-
Crooked
- Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery
- Narrated by: Cathryn Jakobson Ramin
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $31.93
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Healing Back Pain
- By: John E. Sarno M.D.
- Narrated by: John E. Sarno M.D.
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With case histories and the results of in-depth mind-body research, Dr. Sarno describes how patients recognize the emotional roots of their back pain and sever the connections between mental and physical pain - and how, just by listening to this program, you may start recovering from back pain today!
-
-
This book saved my life!
- By OCGabe on 06-05-18
-
The Divided Mind
- By: John E. Sarno
- Narrated by: Paul Hecht, James Boles
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Divided Mind is the crowning achievement of Dr. John E. Sarno's long and successful career as a groundbreaking medical pioneer. While his earlier books dealt almost exclusively with musculoskeletal pain disorders, here Dr. Sarno addresses the entire spectrum of psychosomatic (mind-body) disorders.
-
-
Not the whole book
- By Melinda on 07-02-13
By: John E. Sarno
-
The Mindbody Prescription
- Healing the Body, Healing the Pain
- By: John E. Sarno M.D.
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. John E. Sarno's Healing Back Pain is a New York Times best seller that has helped over 500,000 readers. Continuing the research since his ground-breaking book, the renowned physician now presents his most complete work yet on the vital connection between mental and bodily health.... Musculoskeletal pain disorders have reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with most doctors failing to recognize their underlying cause.
-
-
Life changing
- By Rob Roberts on 06-18-16
-
Think Away Your Pain
- By: David Schechter M.D.
- Narrated by: David Schechter M.D.
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Think Away Your Pain presents a revolutionary approach to relieve suffering and eliminate chronic pain. In this user-friendly clearly written book, you will learn how chronic pain becomes a condition of the brain as much as the body. Think Away Your Pain shows you how to use the immense power of your thoughts and beliefs to literally change the neural circuitry of your brain.
-
-
Dear Author: Please hire narrator next time.
- By Amazon Customer on 06-10-19
-
Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 1
- By: Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Narrated by: Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
These programs constitute the core practice curriculum of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in the Stress Reduction Clinic. They are meant to be used in conjunction with Dr. Kabat-Zinn's book, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. You will find extensive descriptions of these practices in this book.
-
-
The best body scan in existence
- By Luminous on 03-29-21
By: Jon Kabat-Zinn
-
The Highly Sensitive Person’s Guide to Dealing with Toxic People
- How to Reclaim Your Power from Narcissists and Other Manipulators
- By: Shahida Arabi MA
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Highly Sensitive Person's Guide to Dealing with Toxic People, you'll learn evidence-based skills grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help you recognize and shut down the common manipulation tactics used by toxic people, such as gaslighting, stonewalling, projection, covert put-downs, and love bombing.
-
-
Not What I Hoped For
- By Allyson S on 10-09-21
By: Shahida Arabi MA
-
Healing Back Pain
- By: John E. Sarno M.D.
- Narrated by: John E. Sarno M.D.
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With case histories and the results of in-depth mind-body research, Dr. Sarno describes how patients recognize the emotional roots of their back pain and sever the connections between mental and physical pain - and how, just by listening to this program, you may start recovering from back pain today!
-
-
This book saved my life!
- By OCGabe on 06-05-18
-
The Divided Mind
- By: John E. Sarno
- Narrated by: Paul Hecht, James Boles
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Divided Mind is the crowning achievement of Dr. John E. Sarno's long and successful career as a groundbreaking medical pioneer. While his earlier books dealt almost exclusively with musculoskeletal pain disorders, here Dr. Sarno addresses the entire spectrum of psychosomatic (mind-body) disorders.
-
-
Not the whole book
- By Melinda on 07-02-13
By: John E. Sarno
-
The Mindbody Prescription
- Healing the Body, Healing the Pain
- By: John E. Sarno M.D.
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. John E. Sarno's Healing Back Pain is a New York Times best seller that has helped over 500,000 readers. Continuing the research since his ground-breaking book, the renowned physician now presents his most complete work yet on the vital connection between mental and bodily health.... Musculoskeletal pain disorders have reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with most doctors failing to recognize their underlying cause.
-
-
Life changing
- By Rob Roberts on 06-18-16
-
Think Away Your Pain
- By: David Schechter M.D.
- Narrated by: David Schechter M.D.
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Think Away Your Pain presents a revolutionary approach to relieve suffering and eliminate chronic pain. In this user-friendly clearly written book, you will learn how chronic pain becomes a condition of the brain as much as the body. Think Away Your Pain shows you how to use the immense power of your thoughts and beliefs to literally change the neural circuitry of your brain.
-
-
Dear Author: Please hire narrator next time.
- By Amazon Customer on 06-10-19
-
Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 1
- By: Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Narrated by: Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
These programs constitute the core practice curriculum of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in the Stress Reduction Clinic. They are meant to be used in conjunction with Dr. Kabat-Zinn's book, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. You will find extensive descriptions of these practices in this book.
-
-
The best body scan in existence
- By Luminous on 03-29-21
By: Jon Kabat-Zinn
-
The Highly Sensitive Person’s Guide to Dealing with Toxic People
- How to Reclaim Your Power from Narcissists and Other Manipulators
- By: Shahida Arabi MA
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Highly Sensitive Person's Guide to Dealing with Toxic People, you'll learn evidence-based skills grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help you recognize and shut down the common manipulation tactics used by toxic people, such as gaslighting, stonewalling, projection, covert put-downs, and love bombing.
-
-
Not What I Hoped For
- By Allyson S on 10-09-21
By: Shahida Arabi MA
-
The Way Out
- A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain
- By: Alan Gordon, Alon Ziv
- Narrated by: Alan Gordon
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alan Gordon, a psychotherapist and the founder of the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles, was in grad school when he started experiencing chronic pain and it completely derailed his life. He saw multiple doctors and received many diagnoses, but none of the medical treatments helped. Frustrated with conventional pain management, he developed Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a mind-body protocol that eliminated his own chronic pain and has transformed the lives of thousands of his patients.
-
-
An Amazing Book
- By Steven D. on 09-05-21
By: Alan Gordon, and others
-
Mind Over Back Pain
- A Radically New Approach to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Back Pain
- By: John E. Sarno M.D.
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. John Sarno's revolutionary approach to back pain is based on his discovery that tension is the underlying cause of most back problems - leading to an often unrecognized condition called Tension Myositis Syndrome. In this book - the first to explain the psychophysiology, manifestations, and treatment of TMS - you'll find clear steps and sensible advice to help you find relief, prevent future pain...and live life fully once again.
-
-
LIFE ALTERING
- By Gojigirl on 11-21-20
-
Paindemic: A Practical and Holistic Look at Chronic Pain, the Medical System, and the antiPAIN Lifestyle
- By: Melissa Cady D.O.
- Narrated by: Melissa Cady D.O.
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The United States is the most advanced society in the world, yet the majority of pain medications, procedures, and surgeries are not solving this paindemic. Paindemic will open your eyes to what you should know. Too many unnecessary and risky interventions are being done, with little benefit and at great expense. It's time to gain a better perspective to guide you down a more rational path to address and improve chronic pain, even low-back pain. Ignorance is not bliss. What you don't know about your pain could hurt you.
-
Back in Control, 2nd Edition
- A Surgeon's Roadmap out of Chronic Pain
- By: Dr. David Hanscom
- Narrated by: Braden Wright
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seattle spinal surgeon Dr. David Hanscom focuses on an aspect of chronic pain that the medical world has largely overlooked: you must calm your nervous system in order to get better. More than any other book about pain, Back in Control reveals how to quiet a turbocharged central nervous system and make a full recovery, with or without surgery.
-
-
Prescribed by my pain doctor
- By FL2NC on 09-08-19
-
The Invisible Kingdom
- Reimagining Chronic Illness
- By: Meghan O'Rourke
- Narrated by: Meghan O'Rourke
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A silent epidemic of chronic illnesses afflicts tens of millions of Americans: These are diseases that are poorly understood, frequently marginalized, and can go undiagnosed and unrecognized altogether. Renowned writer Meghan O’Rourke delivers a revelatory investigation into this elusive category of “invisible” illness that encompasses autoimmune diseases, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, and now long COVID, synthesizing the personal and the universal to help all of us through this new frontier.
-
-
Humbling. Heart-Opening. Disturbing.
- By Melissa E. Penn on 03-02-22
By: Meghan O'Rourke
-
An American Sickness
- How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back
- By: Elisabeth Rosenthal
- Narrated by: Nancy Linari
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is well documented that our health-care system has grave problems, but how, in only a matter of decades, did things get this bad? Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal doesn't just explain the symptoms; she diagnoses and treats the disease itself. Rosenthal spells out in clear and practical terms exactly how to decode medical doublespeak, avoid the pitfalls of the pharmaceuticals racket, and get the care you and your family deserve. She takes you inside the doctor-patient relationship, explaining step by step the workings of a profession sorely lacking transparency.
-
-
Well Researched, Outlined, and Presented
- By Craig Schorling on 06-17-17
-
The Brain's Way of Healing
- Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity
- By: Norman Doidge
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Brain That Changes Itself, Norman Doidge described the most important breakthrough in our understanding of the brain in 400 years: the discovery that the brain can change its own structure and function in response to mental experience - what we call neuroplasticity. His revolutionary new book shows, for the first time, how the amazing process of neuroplastic healing really works. It describes natural, noninvasive avenues into the brain provided by the forms of energy around us.
-
-
a must read
- By Maggie on 09-14-17
By: Norman Doidge
-
Unbroken Brain
- A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction
- By: Maia Szalavitz
- Narrated by: Marisa Vitali
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Challenging both the idea of the addict's "broken brain" and the notion of a simple "addictive personality", Unbroken Brain offers a radical and groundbreaking new perspective, arguing that addiction is a learning disorder, and shows how seeing the condition this way can untangle our current debates over treatment, prevention, and policy.
-
-
Hmmmm
- By Levi S. on 03-16-17
By: Maia Szalavitz
-
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers
- The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping - Now Revised and Updated
- By: Robert Sapolsky
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now in a third edition, Robert M. Sapolsky's acclaimed and successful Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers features new chapters on how stress affects sleep and addiction, as well as new insights into anxiety and personality disorder and the impact of spirituality on managing stress. As Sapolsky explains, most of us do not lie awake at night worrying about whether we have leprosy or malaria. Instead, the diseases we fear-and the ones that plague us now-are illnesses brought on by the slow accumulation of damage, such as heart disease and cancer.
-
-
The narrator is awful
- By Amazon Customer on 12-15-14
By: Robert Sapolsky
-
Amp It Up
- Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity
- By: Frank Slootman
- Narrated by: Daniel Henning, Frank Slootman
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman is one of the tech world's most accomplished executives in enterprise growth, having led Snowflake to the largest software IPO ever after leading Data Domain and ServiceNow to exponential growth and the public market before that. In Amp It Up, he shares his leadership approach for the first time.
-
-
Must read
- By Patty Post on 01-29-22
By: Frank Slootman
-
Being Mortal
- Medicine and What Matters in the End
- By: Atul Gawande
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Being Mortal, best-selling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending. Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit.
-
-
Required Reading!
- By Jeffrey on 10-13-14
By: Atul Gawande
-
Complications
- A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
- By: Atul Gawande
- Narrated by: William David Griffith
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sometimes in medicine the only way to know what is truly going on in a patient is to operate, to look inside with one's own eyes. This book is exploratory surgery on medicine itself, laying bare a science not in its idealized form but as it actually is - complicated, perplexing, and profoundly human.
-
-
Great book
- By A. Ryan on 12-05-03
By: Atul Gawande
Publisher's Summary
The acclaimed author of Carved in Sand - a veteran investigative journalist who endured persistent back pain for decades - delivers the definitive book on the subject: an essential examination of all facets of the back pain industry, exploring what works, what doesn't, what may cause harm, and how to get on the road to recovery.
In her effort to manage her chronic back pain, investigative reporter Cathryn Jakobson Ramin spent years and a small fortune on a panoply of treatments. But her discomfort only intensified, leaving her feeling frustrated and perplexed. As she searched for better solutions, she exposed a much bigger problem. Costing roughly $100 billion a year, spine medicine - often ineffective and sometimes harmful - exemplified the worst aspects of the US health-care system.
The result of six years of intensive investigation, Crooked offers a startling look at the poorly identified risks of spine medicine and provides practical advice and solutions. Ramin interviewed scores of spine surgeons, pain management doctors, physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, exercise physiologists, physical therapists, chiropractors, and specialized bodywork practitioners. She met with many patients whose pain and desperation led them to make life-altering decisions and with others who triumphed over their limitations.
The result is a brilliant and comprehensive book that is not only important but essential to millions of back pain sufferers and all types of health-care professionals. Ramin shatters assumptions about surgery, chiropractic methods, physical therapy, spinal injections, and painkillers and addresses evidence-based rehabilitation options - showing, in detail, how to avoid therapeutic dead ends while saving money, time, and considerable anguish. With Crooked, she reveals what it takes to outwit the back pain industry and get on the road to recovery.
More from the same
Author
Narrator
What listeners say about Crooked
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Matthew I. Greenfield
- 12-14-17
If you're like me, skip this book.
I don't doubt this book is helpful to many.
However, I've been doing boxing, body-building -esque exercises, and powerlifting for years. I heard of Dr. Stuart McGill from Stan Efferding, and in reading reviews of Stu's "The Back Mechanic", I came across this title.
In my opinion, this book should have been cut in thirds. For me, there was way too much repetitive information and narratives about what *didn't* work. I don't need to be told 50 times that halting exercise regresses progress. I want a concise yet complete understanding of how to avoid and repair damage.
If you're interested in the journalistic aspect, get this. Having an audiobook was a great way to whet my appetite on my commutes while my books were being shipped from Amazon. I would recommend listening on at least 1.5x speed. For me, the narration was quite slow and seemed to arbitrarily emphasize certain words or characters' testimonies. It also seemed to greatly detail studies contrary to typical medicine, but only rely on anecdotal evidence for procedures from "back gurus". Anecdotal information is great, but the imbalance seemed very biased.
If you want solutions, skip this and go straight to Dr. Stuart McGill's "The Back Mechanic" and/or "The Gift of Injury".
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Jenkintown family
- 12-14-17
great story and great info
the best part of this book is the decision making Tools in her woven. This means the book answers questions like how can you tell that your yoga teacher or physical therapist or even physician is qualified to give you advice.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 09-05-18
Helpful
I am grateful for this book. I am in pain. But now I feel I have resources and an approach to move forward and toward recovery.
Thank you for all your research.
Deborah
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Deal W. Hudson
- 06-18-18
This book can save you from ruining your back
I thought I had back problems and was considering surgery, then I read Ramin's book and realized all I needed to do work through the back pain with the right exercises. Once I followed this regime for a month, I've not had any problems since. And I am a very avid 68-year old golfer.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- e-Haskell
- 01-05-18
Overall message is excellent, but not for everyone
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
The overall messages that 1. doctors have no quick fixes, 2. back surgery is dicey and recommendations are influenced by $, and 3. getting better can be a part time job for the patient are all valid and important. But I think the author fails to recognize that not every patient is exactly like herself.
Any additional comments?
Early on in the book she says she thought fixing her back would be like fixing a broken wrist--easy! The wrist has a gazillion little bones in it. Not easy to fix. That's when I knew I had to listen with critical ears. She also says Loyola Hospital is located in Mayfield instead of Maywood, IL--which is weird since she says up front that she had 3 fact checkers look through her text before publishing. Not a difficult fact to check.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Melissa Wittmayer
- 11-14-17
Journalistic approach to back pain
Loved all the information about the back pain Industry. So many stories and examples of treatment. I'm definitely more motivated to take care of my back now. Thank you!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cheri'
- 10-31-17
SNOOZEFEST!!
First of all, the narrator's voice was so monotone it put me to sleep. Secondly, I only got up to when the author started bashing the Chiropractic industry. I had scoliosis as a child and an amazing Chiropractor straightened my spine. I saw a little boy come in that could barely walk and after a few visit's, he walked out on his own with just a small assist from his mom. Finally, I would definitely not recommend this book to a friend!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lisa
- 10-16-17
Should be titled Outwitting the Back Pain Industry if you have unlimited resources
As a physical therapist who has been practicing for over 30 seeing chronic pain patients I was left disappointed after listening to this book. I agree that surgical interventions are widely over utilized in the treatment of back pain and Cathryn does a good job of discussing relevant research in this area. However I feel she does a poor job discussing the scientific research relating to physical treatment of back pain such as exercise and forms of manual therapy. I feel the evidence in this area points out that simply moving your body in many ways is helpful whether it be yoga, swimming, or a gym based workouts. The author seems to feel we all need to be hooked up with some type of "back whisper" for "proper" exercise.
I also feel the author's back pain has central sensitization written all over it yet she fails to see the connection. She did mention Dr. John Sarno several times in the book but appears to have gained little insight from her discussions with him. Perfectionistic personality, high achiever, and running across the country to take care of her elderly parents sounds like the perfect mix for developing chronic back pain due to central sensitization or as Dr. Sarno calls it TMS.
Take my advice and listen to Healing Back Pain by Dr. John Sarno instead of this book you will likely find the cure you have been searching for.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- C. A. Martin
- 06-04-17
A must read for pain suffer
I wish i had this book 4 years ago. i bought onto all the hype the drs gave me and all the lies. I am alone and frightened for my future.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lauren K Dominguez
- 02-04-22
Must Read for Anyone
You either have back pain or know someone with it. This is an excellent resource that exposes the issues with the back pain industry and provides alternatives methodologies. If you have been told you need surgery; wait! Read this first, then decide!
-
Overall

- Glen
- 06-23-19
Good overall review
This is a good review of the ins and outs of the back pain industry but it is a shame that there is a clear writer bias.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Samantha
- 12-04-18
Crooked
Very one sided story and not at all informative, a drawn out story with no real substance or help.