Sonderbooks Book Review of Pain Free

Reviewed July 18, 2002.
Bantam Books, 1998. 296 pages.

I reviewed Pain Free for Women by the same authors in the last issue of Sonderbooks. This one is similar, but fits the title better. This book has menus of exercises designed to help relieve pain in specific parts of the body. Pain Free for Women is more of a health maintenance exercise plan for every age and stage of a woman’s life.

My interest in this book is because of my frequent headaches. I’m always completely skeptical when anyone claims they can identify one cause for all migraines--It’s far more complex than that. Pete Egoscue doesn’t go that far, but he does say, “I have never known a migraine sufferer whose head, neck, and shoulders were not out of position in the characteristic mode of forward flexion.”

Well, I can’t really argue with that, since a chiropractor once told me I was holding my head forward. (Though the subsequent treatment visits to the chiropractor didn’t make a lot of difference.) I don’t expect a miracle cure from these exercises, but I’ve got to admit that it’s definitely worth a try. All he asks is ten minutes a day (some of the menus take longer, but not the headache one), and there are absolutely no side effects. He did convince me that it might do some good.

This book looks good for anyone with specific body aches like headaches, backaches, wrist pain or general joint pains. It also has a general exercise plan for keeping your musculoskeletal system in good shape, but for women the Pain Free For Women book is better for a general exercise plan, having more options tailored for specific stages of life. (For example, there are exercises for during pregnancy as well as ideas of activities you can do with toddlers to keep their musculoskeletal structure in good shape.)

September 19, 2002--I have to add that I have been trying the exercises for headaches for a few months now, and I can't report any decrease in the frequency of my headaches. They do feel good, and I do think they aren't doing any harm. But I can't report that there are any miracle cures here, I'm afraid.

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

***Pain Free*

A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain

by Pete Egoscue with Roger Gittines