WHEN YOUR BACK HURTS, YOUR LIFE HURTS
OVERVIEW
Chronic back pain makes going about your daily business very hard. Turning to your doctor doesn't always help.
Back pain sufferers know better than anyone: our healthcare system is broken. Surgeons, physical therapists, and physicians offer conflicting advice. Surgery is costly and often ineffective. Health insurance severely limits treatment options. Out of desperation, doctors prescribe opioids that cycle patients towards dependence. Meanwhile, Americans lead high-stress, sedentary lives that perpetuate back pain.
The good news is that America is shifting towards prevention and more natural healing methods—and spine surgeon Kamshad Raiszadeh, MD is leading the way. He makes a compelling case that for many back pain sufferers, medically supervised therapeutic exercise is much more effective than current treatments.
In Take Back Control, he provides the tools you need to better understand your back condition and to recover. Based on what's worked for thousands of patients in his California-based SpineZone medical fitness clinics, he outlines the science-based principles you can use to get stronger without surgery or meds.
You'll learn:
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Why our fragmented, expensive, and inefficient healthcare system so often fails at treating back pain
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How to ensure you get the right care at the right time, for effective pain relief
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Why strengthening is the #1 secret for long-term back health…and the surprising reasons that so many people fail to do it right
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How even the most debilitated patients can substitute their own body's endorphins for addictive prescription drugs
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Insider tips for developing the positive habits and support you need to succeed
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MEET THE DOCTOR
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Kamshad Raiszadeh, M.D.
Spine Surgeon & Author
After completing undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, Dr. Raiszadeh completed medical school at UC San Francisco, orthopedic surgery residency at UC Davis, and his Pediatric and Adult Spine Fellowship at the Hospital for Joint Diseases/NYU in New York City. He has 20 years of experience with the broad range of spine surgery including minimally invasive surgery, complex spinal disorders such as scoliosis and kyphosis, and cervical spine disorders.
During this 20 years he has noticed a dramatic increase in patients turning to surgery for treatment of neck and low back pain, but many of them not getting their desired long-term result. He therefore became increasingly interested in improvement and standardization of non-operative treatment. By developing the best aspects of non-operative treatment in an atmosphere of empowerment to maximize the body's own healing capacity, he noticed that many fewer patients required surgery, and the ones who underwent surgery had much better long term results.
why you should read this book
PRAISE
“I have known Dr. Raiszadeh well since college. He has undergone some of the best surgical training, and having operated with him personally can attest to his surgical acumen with even very complex cases. What is especially unique is his long-term focus on non-operative treatment and the judicious use of surgery. I personally have seen the strong mind-body connection with spinal disorders.
Also being a strong proponent of meditation and appropriate strengthening/stretching, I am confident that the reader will greatly benefit from Dr. Raiszadeh’s insight and experience.”
Noman Q. Khan, M.D.
Orthopedic Spine Surgeon, Palo Alto Medical Foundation; Board Member, Sutter Foundation
"Knowing what I know now, I wish I had had taken Dr. Raiszadeh's advice and exhausted all options with rehab rather than going through with back surgery. There's too much that can go wrong when you expose your spinal canal to surgery. Rehab may take time, but in the long run it's a much better choice."
Coach, Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association; Six-time NBA Champion
Steve Kerr
“Dr. Raiszadeh brings real meaning to the concept of 'person centered care'. The optimal resolution of complex issues like back pain and function ultimately flows from support and care that empowers the individual to heal. Our challenges of opioid control, and excessive use of imaging and surgical intervention could be tempered with this physician's thoughtful approach."
david sayen
Former CMS Regional Administrator; Regional Administrator, US Department of Health and Human Services, responsible for the Western states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and the Pacific
“We are in the midst of a devastating opioid addiction crisis, an epidemic fueled by our collective societal delusion that our lifestyle choices don’t matter, that there’s a quick surgical or pharmaceutical fix for everything, and that our minds have nothing to do with our physical bodies or overall health. I would have thought that the last person to help light the way out would be a spine surgeon, a specialist who is expert at doing things to people, but not always for people. Which is why Dr. Raiszadeh’s book is so amazing. With a deep humility he uses personal stories drawn from his career and life to show us that we can heal when we focus on the root causes of our suffering, with compassion, patience, and wisdom. A must-read for anyone suffering with or treating chronic pain."
Zubin Damania, MD
Founder of Turntable Health; Internet Celebrity ZDoggMD
"In surgery they say that ‘a chance to cut is a chance to cure.’ For Dr. Raiszadeh, however, the chance to intervene is the moment to step back and offer a holistic set of physical therapy, counseling, and lifestyle services, with surgery only as the last resort. In Take Back Control he offers sensible advice, backed by the scientific literature and examples from his clinical experience, to patients suffering from severe back pain who might be rushing towards a surgical ‘solution’ even though safer and cheaper options are available. Dr. Raiszedeh exhorts the patient to take control of his health through life style changes, supported by medical care only when needed. He exhorts his surgical colleagues to remain humble in the face of the limitations and risks inherent in their skills.”
Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Economics; Director, Berkeley Center for Health Technology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
James Robinson, Phd
"Struggling with back pain or sciatica is tough for anyone, but I didn’t expect to be suffering from it as a retired professional athlete. After my surgery for a large disc herniation at age 42, I was determined to strengthen my back in the best way possible. My initial testing with SpineZone showed a significant weakness of my core muscles compared to the expected norm for my age. However, after completing the program my strength has skyrocketed to the top of the charts and my back feels better than it ever has. I’m so grateful for the SpineZone program. My only regret is not having started it sooner.”
Mark Loretta
Major League Baseball infielder for 14 year