Lower back pain.
Lower back pain affects nearly all of us at some stage of our active adult life. It is therefore one of the most common health problems afflicting mankind. It can follow an event or can just accompany aging (and I’m not talking about old age here: many people first encounter recurring or chronic back pain in their thirties, and a sizable number encounter it much earlier). It can be called by many names. Among these are fibrositis, fibromyalgia, slipped disc, degenerative disc disease, arthritis of the lower back, rheumatism, lumbago. When the pain extends into the leg, it is called sciatica.
To most people with lower back pain, the cause of their pain is a mystery. Often it starts without warning and for no obvious reason. It interferes with the most simple activities of living, activities that, until the back pain began, the person took for granted. Activities as simple as walking, sitting, and standing. Less simple activities, such as participating in sports or driving a car or participating in family events, become less pleasant or even unpleasant; often they are avoided. Lower back pain also interferes with the critical “non-activity” of getting a good night’s sleep.
Then, just as unexpectedly, the pain subsides or disappears entirely. When in acute (recent, sharp) pain, we are usually unable to think in a calm, deliberate manner about our trouble. Our mind is focused on getting relief. On the other hand, as soon as we have recovered from an acute episode, most of us quickly forget our lower back problems. (Certainly there are other things to think about, other responsibilities to undertake!)
Therefore, once we have developed recurring back pain, we can do nothing but seek assistance, time and again, to become pain-free. Due to a lack of knowledge and understanding, we’ve been unable to deal with symptoms when they are present, and until now we have had no way of preventing future symptoms.
