Customer Reviews
don't waste your money 
2008-06-14
Compared to other book I purchased this one was a waste of money and time. Poor format, uninteresting and dull.
Simple methods to resolve back pain 
2008-04-07
While not a replacement for physiotherapy, I found this information very useful. Great read. Very straight forward and easy to follow instructions. MacKenzie's method is brilliantly explained in easy-to-follow steps. Best of all it works. One of the best do-it-yourself health books that I have read in a long time. I can personally attest to relieving back pain using Dr. MacKenzie's methods. The price of the book is cheaper than a single visit to a physiotherapist. Not recommended for people with no background in physical conditioning, therapy or fitness. The classical out-of-shape person that tries some of these movements will often set themselves up for failure. So, use some caution.
Doug Setter
Author of Stomach Flattening
Definately worth reading and trying. 2008-03-18
The exercises are very simple and they do not take much time.
I have had chronic low back pain for years and the results for me personally have been very good. This book has taught me to focus on better posture. This combined with the exercises has reduced my lower back pain drastically and has improved my flexibility as well.
SImple to read and very helful for back pains 2008-03-17
This book was easy and interesting reading. It made me appreicate the importance of back exercises. I highly reccommend for people with a history of back pain.
Help is at Hand 2008-02-22
I would never have believed that spending a few minutes a day with a little book could relieve my chronic back-pain, but I believe it now! I have lived with pain for years, and have had both my hips replaced. This gave me much relief, but I sit a lot, which causes pain in itself. My son has this book, and while visiting him I looked through it, and half-heartedly did a couple of exercises. I was surprised and delighted to find that my back felt better after a few minutes of the exercises. I ordered it from you when I went home, and when I received it I began to do the suggested movements as instructed. They are easy, have only to be done at my own pace, and the relief is extraordinary! The best thing is that I thought I would always have to rely on strong pain relievers, and it is now rarely that I take one, so the nausea I felt from their effects has gone too. An added bonus. It would be good to use this book before there was any pain - I feel it would keep the spine healthy for a lifetime.
Great Book for Managing Chronic Back and Neck Pain 2008-02-15
The phenomenon known as the McKenzie Method has helped millions of people with chronic back and neck pain. In
7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life, its founder, world-renowned physical therapist Robin McKenzie, shares the innovative program that can save you from a life of pain.
7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life combines and enhances McKenzie's back and neck books that have sold more than 5.5 million copies worldwide.
The 7 essential steps that make up the McKenzie Method have become the keystone for back and neck care in 35 countries, including the United States. In this easy-to-follow, fully illustrated book, you'll read about:
* Common causes of lower-back and neck pain
* The vital role discs play in back and neck health
* Easy exercises that alleviate pain immediately
* How to stay out of pain
Complete with more than 150 photos and illustrations, and considered the treatment of choice by health care professionals throughout the world, 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life will help you get out of pain-and stay out of pain. It is an invaluable tool for better health.
Works only if your spine is stiff and the low back curve is flat 
2007-11-03
This is suitable for healthy and athletic type younger people. Be careful if you have DDD (degenerated disc of the lumbar) or arthritis. This may give relief for couple of day but the pain comes back! The tension pose (equivalent of bending back) actually increased my pain after 2 weeks.
Back pain is gone for first time in over 7 mo's after using this book 2007-10-14
I am only 29 yrs old and have had a terrible back almost my whole life, and about 8 months ago, my worst ever back pain episode began and did not subside for another 6 months, until I read and began following the McKensie method principles.
My spine specialist almost demanded that I read this book, so I was a bit skeptical at first that he might be trying to promote the book for his own benefit. However, after having read and used the techniques outlined in this book for the first few days, I instantly became aware that my doctor was not trying to trick me, but rather, he gave me an incredibly valuable resource. I now do these stretches several times every day, and my back is practically pain free. I am able to go to the gym and exercise again without throwing out my back, and working an 8 hour day doesn't injure my back either. It's like a miracle. I am also seeing a McKensie method trained physical therapist now and am much better using his exercises when compared to the exercises of my old physical therapist.
I highly recommend giving this book a try if you have recurrent lower back pain that hurts most when sitting or standing, and is most severe when bending forward. It works better than all the doctors, acupuncturists, and physical therapists I've ever seen. And make sure your physical therapist is trained in the McKensie Method or else you could risk aggravating your back even further.
At Last! 
2007-07-13
I've been in pain for 6 months but just a few days of these exercises and the pain is gone. It's a quick read and the illustrations make the exercises easy to do. The testimonials were overkill and I skipped most of them. Back doctors may be put out of business!
Changed my life 2007-07-12
What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? A few months ago, I hurt my back loading a motorcycle onto a trailer. I've hurt my back many times, and it's always been the same story: medium pain level, rest, ice, and after a week or two I'm ready to go. However, after a few weeks this had not gotten better - but worse. Slowly I started to feel pain in my buttock and then all the way down to my ankle, so that I was walking with a limp. I tried the same stretches that had always worked (bringing my knees to my chest, crossing one leg over the other and twisting), and they did nothing. My condition got so bad that I went to see my doctor, who diagnosed a slipped disc and sciatica, and referred me to physical therapy.
A few days later, I woke up in so much pain that I called in sick to work. I simply could not move and spent the morning in bed. I started to get frustrated, as my physical therapy appointment was not for a few more days and I felt that my condition would not improve. For the first time, I started to feel hopeless. I felt that I was looking at a long road of slow recovery, and guesses as to what would fix the issue. The feeling of powerlessness that you have when the core of your body is weak is hard to describe unless you've experienced it.
I started to get mad, and began researching physical therapy techniques online. Almost everything came back to the McKenzie technique, which seemed to be universally lauded. I called my doctor and asked if I could give it a try on my own, and she said yes, so I got myself down to the bookstore and hobbled to the checkout line with my copy. I was walking like a 70 year old man and I'm only 27!
That was Monday; today is Thursday and my back feels better than it has in months. The sharp, burning pain that would travel down my back and leg has been reduced to a dull throbbing in the center of my back.
These exercises really work! It seems so simple, but looking back everyone I know told me to bend over and touch my toes or something similar, to loosen up my back. This book takes a much broader view, with exercises that loosen the spine in more than one angle, gradually pushing the vertebrae and discs back into alignment. I noticed small changes within a few hours, and within 24 hours noticed that my pain had shifted to a central location. Within 48 hours, the spring was back in my step!
As for the writing and book itself, it is well organized, easy to understand and accompanied by easy to follow photographs.
As many other people have said, please do go to a doctor first, and get their OK before trying these exercises!
