James Warson - The Riders Pain-Free Back: Overcome Chronic Soreness, Injury, and Aging, and Stay in the Saddle for Years to Come

First published in 2007 by

Trafalgar Square Books

North Pomfret, Vermont 05053

Printed in China

Copyright 2007 James Warson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, by any means, without written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer quoting brief excerpts for a review in a magazine, newspaper, or Web site.

Disclaimer of Liability

The authors and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. While the book is as accurate as the authors can make it, there may be errors, omissions, and inaccuracies.

The authors have made very effort to obtain a release from all persons appearing in the photographs used in this book. In some cases, however, the persons may not have been known and therefore could not be contacted.

WARNING

Equine riding and training can be a hazardous activity that may subject participants to possible serious injury. Dr. James Warson, Ami Hendrickson, Trafalgar Square Books, and their associates will not assume any liability for your activities. This book is not intended to override or supersede information or courses of treatment from your medical doctor. The information in this book is not intended for diagnosis or treatment of disease. This book provides general information, instructions, and techniques that may not be suitable for everyone. No warranty is given regarding the suitability of this information, the instructions, techniques, or results to you or other individuals acting under your directions. If you have a medical emergency, seek help from your physician or from a medical specialist.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Warson, James.

The riders pain-free back : chronic soreness, injury, and aging, and stay in the saddle for years to come / James Warson with Ami Hendrickson.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-57076-371-7

1. BackachePrevention. 2. Back--Care and hygiene. 3. Horsemanship. I. Hendrickson, Ami. II. Title.

RD768.R534 2007

617.564--dc22

2006038707

Jacket design by Heather Mansfield

Book text design by Carrie Fradkin

Photographs by Charles Hilton except pp. 55, 63, 75, 122-3 (by Amber Heintzberger). Illustrations by Heidi Scheing.

X-ray and MRI images courtesy of Poudre Valley Hospital, Ft. Collins, CO.

Typefaces: Tiepoli, Trade Gothic

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

TO MY MOTHER

(Comanche Translation)

Pia, ura siku sokoba?a nua u tuitutua petu.

Unuse ukuna tuhuya?ba nu to?toi.

Unuse nu tuawekunu tuhuye se masuye.

Na hakanai hina suabitai.

Nuse sika tupoo?hai niha masuabitaina.

Suruu nu iyai?puni na tuasu nu tuhuyani.

Urii iyaikatu se nu uruu urii punikatu hina suruu matii suabitaina.

Sumetu se nu kehena puha taibo?a supanaitu nuruka u hanipu.

Unuse nu tuaweku eeka nu suabitai kanu supanaitutsi se nu susumuni atii tuaweku?hutui.

Sube se suruu sika nu suabetai?ha numai supanai?hutui.

Nuse tuhuya?ba ai?mia tsaa nuusukatu nu pihi tsaa nuusukatu u nasukamakatu.

U sua ma saikatu ai?mia tsaa nuusukatu.

Unse u supanaina nu suana tsaa nuusukatu.

Subetu se sua tsaaku sika numu tekawana?a numu hanikatu.

Subetu ma.

(English Translation)

I thank you for bringing me into the world,

and for being the first who put me on a horse.

You told me to learn about horses,

and that learning can come from anywhere and at any time.

I learned the knowledge in this book

from my patients and my horses,

since there was no doctor who could teach it to me.

You once told me that I must pass knowledge such as this on to others.

When I ride I touch your spirit,

and you know that I have done so.

PART ONE
Back Basics: Contributors and Causes of Pain

PART TWO
Back in the Saddle: Achieving, Improving, and Maintaining Back Health

T his book is for people who love horses and love to ride. It doesnt matter whether you have a strong back or a weak one. If you have chronic soreness, an injury, or even if you are currently pain-free, this is for you.

Low back pain is one of the most common and most costly medical problems in industrialized countries. Over 90 percent of the US population seeks help for back pain at one point or another in their lives. Approximately 50 percent of working-age people in the US suffer from acute low back pain every year, and it is estimated that the annual productivity loss from this condition totals between $20 and $50 billion.

Though no back injury is desirable, it can be even more problematic for those who live with horses and love them. Back pain can literally rob you of the enjoyment you get from riding and working with your horses.

My mother, a Comanche, taught me how to ride. Ive ridden all my life. Horses have been an important part of my lifeeven when my schooling and my medical practice occupied most of my time.

The Jeans Test

I spent the first four years of my neurosurgery career in Lexington, Kentucky, surrounded by racehorses and race people. In 1978, I moved my practice to Fort Collins, Colorado, and for the next two decades, I was a practicing neurosurgeon on the front range of Colorado, which has one of the highest densities of pleasure horses in America.

Our Colorado practice had three partners. One was young, very handsome, tall, and blond-hairedhe looked like a movie star. One was a yuppie; the kind that drove a Porsche and was into white wine at room temperature. And then there was me: the son of a Comanche, who loved horses.

When patients came to our office without a particular physician preference, the secretaries would assign them a partner based on what they referred to as the Jeans Test.

The really attractive patients who came in wearing tight jeans got the movie star. People who came in designer jeans went to the yuppie. Those who walked in wearing just plain, dirty, horse-owner jeans were sent to me.

So, here I was, confronted with a lot of patients who rode horseback. These people were very personally involved with their horses. Since they spent a lot of time on horseback, however, they were consistently getting injured or aggravating old injuries.

I realized there was a huge crowd of folks who had back pain, who rode horses, and nobody was providing them with the right information. These patients with back pain would often try doctor after doctor in the hopes of finding someone who was qualified to help alleviate their physical pain, and who would also support their desire to ride again as soon as possible.

A typical scenario involved an avid rider with some sort of back problem. The patient would go in to see her doctorwho had probably not spent 30 minutes on a horse in his whole life.

The doctor would tell his patient, Riding horses is bad for your back. Youll have to quit riding.

Eventually, this acutely depressed and quite despondent patient would show up in my office. I would look over the situation and try to figure out what was best for the patient from a clinical perspective. I would also try to find a solution for getting her back in the saddle.

I treated many ranchers, pleasure riders, professional riders, barrel racers, cutters, and competitive rodeo riders. These people needed to be riding. They wanted