This is a medical text book aimed at all health care professionals who care for patients with back pain. It is a book for health professionals about the understanding and management of back pain. It has become established as one of the leading examples of a biopsychosocial approach to medicine. It sets out to challenge unsubstantiated beliefs regarding the best way to treat and manage back pain and to create an interdisciplinary debate on the subject. Patients and society are demanding more effective approaches to this huge problem. This requires a radical rethink among professionals about their individual contributions to the problem. This book is about the revolution that is taking place in this area. Gordon Waddell is the world authority on the topic of the back pain revolution. The content addresses huge problems of concern to many disciplines and governments. The unbiased, open-minded view looks at the issues and the evidence and invites the readers to consider, debate, and agree on the best course of action. Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the problem offers both interventionist and conservative approaches to treatment, psychosocial issues, economic factors, patient education, and prevention. New chapter on Occupational Health Guidelines involving new co-author Chapters on Social Interactions and A New Clinical Model both completely rewritten Chapters on Clinical Guidelines and Information and Advice for Patients both completely rewritten with new co-authors Major new research findings incorporated throughout The 'message', the size of the book, the overall style, and the target audience are be unchanged from the successful first edition. The simple style and readability of the first edition has been carefully maintained.