BACK ATTACK: A Neurosurgeon's Advice on the Best and the Latest Methods for Diagnosis and Treatment

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 1985

The standard medical advice on back problems--but more sympathetic towards surgery than recent reputable guides. Neurosurgeon Tarlov and coauthor D'Costa begin with a detailed anatomic overview, and then move straight into problems: from the common back spasm to ""myelopathy caused by cervical spondylosis,"" in complete medical detail (""Damage to C6 may make elbow flexien slightly weak, while with damage to C7. . .""). They then cover diagnosis, treatment (again, much attention to surgery), and miscellaneous issues such as exercise--which the authors don't strongly advocate, though Tarlov does call it a ""sensible step"" that he initially recommends for everyone. The authors also take a fairly dim view of the newer pain control methods (presumably including visualization, biofeedback, and other such techniques, though they're not specified): ""the first thing you have to understand, ""we're told, is that the management of chronic pain has been little changed or improved since antiquity."" Far preferable to this routine coverage is Arthur Klein and Dava Sobel's innovative Backache Relief (1984, p. 1138)--which presents a wide range of choices in prevention and treatment (and points out the shortcomings of neurosurgery in treating chronic back pain).

Pub Date: March 29, 1985

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1985

Categories: NONFICTION