Intervertebral Discs and Other Mechanical Disorders of the Lumbar Spine: Evidence-Based Conservative Management and Treatment

This is a book written for physical therapists and physicians interested in the treatment of patients with low back pain. The author has brought nearly 50 years of clinical training and scientific evidence to write this book. According to a very well known physical therapist, this book is claimed to be a seminal book on low back pain, and according to Dr. Basmajian (Father of EMG Biofeedback) “it should strengthen the hands and minds of several branches of the healing professions while clearing the debris of dubious techniques.”

The book is about treatment of Mechanical Disorders of Lumbar Spine and mainly Intervertebral Disc Disorders by physical therapists using conservative techniques.

The author is cognizant of the fact that patients who come to physical therapy should not be harmed by physical therapy, hence with this in mind, these gentle techniques are presented to the practicing physical therapist and the student alike.

There are 9 chapters with two appendices and an index. The three anatomy chapters were co-authored with Dr. Arthur Nelson. The next few chapters are on sprains/strains, intervertebral disc conditions, spinal stenosis and disc degeneration, spondylolesthesis/spondylolysis and spondylosis. In addition to that, there are chapters on epidemiology, clinical evaluation, chronic low back pain, and physical therapy techniques.

The main thrust in this book, is that all patients must be treated by proper clinical diagnosis based on pathophysiology using sensitive and specific tests and arriving at treatment techniques which are evidence based.

This book is not for the believer and non-scientist, but to all those who profess to be physical therapists/scientists. This might be the only book written by two physical therapists for the treatment of patients suffering low back problems, with evidence to back it up.