7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life: How to Rapidly Relieve Back and Neck Pain

by Robin McKenzie, Craig Kubey

The phenomenon known as the McKenzie Method has helped millions of people with chronic back and neck pain. In 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life , its founder, world-renowned physical therapist Robin McKenzie, shares the innovative program that can save you from a life of pain. 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life combines and enhances McKenzie's back and neck books that have sold more than 5.5 million copies worldwide.

The 7 essential steps that make up the McKenzie Method have become the keystone for back and neck care in 35 countries, including the United States. In this easy-to-follow, fully illustrated book, you'll read about:

* Common causes of lower-back and neck pain
* The vital role discs play in back and neck health
* Easy exercises that alleviate pain immediately
* How to stay out of pain

Complete with more than 150 photos and illustrations, and considered the treatment of choice by health care professionals throughout the world, 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life will help you get out of pain-and stay out of pain. It is an invaluable tool for better health.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Science, Bodies, Physical Therapy

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

About the author

During his lifetime, his contributions to the understanding and treatment of spinal problems met with worldwide recognition. In addition, he received numerous awards from the medical and scientific communities from various countries. The validity of the theories he proposed are now supported with scientific evidence and the effectiveness of his treatments have been scientifically validated.

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[karen]

heres hoping...

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a herniated disc in the lower part of my spine and I recently suffered from a bout of lower back pain followed by intense sciatica running down my left leg. After about seven weeks of rest, medications and most of all, physical therapy, I was able to resume normal activity. I have been pain free for a several weeks now.

My doctor recommended that I read Treat Your Own Back, but I found this book at my library instead. Before I read it, my physical therapist gave me a copy of Treat Your Own Back 9th Edition, so I read that one first.

I discovered that the two books are pretty much the same. This book combines Treat Your Own Back and Treat Your Own Neck in one book. It gave me a reminder of the proper posture and exercises to help my back, but I also learned more about neck pain and the cervical lordosis, which could come in handy should I ever have a problem with my neck. I think I will show the book to my mother-in-law, who has both back and neck problems.

Overall, I found this book to be very helpful. My physical therapy regimen followed Mr. McKenzie's exercises very well, adding other stretches and exercises to build up my core strength. After just a few sessions of physical therapy, I was feeling much stronger and able to find relief from the pain. Now that I'm finished with physical therapy, this book has all the pictures and guidance I need (cross my fingers) to continue doing the stretches and exercises I need to do to remain pain free. A microdiscectomy may still be in my future, but I'm tying to hold off as long as I can.

This is a quick read - I read it in bits over the course of a day. I refer to the different exercises throughout the day, especially right now that I'm traveling and I'm concerned about a relapse. I found the book to be simply laid out and concise, but it still pretty much covers all my questions and concerns. I enjoyed reading this book; it was a very good refresher for the back exercises and I learned a lot about neck issues as well.

[Gary O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains good, useful information. It is helping me with neck & back pain. It is not well written, though. Rather boring & repetitious. A lot of extra words which appear to have been written in simply to increase the word count. If the author removes all the repetition and useless additional words this book could be cut down to one third the length it is without losing anything useful.

It is still worth reading just to extract the useful information. It just requires a little willpower. I almost gave up at least three times, I'm glad I didn't.

I recommend this book to everyone, whether you have back or neck pain or not. It is useful as a preventative as well as treatment of existing pain.

Update on May 14, 2012:

I have whiplash from a car accident that happened in 1979. I have been going to chiropractors since 1984, when I got tired of the regular doctors telling me I was repeatedly straining the neck muscles. The longest I ever went without a chiropractic visit was 9 months, I attribute that to the chiropractor I was seeing at the time.

After reading this book and doing the neck exercises sporadically (whenever I have neck pain or remember to do them), instead of regularly like the book says, I have not visited a chiropractor for six months. I attribute this to the exercises learned in this book, which are similar to the exercises my first chiropractor had me doing (which I had stopped).

From experience I recommend doing the exercises at least once a day.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening. As a chronic back and neck pain sufferer i plan to put these exercises into practice pronto.

[Danny M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was involved in a major car accident about 10 years ago and was told that in time I would eventfully need a back operation. As of this review I have been laid up for about 7 months, being only able to walk about 2 blocks before having to sit down. The pain in my back and right leg is 24/7. Pain medication and a Chiropractor did not help or reduce the pain. I have seen my personal doctor and a different chiropractor with no relief. About a week ago I was at the local gym having trouble bending down to put on my shoes. A gym member, who is a doctor, mentioned I should read this book and follow the advice of the author. I was willing to try anything, and when I first did 3 of the seven exercises the pain disappeared. I mean completely gone. The next day the pain was back, but not as intense. The author said this would happen, but after 2 weeks of doing the exercises the pain should completely go away. Each day I perform the exercises the pain diminishes. The exercises are very easy to do and is completely described by the author. The complete program takes about 5 minutes each time, and should be performed every 2 hours while in pain. Anybody can do this program. Although the writing by the author was very redundant, the exercises really work and are very easy to do. Each day I do the exercises the pain continues to subside. An added benefit is the author explains changes you should make in your posture, sitting, bending and lifting, that will prevent the pain from coming back. The changes are very easy to make and you will feel an immediate improvement. It is really amazing that such small changes can make such a dramatic difference in your daily life. Get this book and give the program a try. You will not be disappointed. This is life changing!

[Hilary Baumann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pamphlet turned into a book

This may be a decent book to start with and I’m not saying some people won’t benefit from this book but it’s repetitive to fill space and is not going to fix certain back or neck problems. The exercises are really basic, mostly stretching which, yes, will really help the average American. That is the ONLY reason I gave it three stars.

The vital info could be covered in about 24 pages instead of about 240. But who would buy it if it’s not longer? SO glad I checked it out from the library.

Good for basics and if you’re just starting to take control of your own health but I was hoping for something more in depth than this though. With more info on the mechanics of the spine.

[Susannduncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have back and/or neck issues, this is the book for you! I had 16 months of pain day and night in my back and 4 months of whip lash pain after a car accident. After doing the stretches for just 3 days the pain went away!!!

[Jeffrey Covey · Rating 3 out of 5]

After developing arthritis in my neck last Summer and spending a few months doing the exercises I was shown in physical therapy with only slight improvements, I started casting around for other options early this year. Robin McKenzie's books consistently landed at the top of my searches, so I ordered a copy of "7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life" and dug into it while my father was away for two weeks and I was able to stay out of the car and devote myself to recuperating.

It's an odd Frankenbook, apparently just his two earlier books, "Treat Your Own Back" and "Treat Your Own Neck", sown together with a bit of material padded around them. The first parts of the two sections are quite repetitive, so if you've read one, you can skim the other. More distractingly, McKenzie must not have been confident in his own writing abilities, because he hired a writing assistant whose only contribution seems to have been failed (but frequent) attempts to make jokes.

If you can read past the format and style, I think the content makes it worth the effort. Luckily, the important sections describing the exercises themselves are clear and concise, with plenty of illustrative photographs. A great deal of what he says makes sense, especially for someone like me who has problems related to hunching forward for too many years and needs to work on extending backwards. After discussing common causes of back and neck pain and methods for counteracting the damage done, he offers seven exercises for the back and seven for the neck, with specific instructions for people with special conditions and advice on how to adapt the exercises as needed and react to problems which may arise in the course of doing them. Some require lying down, but most can be done anywhere, allowing small tune-ups whenever you feel warning signs over the course of the day.

So, the $19.95 question: Did it help?

Anyone who's seen me recently knows that I haven't experienced the miracle cure which he certainly doesn't promise, but does hold out as a possibility in some cases. My problems are too severe and too long in their formation to disappear overnight. That said, I did feel immediate changes after starting his exercises, and slow improvement ever since.

I've been doing the exercises every two hours for two months now. Would I be in worse shape if I hadn't done them? Without cloning myself as a control group, I can't say for sure, but I do feel confident that they've been and continue to be a great help. Sitting for a long time with my neck unsupported still eventually turns to agony, but it's a far cry from last Summer, when I drove twenty minutes to have dinner with my family and had to turn around and come home before we even ordered our meals. Traveling to Nevada this month was rough, but nothing like the ordeal of going to Oklahoma last Labor Day.

I don't lay it all at McKenzie's feet. Physical therapy got me started, and I've been going for regular massage therapy appointments and following a well-rounded routine of general exercises, including ten pushups every half hour to re-strengthen my shoulders and upper back. I've also greatly reduced the amount of time I spend at the computer each day. While I still don't feel at all well, I've come a long way towards being able to participate in life again, and hope to continue getting back to something like my old self. A morning of running errands no longer leaves me laying on an ice pack for the rest of the day, and the massages which were initially like torture sessions no longer hurt. I can look on the coming months with some cautious optimism, and I think McKenzie has played a large role in it.

As always, talk with your doctor first and exercise mindfully, paying careful attention to what your body is telling you about its current and changing limits, but if you're seeking relief from pain and better mobility, I'd highly recommend giving McKenzie a serious and extended trial.

[James Winner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read. A must do.

I was struck by a bottle to the head while standing upon a twelve foot wall. Broke both bones in my leg, crushed my ankle. Spent three years having operations on foot and leg. Rods and many pins, nuts and bolts. After Three Years on The sofa and in bed, I became mobil only to have debilitating lower back pain and left thigh pain with crippling electric like shocks. Three more years of pain therapy and physical therapy. I borrowed a friend's copy of this book, read and practice this book. Then bought my own. NO PAIN FOR FOUR MONTHS. Fully mobile. Back to my prior 10 year old activities. Signed, A very active former U.S. Marine.

[Megan Sandlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life is very educational for those wanting to know the origins of your back or neck pain. The reason I gave this 3 stars is that te author states that some of the exercises should be done in a certain order. However that directions in the book are rather difficult to follow and it got so complicate with all the steps and procedures. If someone has the diligence to follow the directions, then I am sure it would be a good book for them

[Arlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The exercises in this book are FINALLY giving me relief from the constant migraines I have been having, and the back pain that has been bothering me for years. Recommended to anyone who also has these issues.

[Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, especially if you have not had any physical therapy. If you have had a good physical therapist, these concepts may not seem as important.

[Lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sensible, straight forward and easy to follow and practice. After spending nearly fruitless hours & $ on PT, I've finally landed on self-employed therapy written by a world renown expert.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the “7 steps” part of the title is somewhat misleading, this book is an excellent resource for treating the back and neck pain that is so common in our society today. The McKenzie Method, created by the author, begins with developing an awareness of lordosis, or the natural curve of the spine, particularly in the lower back and neck areas. Maintaining lordosis while sitting, standing, reading, working at the computer, driving, sleeping, etc. is key to being pain-free. The author describes specific ways to do this, using lumbar pillows for sedentary activities and core strength postures while standing. Most interestingly, maintaining lower back lordosis automatically puts the neck into correct lordosis, provided that we’re not looking down at a book or electronic device.

McKenzie gives useful tips for treating pains associated with various activities like sitting, bending over while working, and lifting. His tip for treating pain after working out is most enlightening. Pain, he says, rather than being the result of the activity itself (tennis, competitive sports, weight lifting, etc.), is caused by poor posture afterwards. I tested it out a few times after power walking, Pilates, and weight-lifting, and found his advice spot-on. No more flopping on the couch (without proper support) after workouts!

The most unexpected result of employing the McKenzie method as stated in this book was from the neck exercises. I have had neck pain on the right side for a couple of years, and have been to two (admittedly not-too-competent) physical therapists. They warned me never to do extensions, that is to look up, as part of my stretches. The second of McKenzie’s exercises for the neck employs just that. Extension is also a major part of his back treatment. I proceeded cautiously, following the directions carefully, as the author emphasized must be done. After completing the 5 basic neck exercises, I lay down to sleep. During my pre-sleep settling, part of my neck just adjacent to my skull (or maybe my skull just adjacent to my neck) made a god-awful crunching sound, and the pain that I’d felt to some degree constantly for years was gone. It did not return throughout my physically active workday, nor while I was relaxing at home tonight (with my back supported).

Though my results might not be typical, as the disclaimer goes, I recommend that anyone with back or neck pain study this book and try some of the exercises. The few simple stretches take only a couple of minutes each. There are lots of tips for keeping the spine properly aligned and pain-free during all activities. The book is short and easy to read, and somewhat repetitive to emphasize its few main points. The author also explains carefully how to tell if the pain that you feel should NOT be self-treated by his method, and gives some advice on seeking alternative treatment. My hope is that this book and its simple exercises will benefit others as much as it has benefited me.

[Mizloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

McKenzie technique cured the severe back pain I had been living with intermittently for 50 years. It was demonstrated to me by a Physical Therapist. The book is a quick reminder of the principles and has links to videos showing the exercises.

CAUTION: I would not recommend the book for self-diagnosis and treatment - but it's great as a refresher after you have already learned to do the exercises properly

DO: Go see a McKenzie specialist PT before you agree to surgery. The only thing against PT is your co-pay, but surgery is horribly risky and unlikely to cure you. My family includes experiences with both and surgery hasn't played out well for those who took that path.

[Greta Cribbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative book and the exercises are useful. My only issue is that the only source of back pain that the book addresses is herniated discs and all of the exercises are designed to treat that particular problem. But there are many possible causes of back pain, and the book makes no mention of the different approaches that might be used for stenosis, arthritis, scoliosis, or other issues that people might have. It would have been nice to come away from this book with a more comprehensive understanding of the spine and how to treat the various issues that can cause problems with it.

[Charlotte · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Prescribed” this book by my neurologist when I mentioned severe lower back and hip pain each morning shortly after getting out of bed. I have multiple sclerosis. This book (to quote beetlejuice) reads like stereo instructions. I already do these “exercises” but maybe not to the repetition level as this says. Mostly common sense and not remotely surprising for a healthy fix. Thanks doc....

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Great Book

Really helped my back pain and it was so easy following the different exercises. I must also say by using the neck exercises I have more motion in my neck then I ever had before. I am glad I purchase the book

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the material. Important. But it’s pretty dry, and better summaries of routines would’ve helped. When I need them, I’m going to be hunting through the book to find the right one for my condition.

[Paul Martellock · Rating 5 out of 5]

has controlled my back pain for years… now hopefully will help my neck

Robin McKenzie's treat your own back was recommended by a physician. It saved me from surgery. Now I am hopeful that his neck exercises will keep the doctor away.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read the parts of the book related to my type of pain, and I have to say, I was impressed. It has the very exercises that I had selected from yoga that I know make my pain ease and disappear.

[Obxhall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear instructions. Easy to pick relevant parts to find information of interest to reader.

[James Atherton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have back pain and need to know how to fix it this book does exactly what it says on the cover.

[Lotzastitches · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple exercises to relieve pain.

Now to unlearn bad posture habits and find a way to sit on the furniture at home and at work that doesn't encourage healthy posture.

[Thomas Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book and a LOT of filler. get out a few book marks and you will need about 20 pages..

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Struggled to get through

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful quick relief but I’m not sure I agree with all of the exercises/recommendations. Especially the flexion ones.

[Racha Rachad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helps a lot to understand and manage your everyday challenge with most issues. Doesn't not mean you wouldn't need other help...

[Jonathan Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems legit!
I’m trying out the exercises and they are helping already.

4 stars because it’ll take some time to see if it works well

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! Really helpfully guide for figuring out how to deal with back and neck pain.