The Tao of Sobriety or Low Back Disorders

The Tao of Sobriety: Helping You to Recover from Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Author: David Gregson

The Tao of Sobriety shows how to apply eastern philosophy to enhance recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. With a few simple mental exercises, readers can learn how to quiet "The Committee," those nasty mental voices that undermine serenity and self-esteem. With leaders of the recovery movement enthusiastically endorsing this uniquely helpful book, The Tao of Sobriety is an invaluable addition to the recovery bookshelf.

Publishers Weekly

Getting and Giving Help In The Tao of Sobriety: Helping You to Recover from Alcohol and Drug Addiction, longtime therapists David Gregson and Jay S. Efran offer a self-help book designed either to work in tandem with 12-step programs or to help addicts get sober without group help. After a brief explanation of Taoism (a Chinese philosophy and religion whose practitioners seek inner peace), the authors present the Tao, a Chinese term meaning "the way," as an ideal vehicle for attaining and maintaining freedom from substance addiction. Replete with anecdotes, exercises (meditations, questions to explore, affirmations) and real-life applications of Taoist precepts (letting go of attachments to guilt and other "self-condemnation" behaviors that lead to substance abuse), this guide uses the firm but gentle approach that is the trademark of many Eastern practices. ( Jan. 18) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

What People Are Saying

Stephanie S. Covington
A clear, accessible, and insightful guide that draws on the profound wisdom of the Eastern world.

Robert F. Forman
This book has more ideas about recovery than you're likely to find in any other ten books. Highly readable, too.

Table of Contents:

	Acknowledgments	xi
	Foreword	1
Chapter 1	Introduction	7
	A Word About Twelve-Step Programs	8
	What Is the Tao?	8
Chapter 2	Alcohol, Drugs, and You	12
Discovery 1	Innocence in Spirit	13
	Aaron's Story	13
	Reality-Altering Substances	16
	More Gain Than Pain	18
	Beyond Alcohol and Drugs	19
Chapter 3	I Think, Therefore I Am	21
	Odd Insights About Us	22
	Who's the Boss?	23
	Journeying Deeper into Being	25
	A Practical Example	27
Discovery 2	Listening to the Internal Conversation	28
	Who Are You?	29
Discovery 3	The Space That Is You	29
	The One and the Other	30
	Higher Math: The One and the Many	31
Discovery 4	Discovering Who You Are	32
	Who's Got the Power?	32
Chapter 4	Managing the Mind	35
Discovery 5	Enhancing the Manager	36
	Biker Stan	36
Discovery 6	Making a Commitment	38
Discovery 7	Mindfulness and Detachment	41
	Practice Makes Perfect	45
Chapter 5	Conversing with Drugs and Alcohol	47
Discovery 8	Reflecting on Chemical Substances and You	48
	A Proof of Innocence	51
Discovery 9	A Heart of Innocence	52
Chapter 6	Attaining Balance	60
Chapter 7	Revitalizing Desire	65
Discovery 10	Identifying Mental Banditos	67
	Ted's Story	70
Chapter 8	Reexamining Transgressions	76
Discovery 11	Transgression Inventory	77
	Laura's Story	78
	The Hopelessness Monster	81
	David's Story	81
	The Possibility of Possibility	83
Discovery 12	Acknowledging Possibility	83
	Possibility and Patience	84
	The Pleasures of Irresponsibility	85
Chapter 9	Thoughts, Feelings, Actions	87
	Knowing More About Your System	88
	Furthering Detachment	91
Chapter 10	Practicing Detachment	95
Discovery 13	An Inch That's Greater Than a Mile	96
	David's Bugs	98
	Good Self-Talk	100
	Hacking a New Path	100
	Jack's Story	101
Discovery 14	Practicing Self-Talk	102
Chapter 11	Strengthening Commitment	104
	The Hoax of Winning	107
	Taking the Good with the Bad	110
Discovery 15	Attack of the Aliens	112
Chapter 12	Life as Theater	115
Chapter 13	Revising the Script	124
	The Power of Commitment	127
Discovery 16	Reflecting on Your Life as a Story	128
Discovery 17	A Replay with the Manager in Charge	130
Discovery 18	Self-Beliefs	133
Chapter 14	Reality and Illusion	135
	The Middle Way Revisited	137
	A Real-Life Video Game	140
Chapter 15	Plenty of Nothing	143
Discovery 19	One Is the Loneliest Number	147
	Bringing It Home	149
Chapter 16	Acceptance: Choosing Life	151
	Defining Acceptance	152
	Inclusion and Exclusion	154
	The Acceptance of Suffering	155
Discovery 20	Expanding Acceptance	158
	Avoiding a Steady State	162
Chapter 17	Retracing the Journey	165
	The Tao of Sobriety in a Nutshell: A Handy Crib Sheet	173
	References	175

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Low Back Disorders: Evidenced-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation

Author: Stuart McGill

Access the latest research and applications to build effective prevention and rehabilitation programs for your patients or clients with Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation, Second Edition. Internationally recognized low back specialist Stuart McGill presents original research to quantify the forces that specific movements and exercises impose on the low back, dispels myths regarding spine stabilization exercises, and suggests prevention approaches and strategies to offset injuries and restore function.

Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation, Second Edition,
presents a clear exposition of back anatomy and biomechanics and demonstrates how to interpret the latest research on low back involvement for clinical applications. The text also contains detailed information on injuries associated with seated work and sport and ergonomic issues related to manual handling of materials. With Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation, Second Edition, you will

• gain valuable information on measured loading of the back during specific activities and apply it to avoid common-but counterproductive-practices in back rehabilitation;
  
• learn how to analyze each patient's or client's unique physical characteristics and lifestyle factors to tailor preventive measures and treatments to individual needs;
  
• learn how to help patients and clients progress through the stages of rehabilitation: corrective exercise, stability or mobility, endurance, and strength; and
  
• acquire the information necessary to design an effective injury-prevention program.

This fully updatedsecond edition expands knowledge of low back disorders and best practices in several areas. Enhanced algorithms guide progressive therapeutic exercise, and specially designed patient assessment provocation tests aid you in determining the cause of back troubles, guide your choices in the best ways to eliminate problems, and improve the development of appropriate activities for functional gain. Whereas the first edition focused on increasing spine stability, the second edition provides new information on dealing with both regional instability or mobility and regional stiffness present in individuals where most of the motion occurs at a single spinal segment.

With an expanded repertoire of pain-free motion exercises and additional information on ways to find and adjust stabilization exercises, Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation, Second Edition, offers you new tools to help your patients and clients achieve pain-free exertion.

The text includes exercises and activities that provide a solid foundation of physical work in preparation for more advanced activities in sports and occupations. Also, the process of transitioning into performance exercise is outlined with an explanation of the critical stages of the performance pyramid, including the design of appropriate corrective exercise, building joint and whole-body stability, enhancing endurance, training true strength, and transitioning to ultimate performance.

Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation, Second Edition,
presents foundational information and corresponding clinical applications in a clear, well-sequenced format. Part I builds your knowledge of lumbar function and injury. Part II demonstrates how to use this knowledge to build evidence-based injury-prevention programs by assessing risks, creating ergonomic interventions, and training personnel. Part III focuses on improving rehabilitation techniques, including specific diagnostic and provocative tests, with specific therapeutic exercises proven to enhance performance and reduce pain through a continuum from corrective exercise to stability and mobility, endurance, strength, and power.

Additionally, the text offers these practical features to guide your learning and inform your practice:

• More than 475 photos, graphs, and charts support the research and the scientific basis for the text's conclusions.
  
• More than 50 tests and exercises with step-by-step instructions help you develop successful programs for your patients and clients.
  
• Special sections highlight how the anatomical, biomechanical, and research results can be applied to clinical situations.
  
• Extensive discussions on individualizing treatment for clients or patients help you improve your assessment skills by learning what questions to ask and what avenues of investigation to pursue with each patient or client.
  
• Reproducible handout sheets for each of the 25 basic rehabilitation exercises, which include photos and blank lines for instructions, enable the creation of instruction sheets tailored to the current needs and progress rates of each patient or client.

Cutting-edge research and evidence-based application strategies from the leading spine specialist in North America make Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation, Second Edition, the authoritative text for study, care, and treatment of the low back. Its unique approach to back care will guide you in developing intervention, rehabilitation, and prevention programs to address the unique needs of each patient or client and develop a strong scientific foundation for your practice.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Chris Hughes, PT, PhD, OCS, CSCS(Slippery Rock University)
Description:This book addresses disorders of the low back and implications for proper ergonomics and corrective rehabilitative exercise. The first edition was published by the same author in 2002.
Purpose:The purpose is to provide readers with evidence-based knowledge in the area of spine biomechanics as it relates to injury prevention and treatment. Considering the prevalence of low back pain among the population and the numerous myths associated with care of the spine, the author has picked a worthy objective. Readers will find that the author in his own unique style has been successful with this second edition.
Audience:The audience for this book is diverse. Students and professionals in the area of ergonomics, biomechanics, kinesiology, and physical medicine can benefit from its content. According to the author, many readers of the first edition were lay persons who desired a better understanding of their own experiences with low back pain. He is an established researcher, consultant, and designer of rehabilitation programs.
Features:Three major sections comprise the book. Section one contains six chapters which discuss frequently asked questions on spine care and detail how the spine functions. Epidemiologic information and clarification of common myths on spinal stability are covered. Section two focuses on injury prevention. Three chapters discuss risk assessment, reducing back injury and explain the latest research on the use of back belts. Section three is entirely devoted to rehabilitation, covering evaluation, design, and implementation ofan exercise program for patients with low back disorders. Exercise progressions are uniquely presented and expanded upon in this second edition and the author provides convenient worksheets that can be copied for clients. Strong features of the book include the concise writing, clear illustrations, credible references, and current of information.
Assessment:Readers of the first edition will want to upgrade to the second edition and first time readers will find it hard to put the book down. It is unlike others on the market and complements the author's other work, Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, 2nd edition (Backfitpro Inc., 2006). This is a fine blend between science and practical application by a credible author. The author is in a unique position to share his own valuable research and clinical experience to advance the treatment of alleviating low back disorders. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs to understand the spine.