Stuart McGill - which book?

Annuv

Hi,
I am slowly recovering from a herniated disc and sciatica and would like to learn how to speed recovery and prevent this problem from ever occurring again.
I know Stuart McGills books are highly recommended, but I'm not sure which one to purchase. I'm a lay person, not a medical professional, what I would like from the book is steps on what not to do and what to do to recover, and also an exercise regime to prevent reoccurance. Also if I ever do heal enough to go back weight training it would be nice to have information from McGill about correct form, things to avoid etc.

I emailed the man himself and he recommended "Low Back Disorders" for me, but I get the impression from the reviews on amazon.co.uk and from its contents that it may be a bit too heavy going for the lay person (I know I should probably trust McGills opinion! )

Apparantly "Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance" is more practical, but I'm not sure if its suitable for someone with an existing back problem like a bulging disc. Can someone who has read it tell me whether it focuses on preventative measures and correct weight training form or if it would in your opinion be suitable for people with existing injuries too?

http://www.backfitpro.com/books.php

Thanks!

mushykeogh

I think Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance is a great read and will certainly give you food for thought regarding your exercise technique and exercise selection, cant comment on the low book disorders cos i havent read it, but the man himself recomends it, it must have some relevance to you. You could splash out and buy both! Get them second hand on amazon.

you could have a session or two with a decent personal trainer/physio (im sure a few guys on here could help) who could guide you through an appropriate rehab programme, might be better than just buying the books regardless of your training experience.?

golfchiro

"Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance" is a better for the layperson, the other book has a little more focus on the science behind his work. I have a copy of both books, excellent reads.

The exercises he prescribes in his book are very safe for people suffering from a disc herniation as they are done with the spine in a neutral position. Plus he has tested all of them for the forces they place on the spine. I'm a big fan of the nerve flossing exercise which you'll see in the book.

The position that will most aggravate a disc is forward bending with twisting to either side. McGill has found that a disc will herniate to the left if the person does repetitive forward bending with right rotation and right sided disc for forward bend and left rotation.

mushykeogh is right if you can find someone to guide you through the rehab programme it would be a big help, just make sure they are aware of Stuart McGill or have been to one of his seminars.

BJohnson

Just thought I'd throw my 2 cents into this discussion. I've read both of McGill's books front to back several times. His work is pretty central to the way I approach treating low back pain patients. I would definitely recommend Low Back Disorders instead of Ultimate Back Fitness.

Low Back Disorders has a few chapters that are pretty dense in technical jargon, but the rest is pretty readable. Complex issues are discussed but then very well summarised in a small paragraph at the end of each section. Essentially he gives you all of the science and reasoning behind something, and then gives you the very simple "take home point" that you need to know. It's great to know that fast walking helps disc injuries because of the storage and release of elastic energy in the muscles and ligaments around the spine, causing a gentle springing motion that aids the transfer of nutrients in and out of a disc with little blood supply, and it's great to know why many types of slow walking can harm the back... but in the end, he tells you that all you really need to know is that walking fast is good for your back.

Good for you for taking the initiative to educate yourself. Ninety percent of my job is teaching people these basic concepts. It's still worth consulting someone with a thorough knowledge of his work - the devil really is in the details.

cmyk

BJohnson wrote: »

Just thought I'd throw my 2 cents into this discussion. I've read both of McGill's books front to back several times. His work is pretty central to the way I approach treating low back pain patients. I would definitely recommend Low Back Disorders instead of Ultimate Back Fitness.

Low Back Disorders has a few chapters that are pretty dense in technical jargon, but the rest is pretty readable. Complex issues are discussed but then very well summarised in a small paragraph at the end of each section. Essentially he gives you all of the science and reasoning behind something, and then gives you the very simple "take home point" that you need to know. It's great to know that fast walking helps disc injuries because of the storage and release of elastic energy in the muscles and ligaments around the spine, causing a gentle springing motion that aids the transfer of nutrients in and out of a disc with little blood supply, and it's great to know why many types of slow walking can harm the back... but in the end, he tells you that all you really need to know is that walking fast is good for your back.

Good for you for taking the initiative to educate yourself. Ninety percent of my job is teaching people these basic concepts. It's still worth consulting someone with a thorough knowledge of his work - the devil really is in the details.

What exactly are the differences between the two books? Is it just that one is more clinical than the other? I presume there is a good amount of crossover in both?

BJohnson

cmyk wrote: »

What exactly are the differences between the two books? Is it just that one is more clinical than the other? I presume there is a good amount of crossover in both?

Low Back Disorders focuses on low back injuries - how they happen, current research into mechanical low back pain, and evidence-based rehab protocols for getting these injuries better. Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance focuses on sports performance - the majority of exercises wouldn't be suitable for people with low back pain.

There is overlap between the two books, but there are many differences between them as well. Both deal with improving spinal stability, however it's important to realise that the approach needed for proper low back rehab is much different than that needed for high-end sports performance.

cmyk

BJohnson wrote: »

Low Back Disorders focuses on low back injuries - how they happen, current research into mechanical low back pain, and evidence-based rehab protocols for getting these injuries better. Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance focuses on sports performance - the majority of exercises wouldn't be suitable for people with low back pain.

There is overlap between the two books, but there are many differences between them as well. Both deal with improving spinal stability, however it's important to realise that the approach needed for proper low back rehab is much different than that needed for high-end sports performance.

Great stuff, thanks for that, def worth investing in both then by the sounds of it. I've read online articles and listened to interviews, podcasts etc by him but really ought to delve into his book(s).

Annuv

BJohnson wrote: »

Just thought I'd throw my 2 cents into this discussion. I've read both of McGill's books front to back several times. His work is pretty central to the way I approach treating low back pain patients. I would definitely recommend Low Back Disorders instead of Ultimate Back Fitness.

Low Back Disorders has a few chapters that are pretty dense in technical jargon, but the rest is pretty readable. Complex issues are discussed but then very well summarised in a small paragraph at the end of each section. Essentially he gives you all of the science and reasoning behind something, and then gives you the very simple "take home point" that you need to know. It's great to know that fast walking helps disc injuries because of the storage and release of elastic energy in the muscles and ligaments around the spine, causing a gentle springing motion that aids the transfer of nutrients in and out of a disc with little blood supply, and it's great to know why many types of slow walking can harm the back... but in the end, he tells you that all you really need to know is that walking fast is good for your back.

Good for you for taking the initiative to educate yourself. Ninety percent of my job is teaching people these basic concepts. It's still worth consulting someone with a thorough knowledge of his work - the devil really is in the details.

Thanks Brian, I was hoping you'd give your opinion. Thanks for the information