The Ultimate Back: Assessment and Therapeutic Exercise

Author:	Stuart McGill
Publisher:	www.backfitpro.com
Published:	2007
Format:	DVD
RRP:	CAD$59.00

For many of us attending a great workshop comprises a mix of scribbling notes and attempting to grasp the concepts that are being taught to us over a limited period of time, whilst trying to master various methods of assessment, exercises or techniques. On returning to the clinic on Monday morning you rummage through your scrawl to try and decipher what you have written and then attempt to integrate a few new methods of assessment or techniques on your unsuspecting Monday morning patients.

This all too common scenario followed my attendance at the workshop conducted by Dr Stuart McGill at the World Low Back Pain Conference in Melbourne in 2004. Having also read his texts (Low Back Disorders and Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance) which filled in some of the knowledge gaps I was still looking at how I might best integrate the assessment methods, exercises and progression of the exercises into practice. I mustn’t have been alone, because in the introduction Dr McGill (recorded as far away from the clinic setting as one can get - aboard a yacht) noted that many others have requested a recording of his workshop presentations. This DVD was developed to accompany and enhance the texts.

The two set DVD is like being there; with the DVD representing sessions from various workshops given by Dr McGill. The quality of the production and audio at times is a little poor. It is not a Hollywood blockbuster, but rather a “reality show” type of presentation, but the rawness of the production does not detract from the information and how it is delivered. Dr McGill is an extremely adept presenter and has the ability to integrate hard-science with an entertaining free flowing style of presentation.

The first DVD is dedicated to the assessment, and the second focuses on therapeutic exercise. The two DVD’s are over two hours in length. The DVDs’ show Dr McGill demonstrate on workshop participants and works through the various assessment methods for each patient.

The approach includes five components;

• Corrective exercises, groove motion/motor patterns
• Build stability, joints and whole body
• Enhance endurance
• Build strength
• Enhance speed, power and agility

Dr McGill demonstrates correct and incorrect techniques of assessment to assist to identify specific patient intolerances. He also demonstrates how to assist patients to improve poor motor patterning and how to cue patients to recruit or relax various muscle groups to ensure correct technique.

A significant benefit of the DVD format is that you can review it over and over, pause the DVD to make notes, practise the techniques shown and generally go at your own pace to ensure that you can absorb the information. I would also recommend reading the texts, if you haven’t done so already, especially Low Back Disorders, which is directed to clinicians specifically. The DVD is purely clinical, there are no didactic sections and hence reading the texts will certainly assist you to gain a better understanding of the science and evidence-base behind the approach.

This DVD is highly recommended to any clinician who wants to expand their clinical tool-box to incorporate state-of-the-art spinal rehabilitation into patient care. Hearing it from the “horse’s mouth” makes watching this DVD all the more worthwhile.

Peter Werth   B App Sc (Chiropractic)