Take Your Back Back: Whole Health Healing for Low Back Pain

A comprehensive whole-health guide to healing low back pain from a leading researcher in lower back pain at Duke University School of Medicine.

Back pain is the leading cause of disability in the United States--yet misinformation about its causes and treatment is rampant. Too often, people default to medications or surgery, even though these approaches can be unnecessary, ineffective, or even harmful.

Christine Goertz, PhD, leading researcher in low back pain at Duke University, was looking for a book to recommend to patients and clinicians but couldn't find one that encompassed all the most up-to-date research and treatments. So, she decided to write the book herself.

Blending clinical expertise, patient examples, and the in-depth research, Take Your Back Back empowers you to take control of your healing journey. Dr. Goertz explains the physical and psychosocial causes of back pain, debunking common myths, and clarifying pain mechanisms. She explores a wide range of treatment options that start with a holistic, self-care and whole-care approach (including acupuncture, massage, yoga, exercise, spinal manipulation, and cognitive behavioral therapy) before medications and medical procedures. Throughout, she provides questionnaires, charts, and photographs of easy-to-implement exercises in a step-by-step program to help you find what works best for you. She also takes you through finding the right clinician, advocating for yourself, and building a personalized action plan in this "required reading for any person with acute or chronic low back pain" (Chris Shaffrey, MD, chief of the Duke Spine Division).

Author: Christine Goertz
Publisher: S&s/Simon Element
Published: 10/06/2026
Pages: 400
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781668211632


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/21/2026

About the Author
Christine Goertz, DC, PhD, is a professor in musculoskeletal research and vice chair for Implementation of Spine Health Innovations in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine. She founded the Spine Health program, a clinical care pathway within the Duke University Health System that optimizes treatment for low-back pain patients. Dr. Goertz has received approximately $45 million in research grants and has been rated in the top ten in NIH funding within a Medical School Department of Orthopedics by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. Dr. Goertz received her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Northwestern Health Sciences University and a PhD in health services research, policy, and administration from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.