'Back in Action'
by Sarah Key

A Back Pain Manual Fit for a King

'Back In Action' was first published in 1986 and is currently selling in its fifth edition. Its foreword is written by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. See the foreword here . Through the years, patients have described it as a ‘bible’ which sits permanently at their bedside for repeated dipping into and referring back to. [No doubt, this influenced the naming of my later book 'The Back Sufferers' Bible'. It seemed too good to resist!]

Sarah Key's Back in Action Pain Relief Book

BUY Back in Action

'Back in Action' is an easy book to read

In a straightforward question-and-answer format, Back in Action advises on all aspects of back pain and the treatments available.

It aims to explain all the commonly asked queries in simple laymen’s language
It includes clear single-line drawings to illustrate and make understanding this complex subject easier
It is a simpler book than Sarah’s other two and the best choice for people who don’t want to delve into complex anatomy and physiology

'Back in Action' gives advice in broad-ranging areas

What ideal posture is
Whether you need an operation
What constitutes a good chair
Pain management and medication
The uses of bed rest
The role of anxiety
The good and the bad exercises

It responds to all the commonly asked questions:
‘Do I have arthritis’
‘Why does it hurt to sit?’
‘Have I slipped a disc?’
‘Should I wear a lumbar corset?’
‘What is spinal mobilisation?'
'What is manipulation?’

The Foreword to Back in Action
by HRH the Prince of Wales

Book Foreword by HRH Prince Charles to Back In Action by Sarah Key

The Controversy of 'Back in Action'

Back in the early days Sarah broke new ground with this book and it created its own controversy. In particular, it dispelled the myth of the universal moniker ’slipped disc’ to explain all back trouble. It nominated more low-tech stiffness of a spinal segment as a prolific [though very reversible] pain source and also the facet joints.

"In the years since, I have watched the literature changing and the emphasis veer away from disc bulges - after all, they are shock absorbers and meant to bulge – and the significance of leaching toxic nuclear material as a cause of pain in the more complex cases. At the same time, I have seen the facets gradually become more acknowledged as the highly-wired abundant pain sources they are."

'Back In Action' is an easy, friendly read incorporating, in simpler form, the concept described in ’The Back Sufferers’ Bible’ of sequential breakdown of a spinal segment from one condition to the next. It is an ideal stable-mate to the new ‘Back Sufferers’ Bible’. Having both of them will put you completely in charge of your back.