Back pain affects more of us than any other complaint, including heart disease and asthma. It is an epidemic which is largely avoidable, but rarely addressed in public health education. I grew up watching my father struggle with debilitating, chronic back pain that was never adequately relieved. Many of his spinal problems came from being a manual laborer at a time when work safety procedures, such as safe lifting and posture, were not seen as a priority.
Our family paid for that attitude for the rest of my father’s life. Back pain took him out of the workforce, decimated our family finances and chronically stressed our home life. He was often depressed and aggressive due to back pain. Unsurprisingly, back care and safe lifting are educational issues very close to my heart.
The information in this book is quite diverse. Taking care of your spine is an issue for everyone, including mothers; athletes; military personnel; the aged; computer users and office workers who battle with back ache due to posture; builders; manual laborers; and anyone who regularly lifts, bends and twists their spine to get tasks done whether at home, work or recreationally.
This book evolved out of my work with a non-profit back injury prevention organisation. The medical content in this book has been checked and approved by a registered, qualified Spinal Surgeon with a Masters Degree in Spinal Biomechanics. When I left the organisation, it was agreed I could take my work and use it however I wished. In the spirit of what we were doing, I would like to make this e-book free so people can learn to avoid back injuries.
Contents include:
- Back Health Essentials: A Simple Overview
- Basic Guidelines on How to Lift Anything
- Conditions Caused by Repetitive Back Strain
- What Type of Bag Do You Carry?
- Back and Neck Friendly Computer Use
- Household Maintenance and Back Strain
Lifting and Caring for Children- Spine Safe Sport and Recreation
- Back Saving Water-Wise Gardening
- Avoiding Back Strain While Packing and Moving
- Taking Care of Your Back After Corrective Surgery: A Cautionary Tale
- Back Care for Carers
- Back Care for Wheelchair Users
- A Special Chapter for Young Carers
- Online Back Care Resources
Please note: it is essential that I emphasize that these articles are not a substitute for independent professional advice, which will take into account your own unique circumstances and medical conditions. Also, as research and advances in medical techniques and knowledge continually occur, at some stage the information here may go out of date as we learn more and get better at preventing injury. Please don’t use this book as the sole source of your information. Take further steps to ensure you have all the facts you need to get the best outcome for your health.
This is the page link for downloading the book . The file is a 700kb .pdf file which will work on any computer or tablet device. It is protected so you will not be able to print or copy from it, but please, pass it on freely!
Wishing you excellent back health and a pain-free lifestyle.
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You are doing such a wonderful act of kindness by offering this book for free, Cate. My sister suffers from uncorrected scoliosis (don’t even get me started on why it was not corrected in her childhood); with your permission, I will send her this post. I work at a computer more than 8 hours a day with the unsurprising complications from not having the correct chair in all the places I slouch to work. *blush* i plan to put your book to work in my life as well.
Thanks so much for your lovely comment Elizabeth. I am concerned about your sister. The e-book will be a help to her, but she needs to get in contact with a decent spinal doctor: NOT a chiropractor. Not with scoliosis… that can be dangerous. I hope it works out well for her. Please let me know. I had three surgeries, so there is plenty of sympathy to share from here.
Again, thank you for the visit.
Thank you, Cate. I know she has not seen a chiropractor, thank goodness, but I suspect she has not seen a spinal doctor either. She had minor abdominal surgery on Monday, but when she is feeling better, I will work to convince her to see a spinal doc.
Thank you again. It is very kind of you!
No worries Elizabeth, I really feel for her. I remember how savage my back pain was before I had the surgeries (though my case was exceptionally severe). It’s not an easy road.