Back Pain Decoded

About the Book

Back Pain Decoded is a plain-English guide for anyone suffering with back pain, written by Robert Shanks, osteopath, clinical director of Spine Plus and one of the UK's most experienced disc injury specialists.

With over 25 years of clinical experience treating thousands of patients with back pain, Robert has seen first-hand how confusing and frustrating the journey to recovery can be. Patients are often given contradictory advice, undergo treatment that doesn't address the real problem, and are left without a clear understanding of their diagnosis.

Back Pain Decoded cuts through the confusion. It explains:

• Why back pain is so common, and so commonly mismanaged
• The different types of back pain and how to identify yours
• Disc injuries, herniations, bulges and sciatica explained in plain English
• What MRI scans show, and what they don't
• The treatment options available and what the evidence says
• Why some patients plateau with standard care, and what to do about it
• IDD Therapy, shockwave, TECAR and other specialist options
• Self-management strategies between appointments
• When to consider surgery, and how to make an informed decision

Who Is This Book For?

Back Pain Decoded is written for patients, not clinicians. If you've been suffering with back pain, been told you have a disc problem, been through physiotherapy without lasting results, or simply want to understand your own body better before your next appointment, this is the book for you.

It's also a useful read for anyone accompanying a loved one through the back pain journey, and for students and newly qualified clinicians who want to understand the real-world clinical picture from an experienced practitioner's perspective.

About the Author

Robert Shanks has been an osteopath since 2000 and is the founder and clinical director of Spine Plus Clinics. He is a Medical Acupuncturist, APPI Clinical Pilates Instructor, UK Shockwave Therapist, MRI Spinal Analysis lecturer and co-founder of GO2imaging.com.

In 2011, Robert established the first IDD Therapy clinic in Essex, the third in the UK, and has since treated hundreds of patients with complex disc injuries, spinal stenosis and sciatica who had previously been told surgery was their only option.