Dr James Warson, a neurosurgeon and lifelong horseman, says that over 90 percent of the population seeks help for back pain at one point or another during their lifetime. If you're a horseperson, back pain is of particular concern since everything you do on and around horses demands a supple, strong, healthy back: riding, grooming, tacking up, stacking hay bales, and even pushing a wheelbarrow. This book provides practical information to understand the diagnosis, treatment, and pain management related to a rider's back problems, whatever the cause. Dr Warson breaks down the physics of movement, and explains how combining two separate bodies, human and horse, creates additional sources of potential back strain and injury. Traditional and alternative treatments are discussed, and Dr Warson includes step-by-step instructions for a do-it-yourself physical therapy plan that will not only help those already dealing with back pain, but helps to improve rider flexibility and strength, to prevent the onset of a problem.
This new revised paperback edition also includes a special section on riding after hip and knee replacement surgery.