slight crease at the top of my thighs, an exagerrated lumbar curve, and my head forward. In twenty years, I was going to be one of those grandmas.

My advice is, if you're not the type to accept responsibility for your own pain, if you don't question the physiatrist who wants to put you on painkillers for life, if you want to believe that the answer is another ergonomic accessory or a supplement, then this book isn't for you. But if you're ready to take a hard look in the mirror and change the way you sit, stand and move for the rest of your life, then this is your ticket.

My pain improved before I'd gotten through the first chapter. Maybe someone told me long ago that keeping my chin slightly tucked while I sat to read the newspaper would prevent stiffness, pain and headaches, but if so, I didn't hear. My new awareness of head positioning has been life-changing. And that was just one small change; my hips are getting better too.

The line drawings are cheerfully rudimentary but convey all the necessary information. There are kind of a lot of typos, but the medical information and instructions are absolutely clear. And the book is repetitive but that works for me because the rather homely, commensensical instructions so thoroughly contradict what I've been told for years that I need to hear everything more than once. I love the photos of ordinary people, young and old, fat and fit.

This book could be a major contribution to healthcare reform. It has already saved my insurer the cost of an MRI ordered by a doctor who thinks my hip problems could be caused by some very rare wasting disorder. I never scheduled that MRI because I knew I didn't need it, but thanks to Brookspan, I can now say why. Heck, I can demonstrate why. But since Brookspan's approach is low-tech, do-it-yourself, contradicts the establishment message that disc degeneration is inevitable and permanent, and doesn't involve buying or consuming anything, there's not much chance her book will get the attention it deserves.

I am 53 year old very busy grandma. Few years ago I developed plantar fascia, couldn't treat it except shielding it and as a result developed knee pain. Then I found Dr. Bookspan's book on Internet and in two months got read of these problems as well as of my lordosis. I threw away my shoe inserts, can walk like everyone else, and don't fall apart after cooking a family dinner. I don't have much time for exercises, but simple stretches and awareness during everyday activities provides me enough strength and flexibility to be practically pain-free.

After reading this book, I eliminated a few excercises, and added some better ones. The big thing that got me was that the author said that some ailments are not permanent, like I was told, but can be fixed, with the adjustments she instructed. Makes sense. Will keep refering to this for the rest of my life.

I wish I had found this book a few years ago before my surgery. I love the seperate sections on each part of the body. It makes total sense and it has lessened my pain considerably. I have 3 herniated discs in my neck and have suffered bad neck and back pain for 5 years. I had to give up work 2 years ago. Now, after 1 month of Dr Bookspans exercises, my neck, shoulder and back are so much stronger, I now can see that I may possibly return to work in 3 months. Thank you so much. I only wish that her methods were practiced in Australia by many practitioners, because I have not been able to find one yet, and would like to work one on one with someone.