Tag: Self help

Book review: ‘Ending Back Pain’ by Jack Stern, M.D., Ph.D.

endingbackpain
‘Ending Back Pain’ by Jack Stern, M.D. Ph.D. offers readers a variety of treatment options to ease back pain. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Jack Stern, M.D., Ph.D. is a board-certified surgeon specializing in spine neurosurgery. He is the co-founder of Spine Options, New York’s first and only facility committed to non-surgical care of back and neck pain. Dr. Stern has been on the front lines of back pain treatment and research for more than four decades, during which he has helped more than ten thousand patients find relief. In his book “Ending Back Pain: 5 Powerful Steps to Diagnose, Understand, and Treat Your Ailing Back,” he shares a multidisciplinary, holistic perspective that has been missing from conventional back pain treatment and has already helped thousands of patients suffering from back pain.

“Ending Back Pain” begins with a Preface where Dr. Stern shares his experience with back pain. After a well-meaning birthday gift from his wife-a massage, goes horribly wrong, he was able to self-diagnose and, thanks to proper access to medical care, get the necessary treatment to get relief. He realized that most people are not so lucky. This experience deepened his understanding of what his patients go through and made him a more empathetic doctor. His goal in writing this book is “to equip every back pain sufferer with the information and power to get to the bottom of his or her own problem.” It is a step-by-step companion to enable people to finally achieve a pain-free lifestyle.

The book is divided into five steps: Step 1: Unlock Your Back’s Unique Pain Code, Step 2: Prepare to Work with Health Care Professionals, Step 3: Ensure Proper Diagnosis, Step 4: Embrace Various Pathways to Healing: A Physical and Emotional Journey and Step 5: Live a Life That Supports a Strong, Healthy Back. He begins step 1 with a checklist to help readers pinpoint exactly where the pain is located. Part of this has to do with the six Pain Generators: muscles, soft tissue, bones, discs, facets and neural foramina. This information is meant to create better educated patients who are active participants in the treatment of his or her medical issues to receive the best care possible. At the end, he provides a section of recommended reading and online resources for anyone who wants more information on the subject.

Not only is the author a doctor, but he also understands how debilitating back pain can be and how frustrating it can be to seek treatment. That is what gives “Ending Back Pain” an authentic voice. This extremely useful guide contains basic anatomy lessons that often read like a textbook. The purpose is to help readers understand the origin of their pain. He achieves this without using complicated medical jargon, but easy to understand terminology. Highlights include Step 3 where Dr. Stern explains the inner workings of a doctor’s mind and the different types of pain to help patients ensure a proper diagnosis; and Step 4 which includes other medical options such as physical therapy, acupuncture and yoga/Pilates. Step 5 is especially informative on how posture, sleep, positive thinking and a healthy diet can help treat and in some cases prevent back pain. “Ending Back Pain” is recommended for readers who want to be informed patients regarding pain with the understanding that in the long run, informed patients get better care.

“Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States-only headaches are more common….And some 95 percent will recover from back pain without invasive or risky treatments.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Book review: ‘The Beauty of Dirty Skin’ by Whitney Bowe, M.D.

dirtyskinWhitney Bowe, M.D. is a renowned New York-based dermatologist committed to achieving and maintaining the health and radiance of her patient’s skin. She specializes in skin rejuvenation, laser dermatology and the link between nutrition and skincare. Her work has earned the attention of top media outlets, including Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show and The Doctors as well as publications like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. In her book “The Beauty of Skin: The Surprising Science of Looking and Feeling Radiant from the Inside Out,” she presents the connection between a healthy gut and radiant, clear skin, with a 21-day program to maximize skin health and beauty.

According to “The Beauty of Skin,” every year, millions of Americans will consult their doctors about skin disorders ranging from stubborn acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema and premature wrinkling only to receive treatments that are only skin deep. As a pioneering researcher on the cutting edge of the relationship between the gut, brain and skin, she explains how even the best lasers, scalpels, creams and prescription pads do not guarantee consistently healthy, glowing skin. She focuses on the microbiome and highlights the connection between sleep, stress, diet and gastrointestinal health as they pertain to skin health. The book is divided into three parts: A Gut Reaction to Radiant Skin – how getting clear, glowing skin is an inside job, from the state of mind to how the gut works and how food affects the skin; Glow with Your Gut – includes practical tools that will transform the skin; and Putting It All Together – a plan of action for superior skin care and recipes for meals and cleansing face masks.

After a health scare when she was ten years old, Dr. Whitney Bowe spent years researching the microbiome, the friendly microorganisms that support the gut-brain-skin relationship, which is the soul of radiant skin. She goes into the science of microorganisms in Part One where she writes about how bacteria, fungi and viruses play a role in everything from the efficiency of the metabolism to the risk of diabetes, obesity, depression, autoimmune disorders and dementia. Some of the science can get longwinded but the material is easy to understand and readers can easily skip ahead to the tips and lifestyle advice.

Her medical advice may go against the establishment but it has helped her patients and now she is sharing it with readers. Highlights include Chapter 6: Feed Your Face, dietary recommendations for better skin health and Chapter 7: Take Time to Recover, the power of exercise, meditation and sleep. It all comes down to this: why spend millions on creams and skin treatments in the search for perfect skin, when the answer could be as simple as a few dietary changes and exercising the mind, body and spirit. “‘The Beauty of Dirty Skin” is recommended for readers who are struggling with skin issues and are ready to try something different.

“…what’s going on in your gut right at this moment is determining not only how your brain performs and responds to signals from the body about its current state and needs but also what your skin thinks and how it performs.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.