Ken Hansraj - Watch Your Back: Nine Proven Strategies to Reduce Your Neck and Back Pain Without Surgery : Nine Proven Strategies to Reduce Your Neck and Back Pain Without Surgery

Ken Hansraj, MD

Sounds True

Boulder, CO 80306

2022 Black Patent LLC

Sounds True is a trademark of Sounds True, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author and publisher.

Published 2022

Book design by Charli Barnes

Illustrations 2022 Gary Crumpler

BK06471

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hansraj, Ken, author.

Title: Watch your back : nine proven strategies to reduce your neck and back pain without surgery / Ken Hansraj, M.D.

Description: Boulder, CO : Sounds True, 2022. | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2022011049 (print) | LCCN 2022011050 (ebook) | ISBN 9781683649564 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781683649571 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Backache--Exercise therapy. | Backache--Physical therapy. | Neck pain--Exercise therapy. | Neck pain--Physical therapy.

Classification: LCC RD771.B217 H358 2022 (print) | LCC RD771.B217 (ebook) | DDC 617.5/6406--dc23/eng/20220329

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022011049

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022011050

This book is dedicated to my wife Marcia and son Jonathan for their endless support.

T his book presents the research, experiences, and ideas of its author. It is not intended to be a substitute for consultation with a professional healthcare provider. Consult with your healthcare provider before starting any program.

The author and publisher specifically disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

The examples, anecdotes, and characters appearing in case vignettes in this book are drawn from the authors clinical work, research, and life experiences. Some are composites, and all names and some identifying characteristics have been changed throughout the book.

M any people will tell you that if you consult a surgeon for medical advice, surgery is the inevitable outcome. Nothing could be further from the truth in my practice. I have been an orthopedic spine surgeon for more than twenty years. I have seen between 35,000 and 40,000 patients with complaints of back and neck pain. In the span of those two decades, I have performed 4,000 surgical procedures for some of my patients to correct their back problems. Thats rightonly 10 percent of the people I have treated have had to undergo surgery.

After years of studying and treating the spine, I am still awed by the brilliance of the spines engineering and architecture. It truly is a tower of power. I have dedicated my life to keeping spines healthy and fully functional. I cannot express how rewarding it is to help my patients solve their back problems and to see how their lives change when the pain goes away.

Witnessing the suffering of my patients motivated me to develop the Watch Your Back program, which has helped to reduce back and neck pain and prevent reoccurrence for thousands of my patients. The comprehensive Watch Your Back program involves nine strategies for promoting spine health. These strategies address the physical, mental, and emotional factors that contribute to back problems. The Watch Your Back program will give you the tools you need to strengthen your back and to make your spine supple. My added focus on the psychological and emotional causes and effects of back pain has helped my patients build the confidence and strength to rise above their back problems.

I have seen how back pain prevents my patients from fully engaging in their lives. Their movement is limited, and restful sleep can be hard to get. The disruptions produced by acute or chronic pain raise their level of stress, which only exacerbates their suffering. Almost without exception, people afflicted with back pain are eageroften desperateto find relief that does not involve prescription painkillers or surgery. My program is designed to do just that.

If you are like most people, you take better care of your car than your spine, which is at the core of your well-being. I know that our culture does not make it easy to take care of your back. You might sit at your desk all day at work, feel the stress of your demanding schedule, eat the highly processed foods that are available everywhere, or have trouble getting a good nights sleep. As you will learn, all of these can lead to back pain. The pace of life today can distract you from watching your back. My hope is to provide you with good choices and the tools to help you boost the health of your spine without disrupting your day-to-day life.

Most people are not aware of spinal health until it is gone. You should be aware of several early warning signs of an unhealthy spine, including:

• Stiffness in your back and neck
• Poor posture
• Not being able to take a satisfying, deep breath without discomfort
• A constant feeling of tension in your muscles or joints
• Your neck or back cracks when you move
• Being unable to twist or turn your head or hips to either side easily or equally
• Experiencing headaches, backaches, tender or sore spots in your joints or muscles
• Your heels wear out unevenly
• Your foot flares out when you walk
• One leg appears shorter than the other
• Poor sleep
• Feeling fatigued and just not right

An unhealthy spine gives subtle warning signs before chronic symptoms appear. Any one of these signs can be symptomatic of spinal imbalance, which may affect your overall health, vitality, and quality of life. If your spine is out of alignment, it can trigger hormonal imbalances, mood changes, lower energy, and an intensified response to stress. If you experience any of the warning signs I have listed, it is time to take action. Your spine is demanding attention. The Watch Your Back program will help you to restore your spine to optimal health.

The Watch Your Back program is meant to protect and stabilize your spine. From spinal strengthening to nutrition, from posture fixes to the power of positivity, the program consists of nine strategies you can use for pain relief and healing. Though I have published many papers in scientific journals and have written and contributed chapters to textbooks, I want to make my Watch Your Back program available to the 31 million Americans who experience back problems at any given time.

The program has worked for thousands of my patients, and I believe it will do the same for you. This book covers everything you need to know to improve the health of your spine and to reduce back pain without medication or surgery. When the program begins to work for you and your spinal health improves, you will want to make my Watch Your Back program a permanent part of your life.

Ken Hansraj, M.D.

I f you are reading this book, I assume that you or someone you love suffers from back problems. You are far from alone. Back pain is one of the most common health complaints in the country, second only to the common cold. I use the term