Some Selected Books on Physical Health and Self-Healing      Compiled by Terry Slade

(Mainly concerned with the musculoskeletal system)

See also my page of Books on Food and Health, my page of Qigong Books. and my page of Yoga Books.

Anyone interested in the human body should have an atlas of human anatomy. An atlas does not explain how the body works, it just has pictures. There are several major atlases available. Clemente, Netter, and Sobotta are probably the best of the major atlases. To me, the main use for these books is just to look at them and be amazed. The illustrations in a good atlas are very detailed. You can find some of these atlases in bookstores. They can also be special-ordered at bookstores (or from Amazon.com). Or you may just want to find them in a library since they are kind of expensive. You can also get them cheap in used bookstores and on ebay.

I have a separate page with more details on Atlases of Human Anatomy.

As for how the body works, there are various current college-level textbooks on Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) which cover the basics in detail. There are also textbooks on Kinesiology, which is the study of human movement.

Bodywork / Bodymind

Comments from some reviews:
"A masterful synthesis, copiously illustrated, of body therapies and anatomical-physiological functions" - East West Magazine
"A broad presentation of the rationale of bodywork, including the relevant physiological, anatomical, and neuropsychological information one should know if one practices any form of bodywork." Publishers Weekly
"Juhan blends a novelist's sensitiviy for language and an academic's respect for accuracy with a bodyworker's respect for the living, sentient flesh." Yoga Journal

For more books about Feldenkrais, see extensive list here: www.feldenkrais-resources.com/products.htm

Many more books on the Alexander Technique are listed here: alexandertech.org/books/books99.html

Wikipedia Article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_technique

Even if you have no intention of being Rolfed, books about Rolfing can be very interesting. More info: www.rolf.org

And for a very large list of books on RSI, see Paul Marxhausen's RSI Page

Although this book remains the best on the subject, it has been superceded by the author's website, where self-help programs for specific conditions can be ordred. These are very detailed programs using the ideas found in her book, but with much updated and additional information, and are specifically tailored to particular conditions. I highly recommend purchasing one of here programs if you are suffering from an upper body RSI condition. Check out her website here: selfcare4rsi.com

Some of Sharon's posts to the Sorehand mailing list are archived on the web here. And a few more are collected here.

OK - as of JAN 2004 the book has been superceded by her website, where she offers comprehensive programs for specific RSIs. For $30 you get bascially a book that is just exactly what is needed. The book above is still in print, but the programs from her website are more detailed and up-to-date. Selfcare for RSI - www.selfcare4rsi.com

These are just a bunch of books that I have come across in my own studies on health and healing. This is not any kind of a comprehensive list, just some books that I happen to have found, somewhat reflecting my own interests. Amazon links are provided for reference and convenience. I earn no commission.

Also, a lot of interesting books are listed at the Rolf Institute's website: www.rolf.org/bookstore.
A good list of books relating to deep tissue massage is here: www.deeptissue.com/books/books.html

Bodymind - Ken Dychtwald
Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain - Pete Egoscue
Job's Body - A Handbook for Bodywork - Deane Juhan
Anatomy of Movement - Blandine Calais-Germain
Anatomy Trains - Thomas W. Myers
Rolfing - Ida Rolf
Somatics - Thomas Hanna
Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Repetitive Strain Injuries Sharon J. Butler
The Endless Web - R. Louis Schultes, PhD, Rosemary Feitis, DO
And I would get an altas of human anatomy.

And of course, this little stack of books would be quite overwhelming itself, but you can use them as reference, read them a little at a time, just look at the pictures, or approach them any way you want - but spending time with these books can give you a unique awareness of the human body that you may not otherwise ever obtain.

OK the list above is more of a way to get the theory. If you are in pain and are mainly interested in relieving that pain as soon as possible, then I might suggest a different pile of books. So here are the top books I would currently (09/2011) recommend to get for instructions on how to heal yourself (all are detailed in the listings above):

Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Repetitive Strain Injuries Sharon J. Butler
Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain - Pete Egoscue
The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook - Clair Davies
The 7-Minute Rotator Cuff Solution - Joseph Horrigan, DC & Jerry Robinson
7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life - Robin A. McKenzie
Muscle Pain Relief in 90 Seconds - The Fold and Hold Method - Dale L. Anderson M.D.
And check out my Yoga Books page as well.

Books on Food and Health

Yoga Books

Qigong Books

Back to Slade's Home Page      Back to Slade's Health Page      Revised 09/15/11.