Well it’s a strange title. The full title is The Multifidus Back Pain Solution: Simple Exercises that Target the Muscles that Count. If you are one of the 80% of Americans who suffer from back pain, this is a very worthwhile quick read. It’s 120 pages and can be finished in 60 to 90 minutes. The Multifidus Back Pain Solution… is really more of a booklet then a book. It covers the basic physiology of the back, as well as common types of back problems and many of the treatments that are used. And then offers a simple program which has shown proven results.
The multifidus is a little-known set of muscles that connect the vertebrae. The thesis of author Jim Johnson, who is a physical therapist, is that strengthening these muscles will help many people who suffer from back pain to either (1) have less pain when they have episodes of back pain or (2) have fewer back pain episodes or (3) have a happy combination of (1) and (2). Johnson backs up his thesis based on research (that is ongoing) from quite a number of back pain studies.
As a person whose own back pain problems have been reduced dramatically in the last three plus years by using a nautilus back machine (that’s designed to strengthen all the muscles running along the spinal vertabrae), I am sure Johnson is on to something.
The exercises Johnson suggests are simple to do, require no machines or weights (well, small ankle weights can be used), and take very little time. I am going to incorporate them into my own gym time, on days when I’m not using the nautilus back machine.
The author admits his program will not work for everyone, but it does help the majority of people in his own practice and in the scientific studies.
DEFINITELY worth the small investment of time and money to get and read this book if you have a back problem.
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