Younger Next Year Back Book: The Whole-Body Plan to Conquer Back Pain Forever

257 Pages·2018·2.84 MB·English

by  Chris Crowley

Younger
THE
Next
Year
®
Back Book
The Whole-Body Plan to Conquer
Back Pain Forever
Chris Crowley &
Jeremy James,DC, CSCS
WORKMAN PUBLISHING • NEW YORK
Copyright © 2018 by Christopher Crowley and Jeremy James
Illustrations © 2018 by Andrea Charest and Karina Metcalf
YOUNGER NEXT YEAR is a registered trademark of Christopher Crowley and
Henry S. Lodge
Design by Galen Smith
Additional illustrations by James Williamson
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced—mechanically,
electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying—without written
permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas
Allen & Son Limited.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
Paperback ISBN 978-1-5235-0447-3
Hardcover ISBN 978-1-5235-0296-7
Workman books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for
premiums and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising or educational use.
Special editions or book excerpts can also be created to specification. For details,
contact the Special Sales Director at the address below, or send an email to
[email protected].
Workman Publishing Co., Inc.
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014
workman.com
youngernextyear.com
WORKMAN is a registered trademark of Workman Publishing Co., Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
First printing August 2018
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The program of exercise in The Younger Next Year Back Book is safe and
scientifically structured. Nevertheless, consult your doctor before beginning this
or any exercise program—particularly if you have ever had a heart attack or been
diagnosed with cardiovascular or coronary heart disease; have frequent chest pains
or often feel faint or dizzy upon physical exertion; have high blood pressure or high
cholesterol levels, diabetes, or liver or kidney disease; are female and more than
three months pregnant or less than three months postpartum; or are under eighteen
years of age. In addition, ask your doctor’s advice if you have muscle, joint, or bone
problems that might be aggravated by exercise. And for Pete’s sake, if you don’t feel
well or if something hurts, stop.
To “YNY Nation,” the many thousands of you who have
read the books and sent wonderfully kind notes and blogs and
had me come to speak. Knowing that I’m writing for you
makes the hard work easy. Hope this one helps.
—C. C.
For Michelle. A better partner, friend, and wife
than I ever thought possible.
And for Noah. Your first two months with us
have been the most joyous of my life.
I love you both.
—J. J.

Contents
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................1
Chapter 1: The Promise ....................................................5
Chapter 2: Jeremy’s Story ..............................................15
Chapter 3: A Walk Down Your Spine .............................22
Chapter 4: The Spectrum of Pain:
Four Patients ................................................................47
Chapter 5: Rule #1: Stop Doing Dumb Stuff. ...............63
Chapter 6: Geologic Forces ............................................72
Chapter 7: Rule #2: Be Still So You Can Heal
(The Neutral Spine) ......................................................80
Chapter 8: The Insurance Game ....................................87
Chapter 9: Rule #3: Brace Yourself ..............................90
Chapter 10: Rule #4: Commit to Your Core .................98
Chapter 11: Stress and Back Pain ............................... 1 33
Chapter 12: Develop a Habit: Do It Forever, or
You’re Cooked ..............................................................142
Chapter 13: Rule #5: Use the Power in Your
Posterior. ......................................................................147
Chapter 14: Trigger Points: Muscle Pain and
Back Pain .....................................................................166
Chapter 15: Rule #6: Crawl Before You Walk,
Walk Before You Run .................................................177
Chapter 16: Rule #7: Stand Tall for the Long Haul ....190
Chapter 17: Mobility Where It Matters ......................205
Chapter 18: Special Conditions .....................................213
Chapter 19: Congratulations! And One Last
Assignment ..................................................................226
Chapter 20: The Sacrum and Coccyx ..........................238
JEREMY’S RULES .............................................................241
APPENDIX ........................................................................242
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. .....................................................245
ABOUT THE AUTHORS ......................................................246
INDEX ...............................................................................247
Introduction
When Chris Crowley first walked into my office eight
years ago seeking my professional advice for his nag-
ging hip, little did I know that we would soon embark
on a friendship and working relationship that would have such an
impact on so many people. Having spent the last three decades
of my career in the health and fitness industry, I had heard about
Chris, the renowned author of the New York Times bestselling
Younger Next Year (YNY) books. After working with him for
several months it was a humbling surprise when he asked me to
contribute to the Younger Next Year sequels including Thinner
This Year and Younger Next Year: The Exercise Program. Now
with over 2 million copies of the YNY series in print worldwide,
I am still awed by the many testimonials we receive from those
whose lives have been positively changed by these books. If this
is your first YNY book, you are in for a treat. Chris has a gift
for taking complicated medical concepts and bringing them to
life with a fun, imaginative, and practical touch. Chris performs
his magic once again in the Younger Next Year Back Book.
2 The Younger Next Year Back Book
This time Chris brings on board the brilliance of Jeremy James,
DC, CSCS.
I have had the privilege of working with Jeremy James here
in Aspen for several years. Jeremy is a superb clinician, who,
while he comes from a chiropractic background, does not limit
his treatment approach to a single professional viewpoint. His
primary objective is to provide his patients and clients with the
most resourceful information that will improve their health, and
he is willing to push the boundaries to do so better. Jeremy’s
career is defined by exploring concepts and strategies to help
those who suffer from back pain. I personally know many of
his patients and have heard their grateful responses, and it is
very impressive. They come from all over the country to reclaim
control of their lives, and with his help, the vast majority do pre-
cisely that. Jeremy’s passion led to the protocol that is the basis
of this remarkable book. The book is long overdue. Too many
people’s lives are ruled by chronic back pain.
During my long career as a physical therapist specializing in
sports medicine injuries, I have had the privilege to treat thou-
sands of patients with a variety of musculoskeletal ailments.
Yet the most prevalent and disabling diagnosis is back pain.
For so many patients, back pain has a crippling effect on their
lifestyle, a constant grip on everything they want to do or can
no longer do. Having had to overcome my own back problems
(several herniated discs from decades of ice hockey, beginning
at age six), I can relate to the daily difficulties that these patients
endure. Who would imagine that the spine, with all of its sup-
porting musculature and ligaments, could be so fragile? The
human body is beautifully designed to express movement in all
its forms and fashions, to be free and limitless in space. So what
is it about the spine that makes it so vulnerable?
IntroductIon 3
From a structural and evolutionary perspective, the spine is
more important than any of the other sets of joints in the human
body. It encloses the tubular network of nerves known as the
spinal cord that together with the brain forms the central ner-
vous system. The spinal cord is critical for daily functions, but
keeping it working right is also essential for our very survival.
Injure a knee or shoulder and you can still function. It may be
painful and not ideal, but you can still find a way to go up stairs,
lift things, and complete daily tasks. Do something serious to
your spine or any of its surrounding soft tissue structures and
you’re facing a completely different situation. The whole body
shuts down. Sometimes just getting out of bed is impossible, and
the thought of sitting up and concentrating on daily activities is
overwhelming. No wonder people with back pain get depressed.
Despair, agony, frustration all set in as the ability to move, to
play, and simply to have fun becomes severely impaired. Anyone
who has experienced intense back pain can relate to the urgency
of restoring spine health.
If you’ve tried to solve the mystery of your back pain, you
know it is often a complicated road filled with doubts and ques-
tions. What type of back problem do I have? How do I fix it?
How much time will it take to heal? What type of exercise
should I do? Should I have surgery? Will I ever have a normal
life? In this expanding world of medical treatments and pro-
fessions we have choices. Many of the patients I’ve worked
with have tried just about every treatment and exercise routine
imaginable, yet they still complain of constant pain or frequent
episodes of reoccurrence. They are preoccupied with their back
problems and frustrated and confused as to what to do about
them. If only there were a guide, a means to better understand-
ing what to do to stop this cycle of misery, a master plan with