What a treat to find such a great CD and booklet to help those with back pain!

I was asked to review a CD for back pain which is produced together by the Mayo Clinic and Gaiam.  The CD has sections which include:

• understanding back pain
• eating well
• meditation and gentle yoga

The experts from the Mayo Clinic offer accurate information about back pain, including statistics about how common back pain is, the anatomy of your back, and issues that contribute to chronic back pain.  The information is presented in an easy-t0-understand manner.

The section on healthy eating is informative and helpful to watch.  Instead of saying, “just eat better,” you go on a trip to a grocery store with a doctor who shows you how to fill your cart with more healthful foods.  He talks about food misconceptions, and helps you understand why carrots and nuts are good for you.  A nutritionist talks about and show you portion sizes and a food pyramid.

My favorite section was the guided meditation and gentle yoga.  The meditation is good for general relaxation as well as specifically having suggestions for a more comfortable back.  The yoga is slow, gentle movements, with good attention to safety.  This section of the CD could be used daily for meditation and exercise.

The booklet covers stress reduction, covering topics such as how your thoughts contribute to stress, and how to decrease stress by protecting your time, nurturing spirituality, and improving communication in your relationships.

The package of CD and booklet is excellent!  It is medically sound, interesting, and the exercises are enjoyable to do.  The booklet encourages you to put the suggestions to use and practice them, rather than just reading and forgetting them.

Another favorite part, given that I’m a nature lover, is that the packaging is “green” and recyclable.  A beautiful touch.

I had 2 recommendations to improve the package:

1. A suggestion to consult with your MD before beginning the yoga needs to be on the actual CD.  The box does say this, but for safety, it needs to be clearly stated on the CD.
2. The order of topics outlined on the box are slightly different than on the actual CD.  It was slightly confusing trying to match them.

The Mayo Clinic and Gaiam offer a Wellness Solutions series, which includes topics such as fibromyalgia, IBS, and arthritis.  The Back Pain package is a great product!  You can learn more at the Gaiam site.

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