Whether you have back pain or not, this book is written by two Doctors that know their stuff. Not only it is it one of the most simply written but it also goes into medical detail that would cost you lots. It is presented in a very logical way and easy to follow while getting to the very heart of possible back pain and the exact way to treat it. Even if you are, for some reason, anti-Yoga, this book shows stretches that are directly related to having a healthy and strong back. I would add to the title that the book can also prevent back problems, and this can be as IMPORTANT as ever. PREVENTION as opposed to treating is a blessing and if you have that situation, read this book. Amazingly simple for those unfamiliar to Yoga. Again, A GREAT READ

An excellent book, neatly divided into two parts, the first part describing succinctly yoga and back pain and the second part suggesting poses for nine different diagnoses. Having suffered severe crippling leg pains that my general practioner finally diagnosed as relating to my back, I sought relief. Relief in the Stretch opened up a whole new world for me. It suggested Iyengar yoga, a form of yoga that focuses on the accuracy of poses. I started seeing an Iyengar yoga teacher and concurrently reading and rereading this book. I learn that yoga is the right thing for chronic pain. It does indeed "increase flexibility, strengthening muscles and bones, increasing range of motion, sharpening focus, heightening self-awareness, and producing calm." There are numerous helpful medical tidbits, such as when one muscles flexes another muscle relaxes: "every time the biceps contracts . . . its opposite, the triceps . . . must relax." When I tighten my abdominal muscles I relax the muscles in my back, the muscles that are partly the cause of my pain. I learned that a patient has symptoms, i.e. sharp pains in my leg in my case, but that the doctor needs signs to diagnose the cause, i.e. the films from an MRI. Nine different types of back pain are discussed (including Herniated Discs, Arthritis, Sacroliac Joint Derangement, Pirformis Syndrome and Weight Control) with yoga poses for each. Everytime I reread a chapter I discover something new. If you have back problems, this is not just a book to buy, read and shelve in your library. Rather it is also a book that will be a continuing source of information as you work at obtaining long-term relief through yoga.