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With 80 percent of the world’s population suffering from back pain at some point, Jeffrey Katz, MD, MSc, certainly has a wide audience for his new book, “Help! My Back’s Killing Me!”
Katz, associate professor of Medicine (Rheumatology) and Orthopedic Surgery, contends that movement and exercise, not rest, are the best ways to alleviate or relieve pain. “The best evidence available today suggests that patients with back pain should remain as active as possible,” Katz said.
Over the last 20 years, back pain has become one of the best studied areas of medicine, Katz said. “We now know the answers to some basic questions on how to treat back pain, and the best advice for acute pain is to try to remain active.”
For those with chronic back pain, Katz recommends focusing on improving the level of activity and function.
In his book, Katz details the latest research and proven techniques for preventing back pain from occurring or recurring. He explains the anatomy of the neck, spine and back, decodes why the back hurts, classifies pain by duration and location, provides guidance on choosing doctors and details the benefits of nonsurgical treatments and certain pain medicines.
“Although back pain can be a difficult syndrome to treat, much can be done to improve the quality of life of patients with chronic pain,” Katz said. “My hope is that patients don’t let their pain imprison them.”