LISTEN TO YOUR PAIN

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1983

By the author of the respected Sports Without Pain: a meticulous guide to self-diagnosis and treatment of pain and injury. From Benjamin's work with athletes and dancers, he has been able to pinpoint common areas of injury--and, most important and exceptional, to compile thorough and precise descriptions of the pain from those injuries. First, he sets out guidelines for consulting a physician--if the pain is severe, if there's swelling, if cracking or snapping is heard at the time of injury (among other signals); then, he briefly explains body structure and function, and the mechanisms of pain. (Bones, tendons and ligaments are composed differently, are injured differently, and hurt differently.) Benjamin's earlier guide had to do with avoiding injury, and he reviews some of those points here (fatigue and improper warm-up are common causes); further, he sets forth the principles of injury evaluation (by manipulating the injured part to reproduce the pain, the problem can be pinpointed), and looks at treatment choices (some, such as a technique called deep friction massage, are uncommon in this country). The bulk of the guide is a directory to injuries, and their specific treatments, from the foot and ankle to the spine--capped by instructions on rehabilitation, reconditioning, and prevention of further problems. (Generally, muscle groups surrounding an injury site must be strengthened to give it support.) With this new, unusual advice: an ideal companion for Sports Without Pain.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1983

Categories: NONFICTION