The Good Back Book

Renita Fehrsen-Du Toit is a qualified physiotherapist who holds an honours degree in Advanced Physiotherapy in the direction of Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapy. Her post-graduate courses included muscle balancing, lower limb biomechanics, clinical reasoning and knee and shoulder problems. A part-time lecturer at the University of the Western Cape, she is chairperson of a branch of the South African Physiotherapy Society and also owns a private practice in Cape Town. Her passion is 'to make people aware of their backs and educate them about how to look after their spines in daily activity'. She feels very strongly that therapists should train people to prevent back problems and use their muscles correctly to stabilize the spine.

Introduction 8 Chapter 1 BACK PAIN 10 Back pain as a widespread complaint How do back problems affect people/circumstances/etc. Chapter 2 ANATOMY OF THE SPINE 20 Anatomy of the spine Understanding the structures in your back Vertebral column, facet joints, intervertebral discs, muscles, ligaments (Includes illustrations of all components and explanation of how they function) Chapter 3 SPINAL MOBILITY AND STABILITY 32 Mobility and stability function of the spine Exercises to improve mobility and stability Chapter 4 ANALYZING POSTURES 48 Common types of posture Illustrations of alignment with explanations DPS chart depicting/explaining structures/areas affected by different postures Exercises to improve/help combat effects of different postures Chapter 5 ACHIEVING GOOD POSTURE 70 Correct posture for wide range of activities (working at a computer, in the kitchen, ironing, sweeping, lifting objects, carrying children, etc.) Pics with explanations Chapter 6 DIAGNOSIS AND PREVENTION 88 Back problems, eg. disc prolapse (slipped disc), disc prolapse with nerve root compression, degenerative disc problems, facet joint sprain, spondilolisthesis. Case study, plus causes, symptoms, prevention, anatomy (ill of what actually happens to the structure concerned), management. Chapter 7 THERAPIES AND PRACTITIONERS 100 Therapies and practitioners that focus on the back - Chiropractor, Osteopath, Physiotherapist, Rolfing and Structural Integration, Hellerwork, Feldenkrais Method, Alexander Technique, Pilates, Yoga, Swedish and Thai Massage. *Endmatter includes Q&A section and useful contacts