It should come as no surprise to hear that almost 90% of Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Being a neurosurgeon, it’s one of the most common reasons people come to my office. And I know how it feels, believe me. I had an episode of severe back pain myself with radiation down my leg, pins and needles in my foot, and everything. All brought on by lifting my college freshman daughter’s not-so-mini refrigerator. (She was supposed to be helping me, oh well.) Fortunately it all resolved within about a week with Advil, ice, heat, stretching and exercises. As far as back pain, I do practice what I prescribe.
Back pain has become so common that we accept it as part of life. And yet it’s not a problem for everyone. Would it surprise you to know that there are places in the world where the reported percentage of back pain sufferers is only 5%? It certainly surprised Esther Gokhale. It lead her on a long search and discovery mission to find out why it is that some nations are so overwhelmingly prone to chronic back pain issues. This journey took Esther to some of the most rural locations in Brazil, Portugal and Burkina Faso, and Esther found her answers.
Author: Esther Gokhale
Type: Paperback
Length: 244 pages
Publisher: Pendo Press, April 2008
Is 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Foot Worth Buying?
First of all, it’s important to note that no self-help book or product can guarantee success, particularly when it comes to specific issues like joint pains and backache. Any guide or product that makes wild promises should be approached with caution; one person’s chronic back pain can be completely different from another’s. However, while no instructional guide can guarantee success, Esther’s 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back probably comes the closest.
Through her extensive research and studies, Esther has come up with a program to relive back pain — the Gokhale Method. In this book, Esther guides us through the various steps to her method. Using real life photos of workers demonstrating correct posture in their everyday lives, Esther breaks down what causes our back problems, and shows how these issues can be corrected.
Where a particular pose, posture or alignment is required, Esther clearly explains the form before showing real life pictures of the form displayed correctly. Unlike many exercise-heavy guides to fighting aches and pains, Esther’s method involves a lot of correcting postures and alignments. The rationale for these corrections is clearly explained. Many users report not only complete resolution of their pain, but also dramatically increased flexibility and strength as a direct result of the Gokhale Method.
It really shouldn’t be a big a surprise that simple core adjustments to posture affect not only your back. Correct alignment of the spine has direct influences on the hips, knees, shoulders and neck. The Gokhale method doesn’t require learning complicated body moves, just simple basic adjustments that affect every part of your body.
In a market saturated with self-help guides, and exercise regimes heavily promoted by some of the biggest names in fitness, it’s telling that Esther’s 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back remains one of the most bought, most popular and most recommended books. At this price, you really can’t afford not to check it out. Get your copy now!
