Back Pain Decoded

Want to learn about the different types of low back pain? Want to understand what physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathy, acupuncture, injections, surgery and many other investigations and treatments have to offer, as well as what their limitations are? Want the inside info on back pain, including what the doctors don't tell you, such as why not all MRI scans are the same, why not all facet joint injections are the same, and the truth about the epidemic of failed reporting of MRI scans?

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

What Experts Are Saying About This Book

"It was said by one of my tutors that 'diseases take no notice of man made fields of expertise'. This wisdom is no more so pertinent than in the case of spinal pathology. Understanding the nature of the spine and the problems it can generate takes a multidisciplinary approach involving specialists from many fields, including surgeons, physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, radiologists and pain management specialists. This reflects the complexity of spinal pathology and sometimes conveying that information and the inherent uncertainties to patients can be challenging.

It is for that very reason, I was so very impressed by his book. It is both comprehensive by covering all aspects of spinal pathology but also extremely readable in language that seeks to convey information equally to both healthcare specialists and patients. I think it is an invaluable guide for people within healthcare seeking to broaden their understanding of the spine but also for any patients who may be suffering from their spine trying to evaluate the treatment options available to them.

Having spent the last twenty years practising in Spinal Surgery, trying to assimilate knowledge from all my corners to improve my understanding of the spine, I welcome this book for the invaluable help it gives. How helpful it would have been at the start of my career as an 'expert' to have been able to read and refer to it."

Mr Bob Chatterjee MBBS MRCS MSc (Distinction) FRCS (Tr&Orth), Consultant Spinal Surgeon to The Royal Free Hospital, London; Chief of Spinal Surgery at the Hospital of St John's & St Elizabeth's, London; President of Orthopaedics at The Royal Society of Medicine, London; Consultant Editor 'Spinal Surgery News'

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.

What Others Say About the Author

"I went to multiple doctors, had multiple blood tests, scans, specialists etc. The NHS were just passing me around and no one could find the solution. I was put on anti inflammatories for 2 months and nothing worked. I was only 26/27 years old while this was happening... Robert suggested a particular type of lumbar spine MRI (which hadn't been done by my doctors). This showed the problem. I followed his treatment and advice for 6-7 sessions. Having suffered for 18 months I managed a 3 hour hike a week or 2 after his treatment. 2 months after his treatment I'm travelling central America, carrying 70L on my back, sitting on buses (which used to be excruciating), being active and feeling great. I'm literally a new person... After 1.5 years of pain it's incredible. I could not rate Robert high enough!"

Sarah P

"It is a honour and a privilege to know and work with Robert Shanks. I have known him for several years and what has always struck me about him is the thought process that goes into the treatment of his patients. His understanding of spinal pathology is not limited to his own training and he has actively sought to broaden his understanding from other fields of practice and that marks him out as an outstanding clinician."