The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion: Revolutionary Program That Lets You Rediscover the Body's Power to Rejuvenate It – 22 Exercises to Stretch, Strengthen, and Restore Alignment

This is the book that saved my life. Before I read it, I was just another middle aged American with chronic sciatica and back pain so bad, I had to quit a job I loved so I could try to fix myself. I'd learned through an MRI that I had two herniated lumbar discs. An x-ray taken by a chiropractor informed me that my spine was horrifyingly twisted. I could tell I had issues, but I was shocked to see how bad things were. I never realized before that a person can train his or her spine into a state of scoliosis, just by living. In my case, I'd favored my dominant right side so exclusively, my torso was twisted from right to left. This in turn caused rotation in my lumbar discs, which eventually caused two to blow out, therefore causing the sciatica in my left leg. I could barely walk or sit; even lying in bed was painful. I had to stretch out on the floor to do anything at home, especially sleep. I figured I was a homeridden goner. Then a compassionate friend handed me this book. I read it only out of duty, not wanting to offend her. What a wonderful surprise to learn that it was exactly what I needed! All those steroid shots, cranial-sacral therapy, traditional therapy, chiropractic adjustments, lent short-lived relief, but never lasting relief. I was always back to square one. I immediately began the exercises for my particular posture type and sensed within two days that I'd found my answer. It took 1 1/2 years to fully heal my discs and eliminate the sciatica, but I did it. I was so impressed with the Egoscue method, I began to attend weekend workshops at a local clinic, then signed on to study their therapy modules. I just wanted to understand why this method worked when all else failed. Egoscue therapists have told me that I'm unusual--that it's not common for someone to simply pick up one of these books and follow it so well to find so much relief. For most, they say, the book is a good introduction, but folks seem to need face to face visits with their therapist. Well, after my first 1 1/2 years, I did pay a visit to a therapist to see if there was a difference. And there is!! Hahaha. I felt so much better after my therapist sessions, I was sold. But, I say that if you read this book carefully, study yourself closely and choose the correct sequence of exercises, then follow them regularly (since I had quit work, I had endless days to pamper myself with exercises. I performed them twice a day and was ready to get back to work in 3 months), this book may very well be your saving grace.

A long time ago, I read that Jack Nicklaus was back in the Masters and golfing without pain because of a trainer he hired. This is a book I've looked for since 1993 after I fell off a roof ladder (tangled in the rungs, so no tuck & roll). I did buy a pain management book by the same author in 2014 and hip and neck and shoulders made immediate improvement after only two weeks. However, this book is the one I couldn't find. Movement is the key to the body remaining functional and pain free. My neck and shoulders were pain free and moving more easily after the first session, using the first book. With this Masterwork, I read the instructions into my recorder and play it back so I can just focus on the exercises. This book is priceless. It's letting me have my active life back at 77. Highly recommended!

It’s unbelievable how quickly this book sings to you if you are in any kind of joint pain. I’ve never read a book so fast in my life,NEVER. I couldn’t stop reading and when i started trying the self diagnosing and the methods to recover and heal my dysfunctions I found almost immediate relief in small doses that have been getting better with each day...in two days I was able to stop wearing a compression knee sleeve when I walked on my treadmill or played golf. I’m walking barefoot thru my house with no pain, when I always felt I needed something to wear that was soft so my feet wouldn’t hurt when I walked or stood standing in place. Five days later and my back stopped hurting when I would start waking up in the morning. I can only say it’s SIMPLY AMAZING!!! If you have pain do your body and mind a favor and read this book...then start your own road of success and pain free movement!

There are now (2006) four books by Pete Egoscue available: (1) "The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion" (1992), (2) "Pain Free" (1998), (3) "Pain Free at your PC" (1999) and (4) "Pain Free for Women" (2002). If you are suffering from musculoskeletal pain and someone has recommended Egoscue to you or you are impressed with the testimonials in the Amazon reviews, you may well ask yourself, "Which book should I buy first?" Probably the second, "Pain Free" but each has its merits. All the books are based on two generally recognized propositions: (1) in a healthy human the lines connecting the two ankles or the two knees or the two hips or the two shoulders should all be horizontal and the feet and knees should point straight forward when walking or standing without thinking about one's posture, and (2) deviations from this structure usually originate with the position of the pelvis. Trying to correct the manifestation of the misaligned pelvis will not help until the fundamental problem is fixed. In the first book, Egoscue describes a self-diagnosis which puts you in one of four categories based largely on your posture when standing in a natural, relaxed way. Once you know your category, you turn to page 127 to find your menu of exercises. The exercises are presented in alphabetical order; you look up the exercises on your menu, learn and do them. You may need as much as 90 minutes a day or as little as 30, depending on the severity of your condition. Of the first book, Egoscue says in the second (page 282) "[It was] a pretty ambitious theme. This one, 'Pain Free,' is more more modest." I think that means that the reader had to work harder to understand the first than the second. People in pain do not immediately know which category they fall into. But they do know where they hurt. So "Pain Free", after a brief explanation of the fundamental theory, is organized by where the pain is: feet, ankles, knees, hips, back, shoulders, arms, and neck and head. For each area, Egoscue gives exercises. Many exercises are used for more than one area, but everywhere the exercise is used, a picture of the exercise is repeated and the page number where is was described in full is given. The result is definitely easier to use. Also, there are a number of new exercises for specific problems, such as a herniated disk in the spine. Initially, your program of exercises may require 90 minutes or more, but most of the time is spent on one particular exercise. Once pain is gone for a week or more, the maintenance exercises (pages 277-282) should not take more than about 20 minutes a day. The third book, "Pain Free at your PC" is aimed, obviously, at PC users. Egoscue distinguishes three categories, but if you use a PC more than about an hour a day, you are in the third category. Initially, you'll need 80 minutes a day at home and 5 minutes at the office, but most of that 80 minutes is on one exercise, the supine groin stretch, and the time needed for it will diminish. If you are a "power user" of the PC, you are at serious risk of developing musculoskeletal pain, not because of any problem with your PC or your chair or your desk, but because, for hours at a time, you are not moving the main muscles that hold body together and make it work. They atrophy, and problems develop. Egoscue's exercises are designed to cure or avoid those problems. If you are a heavy PC user, you could start with this one. I have not read "Pain Free for Women" since I was clearly not in its target audience. It would be a mistake, however, for women to conclude that since this book is specifically for them the other books don't apply. Every word of the other books applies equally to men and women. This one, however, has chapters on pregnancy, childbirth, and other specifically feminine matters. For herniated disks, aching feet, and other problems common to both sexes, I would suggest "Pain Free" first. The Egoscue book that I want to read is the one that has not been written, the one that explains Egoscue's own thinking, what each exercise does and why certain exercises should be done before others. On these questions, all the books are silent and rather dogmatic. The reader is supposed to know what the "hip flexors" are but is presumed unable to understand why one exercise should precede others. Egoscue, however, rearranges them in numerous orders. What does he know that he doesn't tell? Because of that problem, I have given the books only four stars.

This is a ground breaking book that tells you how the human body was supposed to operate and how modern day practices have compromised its essential function of “motion”. Read this book, identify the root cause than the symptom and take responsibility for your health. Ive been doing these exercises and i see relief in pain and chronic conditions that i had not been able to solve with visits to physiotherapists, doctors, chiropractors and massage therapists. Could not recommend this book more to take control of your life

Possibly the best book on avoiding and curing back pain and poor posture. It's worth saying this twice. The best way to cure back pain is to get a good physiotherapist - but this is often expensive and inconvenient. The Egoscue book describes where back pain comes from, how to diagnose yourself, and then gives a series of exercises (depending on the diagnosis) to cure pain and avoid it in future. These are innocuously simple and gentle exercises, gentle repetition every day, but the results are fast and permanent. I've bought and given away about 10 copies. Note that Egoscue has written lots of books. The ones after this assume that you have read this one, so although they add to it, they don't explain in simple terms what you need to do. I've learnt this by giving his newest book away and people saying "so what am I supposed to do?"

This book is like a classic, written by the physiologist, Pete Egoscue, This book has the basic premise that the skeleton of the body must be aligned in order for it to function properly. Then the book discusses different joints and parts of the body that may be out of alignment, and exercises to do to put those parts of the body back in alignment. I find his exercises very useful. Pete Egoscue's second premise is that the body is built for motion, and needs motion in order for the body to function properly. I remember Pete Egoscue's example that a person should go for a walk each day, and if a person stops going for walks, pretty soon the person will find that he can barely walk.

Ce livre est une mine d'information permettant de prendre sa santé en main, puis de l'améliorer. Les douleurs musculo-squelettiques nous font souffrir, et pourtant des solutions existent et sont rudement efficaces. Ce livre de chevet propose des méthodes simples et performantes. Il suffit juste d'un peu de courage pour les appliquer et voir comment on se sent ensuite. Je suis heureux de l'avoir dans ma bibliothèque !

Great book! We love Pete Egoscue. His work is really important to get back into functional alignment.