Introduction: A terrible affliction : when I went looking for a solution, I found a much bigger problem

PART I: PROBLEMS. Back pain nation : how we got into this mess ; A tale of two tables : why back patients "fail" chiropractic treatment and physical therapy ; Hazardous images : why you do not need

or want

to have an MRI ; Needle jockeys : how epidural steroid injections can go wrong ; The gold standard : why lumbar spinal fusion is never your only remaining option ; Google your spine surgery : the truth about "cutting-edge" procedures, as advertised online and on TV ; Replacement parts : why a bionic lumbar spine is not in the cards ; The opioid wars : how chronic opioid therapy keeps you in pain

PART II: SOLUTIONS. Head case : what your brain has to do with your back ; The back whisperers : how to find a rehabilitation partner ; The right kind of hurt : how a much-maligned machine may still change everything ; The posture mavens : how to make gravity your friend

Conclusion: Six years later.