Gift of Injury Paperback – Unabridged, January 1, 2017

This is an incredible book written by two experts in their respective fields coming together and sharing their collaboration and story.Brian Carroll's story is quite interesting. He was suffering from disc bulges, a crushed L5 vertebra, bone edema, and a massive sacrum fracture from his years of Powerlifting at an elite level.After searching for relief, failing to find it, and considering the possibility of surgery, Mr. Carroll found himself physically and mentally broken down in a parking lot. Thankfully, a client of his recommended he go see a spine expert located in Canada. In steps Dr. Stuart McGill. Through patience and dedication to getting better, the two were able to lead Mr. Carroll back to a pain free state. After becoming pain free, the two negotiated a strategy to rebuild Mr. Carroll's athleticism, eventually leading to a 1306 lbs squat!Mr. Carroll's story is a fascinating and engrossing read. The book is very insightful and laid out in a very well organized manner, from the athlete's story and injury, to the recovery process, to the programming. Coupled with colorful photos and tons of information backed by both Mr. Carroll's personal experience being an elite Powerlifter and Dr. McGill's extensive research and background in low back health and disorders, this book is a fantastic read that I highly recommend. Whether you're a person dealing with back pain, an athlete looking to ground their training and programming in effective approaches, or a lay person struggling with something in their life and needing an indication that things can get better, I think this book should be at the top of your list. Rather than pain being the end of something good, it can be the beginning of implementing healthy habits and movements that lead to something far better!

If you are struggling with back issues, you MUST HAVE this book. Three years ago, I was lucky enough to stumble across Dr. McGill and Brian Carroll on the internet right after I had an emergency lumbar surgery. Using this book along with Dr. McGill's book, "Back Mechanic," I was able to once again strength train in the gym even though the ER doctor told me I would never lift weights again. This book outlines Brian's journey from his devastating back injury to his return to the platform. Having such a HUGE passion for powerlifting, Brian also goes into detail discussing some of the mental/psychological challenges that he faced........this is a part of the book that I absolutely love and is something I always go back to when I'm struggling with recovery from an injury. Unfortunately, I suffered another back injury (due to the fact that I got away from these methods and once again thought I was invincible) and for the past few months, I have had the honor of working with Brian himself through his online consulting. Using the very same methods found in this book, Brian quickly got me out of pain and now we are working on rebuilding my core. Even though I am working with Brian directly, I still refer to this book almost weekly for either core training tips or a mental pick-me-up. Even if you do not have back problems, I still HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is into strength training. This book will instruct you on how to move your body properly and build "the core of iron" which will greatly reduce your risk of injury while lifting.

I started working out when I was 11 years old and aspired to be a bodybuilder ever since I can remember. It has been my love and passion. Then last year I was in a car accident resulting in six disc bulges throughout my spine and some tears. At the time I felt lost, I would watch every YouTube video I could find on spine health and rehabilitation and then I came across Stuart Mcgill’s videos and saw Brian Caroll’s story. I had ordered the Back Mechanic and started reading it then I reached out to Brian and he had recommended me the Gift of Injury. Before reading his book I was seeing a physical therapist which was making my injuries worse. The approach that they had was very general and non-specific. After reading Brian’s book I took it into my own hands to do my own rehab. His book took me from feeling completely lost to having belief I can do this. It was really empowering to see how he went through dealing with traditional medicine and finding the correct help and not giving in. It can be really tough finding the right help with the traditional medical system where most just want to treat a symptom and manage pain and not addressing the core issue. It can leave you feeling frustrated and not knowing where to go. I used his book to dial down my pain sensitivity, define my sport and understand the demands it will take and put together a solid plan. He lays out his complete recovery and shows you how to apply it to your own. It led me from being full of pain, having trouble with walking and having loss of sensation throughout my body to being in the gym again. I’m still on the journey now and I’ve had my set backs sometimes but then I always go back to the basics from the book and has me moving forward again. Thank you Brian for sharing your story! And I highly recommend the Gift of Injury to anyone who has a spine! And Back Mechanic as well!

This book gave me hope