This text for back-pain sufferers charts an easy-to-understand model for the way the human spine breaks down, starting off with commonplace totally reversible conditions (which 90% of us have) and progressing to more difficult ones. The author reveals that most back pain starts from a simple linkage problem between two spinal segments - something so benign that it is often overlooked. Because of the structure of the spine and the way we live our lives, the spine gradually gets worse, passing through five progressive stages of breakdown. This book describes how each stage manifests itself, and sets out a logical course of treatment. It explains all the exercises; how to carry them out; and the common pitfalls of each one. It explains when you need medication and when you need to rest in bed. It is intended to lead you by the hand out of your back problem and to help you do the fixing yourself.