The How of Ow: Everyday Self-Care and the Art of Pain Relief

by Wanda Jean Swenson PT

Phoenix Century Press • 2019 • 250 pages
Book design, cover design, illustrations • Print and digital versions

The How of Ow is a self-care guide for aches and pains—both acute and chronic— based on mindful-body awareness. It provides simple exercises that can be done during work or play, while sitting or driving, in bed before sleep, and after waking. The “art” of pain relief is the practice of creatively applying these skills as needed from moment to moment.Using personal and professional narratives it gives the reader a better understanding of:

• The nature of pain.
• The timeline of healing.
• Why pain medication is ineffective for the treatment of chronic pain.
• What to do for effective early self-care of neuro-orthopedic aches and pains from head to toes (including body mechanics, tips on walking, and help with balance).
• Basic anatomy.

Wanda Jean Swenson is a PT with over 30 years of clinical experience and a lifetime of recovering from her own injuries, who has seen the dramatically different outcomes from early versus delayed self-care. Preventative care, early self-care, and education are seen as key to improving health care outcomes. Many people are without access to health care and even those with health insurance often have coverage that doesn’t include physical therapy or are delayed in getting to physical therapy. Written for the layperson and the health professional, the book has clear illustrations and is full of information. With its humorous and compassionate style, it’s a reference book, but also a good read.

Visit the website: https://www.thehowofow.com/.

Available on Amazon