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Fitness

Back Pain: The Hundred Billion Dollar Scam

If we told you that there was an enterprise that charges its customer base $100 billion annually and fails to deliver what it’s selling, you’d wonder how it could exist.

Mindith Rahmat

Written by Mindith Rahmat Last updated on August 14, 2017

If I told you that there was an enterprise that charges its customer base $100 billion annually and fails to deliver what it says it’s selling, you’d wonder how it could exist. If I then told you that the same enterprise causes irreparable physical damage to its clients, makes false promises, bends government policy to its will or sometimes breaks the law altogether, and gets people hooked on mind-altering drugs, you’d probably demand an immediate investigation and lengthy prison sentences for those involved.

But according to a new book by Cathryn Jakobson Ramin, that’s exactly what’s going on in the back pain industry. Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery is a landmark expose of the snake oil salesmen, charlatans, and other shady characters who have been promising relief, but making the problem worse for decades. An investigative journalist by trade, Cathryn’s exploration into the dark and bloody history of back pain treatment was motivated by her own lifelong suffering.

The research she presents is as jaw-dropping as some of the stories she tells from inside the industry, from sham procedures to downright greasy business practices, to lives ruined by poor practices and practitioners. But don’t lose heart: the second half of her book also details a variety of therapeutic approaches that are proven to work. Whether you’ve just thrown your back out or have dealt with chronic back pain for years, this is an episode that might just change your life.

Mindith Rahmat

About Mindith Rahmat

Mindith is a born mover. She has spent her life exploring various athletic disciplines, starting with ballet and modern dance from an early age. She went on to become a E-RYT 500 certified yoga therapist and teacher and discovered CrossFit after the birth of her daughter.

Mindith coached CrossFit at a number of boxes near her home in Southern California, which lead to her involvement in Russian kettlebells and Olympic weightlifting. She has coached a wide variety of populations and cares deeply for women’s health, specializing in pregnancy and postpartum fitness. She is currently studying the principles of Natural Movement and Kettlebell Sport, and is working to complete an additional teacher training in the Taoist art of Yin Yoga with Master Paulie Zink.

Mindith founded Breaking Muscle in 2011. Over 5 million people a month have visited the site, hundreds of thousands of them follow Breaking Muscle on social media, nearly 2,000 coaches have written or appeared on its pages, and there are thousands of free, fully-formed training plans freely available. Breaking Muscle has won numerous awards in the industry and is recognized for pioneering new approaches to fitness and coaching techniques. In 2021, Breaking Muscle was acquired by Barbend. Mindith continues to devote time to her kids, pursue her doctorate in psychology, do research, and teach.

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