This is one of the books in "Back Pain" that any spine care specialist should read. I personally feel fortunate to have done it. Six years ago, after finishing reading it( the 3rd edition, 1992), I was basically converted from a GYII physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Resident with little interest in taking care patients with low back pain, because of the lack of knowledge and skill, to someone who started considering a career as spine care specialist. Now, I am a fellowship trained spine interventional specialist, board certified by the American Board of Phyiscial Medicine & Rehabilitation as well as by the American Board of Pain Medicine, practicing interventional pain management and spine care at the Physicians' Pain Specialists of Alabama, Mobile, Alabama. I am very thankful for this book because it helped me in moving the most important step towards becoming a spine care specialist. The authors did a superb job integrating things such as history, physical exam, spine mechanics, spine impages (X-ray, MRI, CT) together with clinical correlates. It is such an rewarding experience after reading this book to realize that I have achieved the ability to coorelate the spine image findings in X-ray, MR or CT with its spinal anatomical structures and then infer them to their specific clinical presentations. Most of the Chapters were well written, especially those on" Pathology & Pathogenesis of Low Back Pain", "The Site & Nature of the Lesion", "Lumbar Spine Imaging", "Differential Diagnosis of Low Back Pain", "The Three Phases & Three Joints" were extremely well written and informative. It has more lumbar spine images than any other spine care books that I have come across.

It was with great enthsusiasm and excitement that I bought the 4th Edition(1999), hoping for new thoughts and updates, especially in "Diagnositc & Therapeutic Techniques " as the previous edition was 7 years earlier. However, to my surprise, I found little change in this Chapter. I was also a little disappointed by the inferior paper quality of the 4th Edition in comparison to the 3rd Edition. Even though a few more recent referrences were added to the 4th Edition, the core contents of the two editions are about the same. Therefore, my advice to readers is: One is enough, whether it is 3rd or 4th Edition. You need at least one.

This is one of the books in "Back Pain" that any spine care specialist should read. I personally feel fortunate to have done it. Six years ago, after finishing reading it( the 3rd edition, 1992), I was basically converted from a GYII physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Resident with little interest in taking care patients with low back pain, because of the lack of knowledge and skill, to someone who started considering a career as spine care specialist. Now, I am a fellowship trained spine interventional specialist, board certified by the American Board of Phyiscial Medicine & Rehabilitation as well as by the American Board of Pain Medicine, practicing interventional pain management and spine care at the Physicians' Pain Specialists of Alabama, Mobile, Alabama. I am very thankful for this book because it helped me in moving the most important step towards becoming a spine care specialist. The authors did a superb job integrating things such as history, physical exam, spine mechanics, spine impages (X-ray, MRI, CT) together with clinical correlates. It is such an rewarding experience after reading this book to realize that I have achieved the ability to coorelate the spine image findings in X-ray, MR or CT with its spinal anatomical structures and then infer them to their specific clinical presentations. Most of the Chapters were well written, especially those on" Pathology & Pathogenesis of Low Back Pain", "The Site & Nature of the Lesion", "Lumbar Spine Imaging", "Differential Diagnosis of Low Back Pain", "The Three Phases & Three Joints" were extremely well written and informative. It has more lumbar spine images than any other spine care books that I have come across.

It was with great enthsusiasm and excitement that I bought the 4th Edition(1999), hoping for new thoughts and updates, especially in "Diagnositc & Therapeutic Techniques " as the previous edition was 7 years earlier. However, to my surprise, I found little change in this Chapter. I was also a little disappointed by the inferior paper quality of the 4th Edition in comparison to the 3rd Edition. Even though a few more recent referrences were added to the 4th Edition, the core contents of the two editions are about the same. Therefore, my advice to readers is: One is enough, whether it is 3rd or 4th Edition. You need at least one.

This book has become one of the foremost referenced text for healthcare professionals on the causes of low back pain. It helps the reader to understand "Structural Findings" on x-rays/MRIs and to correlate those with "Functional Findings" of restricted flexibility and soft tissue pain.

This book is widely accepted by Doctors of Chiropractic and other physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists.

This is a MUST to have on the Bookshelf of any healthcare professional who routinely deals with the management of lower back pain.