Pain Erasure: The Bonnie Prudden Way

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Summary: This book changed our lives
Review: After my wife exhausting every "traditional" method of relief for a severe case of plantar fascitis (swelling of the plantar muscle under the foot) I decided to seek an alternative view to pain correction. Traditional therapy treatments, pain killers and an assortment of drugs didn't work. I happened to run across Ms. Prudden's book and simply thought, "What can it hurt?" This was, I admit, a rather unusual birthday present, but she was in so much pain she could hardly walk by the end of the day. We faithfully applied the techniques as outlined in this book and the swelling under her foot disappeared in a matter of weeks, as did the pain. Since then, we have applied Ms. Prudden's methods for neck spasms, back strains, etc. In fact, I'm here to buy this book for one of our good friends who is battling the same foot condition that caused my wife such terrible pain. Buy this book and try it. What do you have to loose?

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Summary: Awesome book but a little dated
Review: I had problems with computer usage. I tried wraps and cold packs and all...I heard of this myotherapy method from Stuart McRoberts "Brawn" (another book I recommend for weight lifters) who had back problems till he used this method. This book helped relieve the pain the natural way. The book is a little old but it works. She needs to update the pictures to make it clearer.

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Summary: Incomprehensible
Review: I tried to find specific conditions in the book - and the procedures to follow for treating them. I couldn't even figure out the procedures to follow when reading them - the writing just isn't very clear.

If there is any organization to this book, I couldn't detect it. The author is very enthusiastic about the material and gives lots of her experiences with her patients. That's nice, but judicious editing, better organization and clarity is what this book needs.

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Summary: Requires two people
Review: I was very interested in this book based on the reviews. I was able to look at it at the library before buying it. To my surprise, almost everything in the book requires two people. The book is more like an instruction book for a physical therapist. If you are looking for a book that you can use by yourself, I highly recommend The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies.

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Summary: Requires two people
Review: The "Bonnie Prudden Way" is called "myotherapy", since it concentrates on muscles as the root cause of most pain. Even pain that isn't normally considered muscular, like migraine headaches (called "vascular" as opposed to "muscle-tension") responds to myotherapy. I know from experience with myself and others. The same is often true of pain caused by spine misalignment (which may be caused by muscles in the back pulling the spine out of alignment) or even tendinitis (muscles under trauma often block circulation, leading to inflammation). The plain fact of the matter is, 90+% of pain can be cured by myotherapy, and this book does a VERY good job of teaching the technique.

Bonnie Prudden's writing style is refreshingly straight forward and pragmatic. She tells what works and what doesn't, and how to get results. You won't read about "harmony" or "balance" or "energy flows"; she just tells you what to do to make the pain go away. The chapters in the book are arranged by body regions, starting from the head and working downwards. Be forewarned, however, that you can't cure a headache just by reading the chapter on the head. Most headaches (even migraines) are rooted in the neck and shoulders. Backaches are often rooted in the legs and feet. So read all of the chapters before you start practicing.

The latter portion of the book is devoted to stretching and toning exercises. They are designed to provide maximum benefit with minimum trauma, and are quite effective. Bonnie Prudden is a physical therapist, so she is well-qualified to write on the subject.

In short, if you're suffering from pain, or know someone who is, get this book. You won't be sorry.

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Summary: If my back acts up, this book relieves the pain, instantly.
Review: This is the best how-to book on getting rid of pain caused by injury, stress, or physical problems. The premise is that when a muscle is injured, it never forgets, creating a "trigger point". This book tells you step by step how to find the "trigger point" for your specific pain, and how to apply counter pressure to relieve the pain. I have disc problems in my back, and when my back acts up, this relieves the pain and gets me going instantly, without drugs or chiropractors. I highly recommend this book.

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Summary: This book helps with more than just back pain...
Review: When you're in pain, nothing seems too extreme in the pursuit of relief. Bonnie Prudden's writing easily demystifies the subject and gives a comprehensive way to reduce and in many cases erase pain totally. It works! It really works! The book is written in a personal and conversational style--clever, witty and wise. It is easy to understand and easy to implement. The exercises which are required in the therapy are unique in that they employ only full range of motion movements: some are not as glamourous as those of the spandex-clad exercise classes, but the biomechanical accuracy of Bonnie's stretches and strengthening regiments are based on decades of research and success. I thank god for having discovered all of Bonnie's writings and hope everyone receives as much benefit as my students and I have in our quest for a quality and pain-free life.