Is Your Bad Back A Medical Problem?
By Dean Moyer
Author of Rebuild Your Back
Okay, I'll admit that my definition of a medical problem may be a little different than yours... but humor me for a moment while I explain.
You see, the way I look at it (as long as you don't have something serious causing your back pain such as a tumor or kidney disease) most back problems generally just boil down to a physical fitness issue.
In other words, it's a physical fitness problem that can lead to medical problems... but it's not a medical problem in and of itself and, therefore, it normally does not require a medical solution.
It's like obesity.
Obesity is not a medical problem. It's a physical fitness problem that can lead to medical problems such as arthritis or diabetes. But being overweight isn't the medical condition itself and there is no "cure" for obesity. It is only a state of poor physical health that opens the door to degenerative disease.
Just ask your doctor and I'm sure he will agree that -- if you eliminate the obesity -- you will often cure the medical problems caused by being overweight.
The Same Goes For a Bad Back or Neck
There is no cure for a bad back simply because it is not a medical condition. It is a state of poor physical fitness that opens the door to injury and disease. A weak back is an open invitation to strains and sprains. It leaves you vulnerable to injury and accelerates degenerative disc disease.
A weak, inactive back does nothing to counter the affects of aging and, furthermore, it does nothing to repair the scars of past mishaps.
But it is not a medical problem.
I know this is difficult for most people to accept at first because of the large number of seemingly healthy, physically fit individuals who have back problems.
Constructing a Bad Back
Just the other day a lady began telling me about her son's bad back and how back pain was affecting his work. When I explained the basic premise of my book I could tell right away she thought I was crazy. (You know how some people just get that look in their eye? Yeah, that's the one.)
She just could not believe that her big, burly son… who just happened to work construction for a living… was anything less than physically fit. She was just certain that I had to be wrong. And I fully understand her reaction, because I get it all the time.
But herein lies the problem. Big muscles and hard work don't automatically equate to a strong, healthy lower back. In fact, back pain is a sure sign that just the opposite is true.
What Have You Done For Your Back Lately?
The lower back is the most overlooked, misunderstood and neglected of all body parts when it comes to physical fitness training. Most people not only don't know how to properly exercise their lower back… they don't even think about it. (And the same can be said for the neck. Who seriously exercises their neck?)
Guys want broad shoulders, a thick chest and bulging biceps… but when was the last time you saw some guy standing in front of a mirror admiring his lower back?
Ladies go to the gym to lose weight or to develop shapely curves but a strong, healthy spine? It's just not glamorous enough to get any real attention until serious problems develop. And then, instead of realizing that we've simply been neglecting an important area of fitness… we foolishly go off seeking medical treatment for something that the doctor can't really do anything about.
NEXT: What the Doctor is For >
About the Author
Dean Moyer is the author of the books, Rebuild Your Back, Rebuild Your Neck and The Pain Relief Manual. Copies of his books are available exclusively through this website. Read more...
 Rebuild Your Back Second Edition |
 Rebuild Your Neck |
 The Pain Relief Manual |
Last updated: May 17, 2007