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Backs: A Common Sense Approach to Back Injury Prevention
154
Books on Backs It is not often that a reviewer will be presented with opportunity to examine
two books covering the same topic, one from Australia and the other from New Zealand. Not surprisingly the subject is the ever popular one of Back Pain. The first book is designed for the englightment of the general public, while the second is likely to appeal more to the practitioner, and the enthusiastic sufferer searching for enlightenment.
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Bad Backs: A self-help guide Five steps to a healthy back, how to get rellef from pain, what if you need surgery? by Leila Henderson, Neen HealthSooks, Neen Pein Management, Old Pharmacy Mrd, Church Street, East Dereham. Norfolk NR19 lN,1993. Illus. 64 pages. f650.
The author has been a journalist for 22 years and was a health and fitness writer for Good Housekeeping. She first trained as a therapeutic masseuse before specialising in health journalism. The aim of this modest book is to demystify back pain and provide some simple steps to self-management. Chapter one begins with a basic anatomy lesson before going on to consider the origins of pain in the back and to a degree verges on self-diagnosis. There are a series of brief cameos on arthritis, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, osteomyelitis, a n d other common problems. T h e second chapter deals with occupational hazards includmg hobbyists, pregnant women, and dancing in a professional capacity. The text has supplementary sections called fact files and everyday back care. Medical care is discussed in four short pages considering questions that might be asked by the doctor, pain clinics, X-ray examination, and surgical options. The final section deals with pre- and postoperative precautions. Physiotherapists will be interested in chapter 4 which explains what a visit from or to your local physiotherapist could involve There are short clear paragraphs on rest, heat and ice, traction electrotherapy, hydrotherapy, manipulation, mobilisation and remedial exercises. Some of the exercises that may be practised are described in chapter 5. Throughout this section caution is advised. In chapter 6 there are the ‘five steps to a healthy back’, namely: 0 Stand tall 0 Sit pretty 0 One two three lift* 0 Fit not fat 0 Stress management *One minor criticism is the use of the full squat position for lifting loads.
Sport is focus of the 7th chapter. There is positive encouragement for water sports, golf and aerobics and comes with a caution. However, jogging, rugby, squash and tennis are described as being potentially hazardous.
Physiotherapy, March 1994, voi80, no 3
Sports enthusiasts are reminded of RICE and HARM. Sleep, posture, back supports and work surfaces are the focus of chapter 8. This then leads into the penultimate section on alternative therapies. Last but not least, readers are given the answers to a number of back myths. Bad Backs: A self help guide provides a broad but basic examination of back problems. It is informative but not detailed, i t i s easy to read and understand, without being patronising. It is not a practitioner’s book but designed for use by clients. The price is a little high for the size and content of this book.
Backs: A Common Sense Approach to Back Injury Preventlon by Leonard Ring. Leonard Fling Associates Ltd, PO Box 25291.St Heliers Bax Auckland 5, New Zealand. 1993 (ISBN 0 473 01832 2). Illus. 138 pages. f26 plus f6 postage.
Not many authors have the luxury of their own publishing house and this may give some idea of the stature of the author and the progress he has made since studying for his master’s degree in ergonomics at t h e University of Loughbomugh in the 1970s.Should there be any remaining doubts the author appears on the front cover, like Moses holding the serpent in the desert - in this instance the serpent is a flexi-spine! Those who read Mr Ring’s earlier book Facts on Backs will recognise the easy style and repartee which is the hallmark of this author and lecturer’s style of presentation. Unlike many books, the text is illustrated in the left-hand margin. Many of the illustrations being handdrawn add an intimacy to the text, as if the author had sat down and explained his ideas on the back of a handy envelope Those who are steeped in ‘backology’will recognise some familiar diagrams from Kapandju, Stoddard and Calliet. The author’s aim is to: 0 Convince the readers that they can control back injuries. 0 Outline and demonstrate the method he advocates for t h e control and prevention of back injuries. Provide readers with a personal awareness of their own vunerability in the area of back injuries and how to avoid them. There are 16 chapters and a conclusion. The first chapter is a statistical insight into the size of the problem and to set the scene. The second chapter is filled with common sense, and questions design and attitudes in our modern society. ‘We now
Touching your toes with straight legs serves no purpose - an exercise not recommended. Illustration from ‘Backs A Common Sense Approach to Back Injury Prevention ’
-
know how back injuries occur, we know why they occur and we know how to minimise them. Injuring your spine or having a high incidence of industrial back injuries today can be considered as ignorance of the known facts.’ ‘Genesis’ or the progress to an upright posture forms the third chapter and leads into the fourth chapter on basic anatomy and physiology of the spine in gross structural terms. Chapter 5 then considers the intervertebral disc, whilst chapter 6 is devoted to the topic of degeneration and later diagnostics. Finally in this block, chapter 7 examines spinal biomechanics in some detail. Practical guidance on handling techniques is dealt with in chapters 8 and 9 while the topic of exercise takes up chapters 10 and 11. Chapter 12 is longer than any other and provides ergonomic guidance and is very well illustrated from Mr Ring’s extensive experience in this area. The controversial subject of malingering forms chapter 13 and this may help to answer some of the questions often asked by industrial managers. Chapter 14 sets out to underline some general principles derived from research into the design of good seating. The home front occupies the 15th chapter and first aid for back injuries adds the final touch. The author sums up his views as follows: ‘Undoubtedly, our life styles and longevity are making our spines more vunerable One of the primary aims of this project is to make the problem more understandable, without the necessity to study a voluminous number of text books. Len Ring has done just that. If you want to gain a basic all-round view of the problem of back pain, this book is a good starting point. It is practical, realistic, sometimes challenging and above all a good read. The newcomer to the topic of backs should find much stimulation in Leonard Ring’s text. The more advanced practitioner should find something new, particularly in the author’s philosopy and approach to the problem of back injury. Christopher R Hayne FCSP MErgS MIOSH
Books on Backs It is not often that a reviewer will be presented with opportunity to examine
two books covering the same topic, one from Australia and the other from New Zealand. Not surprisingly the subject is the ever popular one of Back Pain. The first book is designed for the englightment of the general public, while the second is likely to appeal more to the practitioner, and the enthusiastic sufferer searching for enlightenment.
-
Bad Backs: A self-help guide Five steps to a healthy back, how to get rellef from pain, what if you need surgery? by Leila Henderson, Neen HealthSooks, Neen Pein Management, Old Pharmacy Mrd, Church Street, East Dereham. Norfolk NR19 lN,1993. Illus. 64 pages. f650.
The author has been a journalist for 22 years and was a health and fitness writer for Good Housekeeping. She first trained as a therapeutic masseuse before specialising in health journalism. The aim of this modest book is to demystify back pain and provide some simple steps to self-management. Chapter one begins with a basic anatomy lesson before going on to consider the origins of pain in the back and to a degree verges on self-diagnosis. There are a series of brief cameos on arthritis, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, osteomyelitis, a n d other common problems. T h e second chapter deals with occupational hazards includmg hobbyists, pregnant women, and dancing in a professional capacity. The text has supplementary sections called fact files and everyday back care. Medical care is discussed in four short pages considering questions that might be asked by the doctor, pain clinics, X-ray examination, and surgical options. The final section deals with pre- and postoperative precautions. Physiotherapists will be interested in chapter 4 which explains what a visit from or to your local physiotherapist could involve There are short clear paragraphs on rest, heat and ice, traction electrotherapy, hydrotherapy, manipulation, mobilisation and remedial exercises. Some of the exercises that may be practised are described in chapter 5. Throughout this section caution is advised. In chapter 6 there are the ‘five steps to a healthy back’, namely: 0 Stand tall 0 Sit pretty 0 One two three lift* 0 Fit not fat 0 Stress management *One minor criticism is the use of the full squat position for lifting loads.
Sport is focus of the 7th chapter. There is positive encouragement for water sports, golf and aerobics and comes with a caution. However, jogging, rugby, squash and tennis are described as being potentially hazardous.
Physiotherapy, March 1994, voi80, no 3
Sports enthusiasts are reminded of RICE and HARM. Sleep, posture, back supports and work surfaces are the focus of chapter 8. This then leads into the penultimate section on alternative therapies. Last but not least, readers are given the answers to a number of back myths. Bad Backs: A self help guide provides a broad but basic examination of back problems. It is informative but not detailed, i t i s easy to read and understand, without being patronising. It is not a practitioner’s book but designed for use by clients. The price is a little high for the size and content of this book.
Backs: A Common Sense Approach to Back Injury Preventlon by Leonard Ring. Leonard Fling Associates Ltd, PO Box 25291.St Heliers Bax Auckland 5, New Zealand. 1993 (ISBN 0 473 01832 2). Illus. 138 pages. f26 plus f6 postage.
Not many authors have the luxury of their own publishing house and this may give some idea of the stature of the author and the progress he has made since studying for his master’s degree in ergonomics at t h e University of Loughbomugh in the 1970s.Should there be any remaining doubts the author appears on the front cover, like Moses holding the serpent in the desert - in this instance the serpent is a flexi-spine! Those who read Mr Ring’s earlier book Facts on Backs will recognise the easy style and repartee which is the hallmark of this author and lecturer’s style of presentation. Unlike many books, the text is illustrated in the left-hand margin. Many of the illustrations being handdrawn add an intimacy to the text, as if the author had sat down and explained his ideas on the back of a handy envelope Those who are steeped in ‘backology’will recognise some familiar diagrams from Kapandju, Stoddard and Calliet. The author’s aim is to: 0 Convince the readers that they can control back injuries. 0 Outline and demonstrate the method he advocates for t h e control and prevention of back injuries. Provide readers with a personal awareness of their own vunerability in the area of back injuries and how to avoid them. There are 16 chapters and a conclusion. The first chapter is a statistical insight into the size of the problem and to set the scene. The second chapter is filled with common sense, and questions design and attitudes in our modern society. ‘We now
Touching your toes with straight legs serves no purpose - an exercise not recommended. Illustration from ‘Backs A Common Sense Approach to Back Injury Prevention ’
-
know how back injuries occur, we know why they occur and we know how to minimise them. Injuring your spine or having a high incidence of industrial back injuries today can be considered as ignorance of the known facts.’ ‘Genesis’ or the progress to an upright posture forms the third chapter and leads into the fourth chapter on basic anatomy and physiology of the spine in gross structural terms. Chapter 5 then considers the intervertebral disc, whilst chapter 6 is devoted to the topic of degeneration and later diagnostics. Finally in this block, chapter 7 examines spinal biomechanics in some detail. Practical guidance on handling techniques is dealt with in chapters 8 and 9 while the topic of exercise takes up chapters 10 and 11. Chapter 12 is longer than any other and provides ergonomic guidance and is very well illustrated from Mr Ring’s extensive experience in this area. The controversial subject of malingering forms chapter 13 and this may help to answer some of the questions often asked by industrial managers. Chapter 14 sets out to underline some general principles derived from research into the design of good seating. The home front occupies the 15th chapter and first aid for back injuries adds the final touch. The author sums up his views as follows: ‘Undoubtedly, our life styles and longevity are making our spines more vunerable One of the primary aims of this project is to make the problem more understandable, without the necessity to study a voluminous number of text books. Len Ring has done just that. If you want to gain a basic all-round view of the problem of back pain, this book is a good starting point. It is practical, realistic, sometimes challenging and above all a good read. The newcomer to the topic of backs should find much stimulation in Leonard Ring’s text. The more advanced practitioner should find something new, particularly in the author’s philosopy and approach to the problem of back injury. Christopher R Hayne FCSP MErgS MIOSH