The back strikes back
“Many lower back problems are caused by the very athleticism that modern sports demand. ‘The forces involved in sports nowadays are enormous,’ Higgins says. ‘What you see in some of these sports are very powerful athletes creating high levels of extension and compression of the spine.’”
Twist and Ouch, by Gretchen Reynolds, NYT, October 28, 2007 (via)
Hm, I managed to get a herniated disc in my lower back without being a sports nut. At least my doc spotted the symptoms and got me x-rayed so I know it’s a herniated disc and not just my own personal failing of being fat and sedentary. Some good exercises in this article, the same ones I got in physical therapy, which helped me learn to live in my permanently damaged body. Permanent damage = true age. Sigh. Oh well, beats being dead.
