Talking Back is a practice based layman accessible monograph on chronic back pain by Dr. Rowland G. Hazard. Published 7th May 2021 by Rowman & Littlefield, it's 160 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a well written and engaging book written with people in mind who are living with chronic pain and are struggling to find diagnoses, coping mechanisms, and/or ultimately improve their mobility and quality of life. The information is related in the form of general case studies (mosaics of lots of patients from similar situations) in a group treatment setting, which the author refers to as FRP (Functional Restoration Programs). The "patients" he discusses and their situations are believable and definitely compassionately rendered and relatable.

The book is strong on background and analysis. The author spends quite a lot of time discussing the differences in patient perception of pain, function, and treatment outcomes. He also does a decent job of allowing the reader to think about their own pain and how (and when) it presents and help for beginning the dialogue which needs to happen for patients to begin their own recovery, and even planning for discussing with their practitioner(s) about practical concrete goals and how to begin to realize them.

The book is a good tool for advocacy. After reading it, patients will have some idea of potential new avenues to try, new options for diagnostic tools, and how to bridge the gap between trying to explain one's own case history to (yet another) healthcare professional and get them to really *listen* to what is being explained.

What is not really within the scope of the book is concrete treatment/workout routines or physical exercises to combat pain or helpful coping mechanisms. It is *not* a how-to book. It wouldn't be logical (or medically responsible) to write down "one-size-fits-all" physio exercises and call it a day. What would be helpful and therapeutic for one patient would be potentially catastrophic for another.

I did like that despite being fictionalized, the author included an epilogue with the outcome for each of the patient cases included in the group sessions in the book. Even though they weren't all happy, it gave the book a more realistic feel.

This would be a worthwhile read for patients going through the medical system carousel right now and who aren't feeling heard or helped. It would also be a good choice for friends or family of chronic pain patients who are fulfilling the role of patient advocate.

Four stars. The author has also included a good selection of links and resources for further reading.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I didn't get a whole lot out of this book that I didn't already know. This may actually be more helpful to people who are newer to chronic back pain. It's kind of a generalized conversation with a doctor who is telling you about people from his back pain group. The majority of the information that he gives you are mostly things you can figure out for yourself given time and proper motivation.

The author doesn't really go into any detail about the different physical techniques he was using other than leaving you to infer that there was definitely a treadmill involved and some mindfulness training. It's almost completely left up to the reader to guess the different techniques used for group members to gain flexibility and weight lifting ability. He does say though, different strategies work for different folks. That is very much true. Leaving those areas grey may encourage readers to seek out their own strategies.

I did get some usefulness of this book. For example: if you are picking up this book because you do have chronic back pain this book very much assures you that you are not alone. It gives you some very generalized ideas of what you can do to help yourself deal/resolve with your pain and provides some interesting resources at the end of the book for you to look into yourself. There are also a few pages dedicated to 'forms,' shall we say? Areas to fill out regarding goals and progress. The generalized feeling of this book also helps leave it open for you to decide what exactly it is you are looking to achieve. Is it connection? A physical goal? Just regaining a degree of normalcy? The ability to go back to work? What do you want back that you feel you have lost due to your back pain? Finding something to motivate you can be incredibly...motivating. (Eloquent, I know.)

Conclusion?

At the very least, it's comforting to know that there are other people out there who are suffering with similar issues and you are not in this alone.

At most, I found it to be a motivational booster to continue perusing my goal of reducing my pain enough to be able to resume the physical activities that I used to love (by continuing cycling through different strategies until I find some that work well for me).

Never have a felt so SEEN from a book before. I've struggled with chronic back pain for over 10 years now, with frequent exacerbations. This book offers an alternative option to handling the pain and action steps to improve quality of life. It was very interesting and there are aspects that I will begin to use in my life. For example, he recommend having a "toolkit" for when there is pain and/or exacerbation (pain killers, movement, relaxation, chiropractor visit, etc). I'd recommend for people with chronic back pain- you will realize you are not alone!

#TalkingBack #NetGalley

This book came at such a great period in my life as I am on month three post-spine surgery recovery. I hadn't realized the depth of chronic back pain until my surgery and reading this book. Recovering during a pandemic was decent timing despite the chaos of the world and of surgery, so there's been time to physically heal without pressures of going into work, however there are so many other issues that pop up regarding pain, support, and concerns about life moving forward. Talking Back has helped me realize I'm not alone with chronic pain or back issues and how to communicate what's needed for my own mental and physical health. A great resource to have for sure.