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Cover image of The Back Book
Cover image of The Back Book
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The Back Book

Ziya L. Gokaslan, M.D., and Lee Hunter Riley III, M.D.
illustrated by Ian Suk, B.Sc., B.M.C.

Publication Date
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Eighty percent of Americans experience back pain in varying degrees at some point in their lives. In fact, back pain is second only to the common cold as a reason why people visit a doctor.

In The Back Book, Johns Hopkins surgeons Ziya L. Gokaslan and Lee Hunter Riley explain the causes and complexities of back pain and the various paths to diagnosis and treatment. Stressing the importance of individualized treatment, they discuss the process of establishing a treatment plan that is acceptable to the person with pain as well as to the attending physician. They also:

• lay out reasonable...

Eighty percent of Americans experience back pain in varying degrees at some point in their lives. In fact, back pain is second only to the common cold as a reason why people visit a doctor.

In The Back Book, Johns Hopkins surgeons Ziya L. Gokaslan and Lee Hunter Riley explain the causes and complexities of back pain and the various paths to diagnosis and treatment. Stressing the importance of individualized treatment, they discuss the process of establishing a treatment plan that is acceptable to the person with pain as well as to the attending physician. They also:

• lay out reasonable expectations for surgical and nonsurgical treatment
• illuminate the possibilities, risks, and limitations of back surgery
• describe how to select a surgeon and the importance of choosing the right one

Informative and reassuring, The Back Book provides readers with the knowledge they need to understand their back pain and get started on the route to relief.

Reviews

Reviews

A complete and comprehensive guide to the back, it provides an excellently researched manual... A must for any who are facing back pain and are evaluating their options fully.

The authors do a good job of describing the full range of treatments from physical therapy to surgery. Also included are a useful index and an interesting section describing how to choose an appropriate and helpful Web site. Another section on how to talk to a physician should be helpful for anyone who has encountered difficulties.

About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
5.5
x
8.5
Pages
168
ISBN
9780801890437
Illustration Description
7 color illus.
Table of Contents

Introduction: As Common as the Common Cold and Twenty Times More Painful
Part I: What's Causing Your Symptoms?
1. Twenty-Four Vertebrae and Twenty-Three Discs
2. Who Gets Back Pain, and What Causes It?
3

Introduction: As Common as the Common Cold and Twenty Times More Painful
Part I: What's Causing Your Symptoms?
1. Twenty-Four Vertebrae and Twenty-Three Discs
2. Who Gets Back Pain, and What Causes It?
3. Things That Go Wrong in the Back
4. Spinal Tumors and Metastatic Cancer
Part II: Getting a Diagnosis and Seeking Treatment
5. What's Wrong with Me, and What Should I Do about It?
6. Pain Relief and Nonsurgical Treatment
7. Physical Therapy for Pain, Strength, and Function
8. Making the Decision about Surgery
9. Back Surgery and Recovery
Index

Author Bios
Ziya L. Gokaslan, MD
Featured Contributor

Ziya L. Gokaslan, MD

Ziya L. Gokaslan, M.D., is the director of the Neurosurgical Spine Program and vice chairman of the department of neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University, where he is also the Donlin M. Long Professor and a professor of neurosurgery, oncology, and orthopaedic surgery.
Featured Contributor

Lee Hunter Riley III, M.D.

Lee Hunter Riley III, M.D., is the director of the Orthopaedic Spine Division and an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University.