Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation

This book should be part of the curriculum of every medical school, physical therapy school, and personal training course. I know it is not, so each of the above healers need to study this book.Low back pain is directly linked to GDP, depression, is poorly evaluated and poorly treated. To make things worse we often do things that are unproven or even proven wrong in clinical trials. Then there is the social media click bait and influencers, that exacerbate the problem.If you’re the layperson considering this book, you will need to read it slowly and supplement it with online resources, such as anatomy pictures and definitions of any words you don’t understand. The book is geared more towards the above three healers.

I was a practicing pain physician who saw ten to twenty cases of low back pain per day. Prior to reading Low Back Disorders, I was practicing conventional standard of care medicine and getting mediocre results--really no better or no worse than any of my colleagues in the medical field. Conventional medicine is stuck in a dated, scientifically inaccurate model of relying on medicine, physical therapy, injections and surgery. The weakness is being exposed by books like Crooked. The sad thing is the criticisms are valid. Medicine has really lost its way in dealing with low back pain.Low Back Disorder offers a way out: a systematic, scientifically based method of thinking about the biomechanics of the low back and how to specifically diagnose and specifically treat low back pain by changing postures, movements and loads and prescribing the appropriate type and "dose" of exercise. This one volume is a clear antidote to the ineptitude that ails conventional spine care and it is worth mentioning that Professor McGill has restored countless elite athletes with devastating spine injuries (Google Brian Carroll). These methods clearly have worked for Professor McGill.The level of clinical precision in diagnosis and treatment for low back pain is something I thought was impossible. In conventional medicine, it is posited that over 85% of cases of low back pain have no directly detectable cause. This amorphous entity is known as nonspecific low back pain and underlies the futility of modern practice. It is truly a bankrupt expertise to not knowing what is going on 85% of the time! So you can imagine what a relief it was to read that there was no such thing as nonspecific low back pain. Rather it was a case of "clinicians reaching the limit of their expertise." It seemed to be a minor miracle that a higher level of insight was possible after having it drilled into me for years that even a specific diagnosis was generally impossible.It has been about two years since I bought Low Back Disorders and I can say with the certainty of personal experience that this system of thought, collectively known as the McGill method is effective. By applying these principles, I am gaining insights that I never imagined I could gain. I have helped improve patients to whom I previously could offer nothing but medication and I personally can diagnose over 90% of all cases of low back pain I encounter. This should be required reading for any professional who practices clinical spine care--chiropractors, physical therapists and doctors. I suspect that if you do the deep work of mastering the contents of this book, you will become one of the best spine practitioners in your community.

This is a masterpiece on low back disorders. It debunks legions of bad ideas and dogma. This is a must for all doctors.

McGill's work is incredible, and light-years ahead of most conventional physical therapy approaches (a fact with he repeats a bit too often in his writing); for a back-pain sufferer such as myself, this book is probably overkill, but it does provide a wonderfully detailed view of how the musculo-skeletal structure works (and fails). The biggest problem with the book for me is the illustrations, which are often of mediocre quality and don't clearly show what the text says they show. However, the book does offer links to online videos (which I confess I haven't watched) so that may help. If you have back problems, you (or your physical therapist) needs this book!

I think that this is a very good book. I bought Back Mechanic and thought it was very good, but I wanted more detail. This book does explain things in a more detailed way that helps me to better understand what exercises will be helpful, and how I should do them. I'm not a medical professional, but I do read a lot of legal literature so I'm used to technical writing, so that helps. Also, I read it selectively to help me with specific questions and passed over some of the technical parts that I wasn't concerned about. I recommend it, and I should also mention that I was put on to the McGill books by Chad Reilly's Spinalflowyoga site, which you may also find helpful. I recommend the book enthusiastically.

El libro es excelente para profesionales de rehabilitación, ya sea fisioterapeutas, medicos fisiatras , del deporte u ortopedistas

I would recommend this book to everyone dealing with low back disorders in their practice; the insights presented in this book have fundamentally shifted the way that I approach patients. Not only does it present theoretical information far beyond the extent to which the information was presented at university, it is also extremely practical and can be applied to clinical practice immediately.

Easy to read and very useful information. I highly recommend this book if you suffer of back pain or want to never ever have to deal with back problems.

Muy bien explicado y fácil de entender. Un imprescindible para comprender los mecanismos del dolor de espalda.

Excellent book

As as long-term patient with lower back pain I came across this book by accident and worked my way through both "Low Back Disorders" and next "Back Mechanic" by the same author. Following the recommendations has greatly alleviated my issues. I am grateful for this fantastic book which make Dr. McGill's results accessible even to interested lay-people. I have since recommended it to friends and family members suffering from similar issues.

A fabulous book for those wanting the science behind true back care...

A must read book, for an evidence based method to diagnose and rehabilitate people suffering low back pain. Thanks Dr McGill.