Healthy Back Building.William Whitney, DC, MA Kat Hill Press 1997, 238 pp. $12.95 softcover Healthy Back Building is a self-help book directed to lay people who either have not had back pain, or are recovered from an episode of back pain. Dr. Whitney believes that muscle imbalances caused by specific body movements (backward and forward Adv. 1. backward and forward - moving from one place to another and back again; "he traveled back and forth between Los Angeles and New York"; "the treetops whipped to and fro in a frightening manner"; "the old man just sat on the porch and rocked back and forth all bending while standing, arching of the lower back when supine supine /su·pine/ (soo´pin) lying with the face upward, or on the dorsal surface. su·pine adj. 1. Lying on the back; having the face upward. 2. , twisting, reaching away from the body, and unilateral movement patterns) create loss of normal function leading to strain and sprain sprain, stretching or wrenching of the ligaments and tendons of a joint, often with rupture of the tissues but without dislocation. Sprains occur most commonly at the ankle, knee, or wrist joints, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty in moving the involved joint. that contribute to spinal degeneration and thus development of back pain. The basic themes of the book are avoidance of those movements and positions, and participation in the "back-friendly workout." Dr. Whitney claims that the back-friendly workout "... is the ONLY backsaving approach that minimizes (if not eliminates) each known risk category of back pain, making it the most comprehensive preventive tool to use against the development of back pain." (pp 7-8) The workout consists of specific stretching and strengthening exercises, and cardiovascular conditioning activity. There are diagrams of each exercise and helpful titles and charts and a section on spinal and muscular anatomy to guide the reader through the process. Dr. Whitney believes that all aspects of a person's life have risk factors for back pain, and he lists these as individual, psychological, occupational, and recreational. Recreational activities that he urges people avoid include hockey, gymnastics, golf, bowling, racquetball racquetball, sport played indoors by two or four players, combining elements of court handball and such racket games as squash racquets. It is played on a standard handball court 40 ft (12.2 m) long, 20 ft (6. , tennis, rowing/kayaking, backpacking backpacking Sport of hiking while carrying clothing, food, and camping equipment in a pack on the back. In the early 20th century backpacking was primarily a means of getting to wilderness areas inaccessible by car or by day hike. , cross-country skiing cross-country skiing Skiing in open country over rolling, hilly terrain. It originated in Scandinavia as a means of travel as well as recreation. The skies used are longer, narrower, and lighter than those used in Alpine skiing, and bindings allow more heel movement. , baseball, and rodeo riding. To aid the reader in assessing their risk factors there are charts that give points for exposure to certain movements or activities. The total points then place the reader into a risk category - "some risk" under 50 points, "moderate risk" 50-100 points, and "high risk" over 100 points. Two fictitious characters are used to illustrate how to determine risk factors and how participation in the back-friendly exercise program can result in reduction of risk factors. There are diagrams illustrating home and occupational activities and positions that he considers risk factors and admonishments regarding their use. Motivation is discussed and there is a brief description of how exercise facilitates weight loss. Muscle stretching is emphasized. Dr. Whitney writes "when stretching fight muscles, your body will in a reflex fashion simultaneously strengthen the opposing weaker muscles while relaxing the fight muscles." (p 73) Diagrams accompanied by written descriptions clearly illustrate the recommended exercises, all of which should be familiar to exercise professionals. Conditioning activities recommended are stair climbing Stair climbing is the climbing of a flight of stairs. It is often described as a "low-impact" exercise, often for people who have recently started trying to get in shape. A common phrase in health pop culture is "Take the stairs, not the elevator". , walking, swimming, stationary bike Stationary Bike is a short story written by Stephen King, which was originally published in the fifth edition of From the Borderlands in 2003. The story depicts the struggle of Richard Sifkitz — a commercial artist and widower — to suppress a passion for , rope skipping, water exercise, soccer, basketball, and aerobic and tap dancing. There are clear instructions regarding how to use heart rate to determine proper exercise intensity, and concerns regarding positioning and safety while exercising are discussed. Strengthening exercises consist of standard floor exercises and use of several exercise machines. All are clearly illustrated. Emphasized throughout is avoidance of positions and movements he believes are risk factors. There is an extensive appendix which contains a glossary and list of additional books on the subject of exercise, sports, fitness, and diet, as well as addresses of national organizations and publications involved in health, fitness, and recreation. The bibliography has references grouped by each chapter in order used, but are not footnoted in the text. Most of the citations would be familiar to those who keep up with literature in the spinal rehabilitation rehabilitation: see physical therapy. area. I tired of the occasional admonishments about poor posture and exercise habits and found the author somewhat patronizing toward the reader. Some of his advice is not realistic, and his emphasis on avoiding or minimizing unilateral activities is rather extreme, especially in light of the dearth of proof that such activity significantly contributes to development of back pain. Under a heading "Activities to Avoid", he says that activities that "... should be avoided or, at the very least, minimized" include ... batting and throwing in baseball or softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' , even serving and spiking in volleyball." (p 103) However, overlooking those shortfalls, the book read easily, and explanations of concepts such as muscle stretching, weight loss, and strengthening were clearly presented. The book will provide information to those without medical backgrounds; however, only the most highly motivated individual will follow all the instructions, as full compliance will require a great commitment of time and attention to the details Dr. Whitney recommends. Charles Curry Charles Curry is the name of:
mus·cu·lo·skel·e·tal adj. Relating to or involving the muscles and the skeleton. Injury Prevention Program Cornell University Cornell University, mainly at Ithaca, N.Y.; with land-grant, state, and private support; coeducational; chartered 1865, opened 1868. It was named for Ezra Cornell, who donated $500,000 and a tract of land. With the help of state senator Andrew D. 3 |
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