lower back pain

I have lower back pain and it’s affecting my ability to enjoy surfing. What’s the solution? I think I got this from lifting weights in an attempt to build more muscle. Yoga? Acupunctor? Pain killers? Massage? Chiropractor? Massage? Help.

Same thing happens to me, but only when I longboard. The reason: my body contorts, but the board doesn’t give (as I paddle over waves, etc.). ON a shortboard, the board will sink and rise with your changing body position. But, you want solutions. Stretch a lot, tread water beside your board while waiting for sets, take some Advil before you surf, and eat a banana an hour before you surf. The potassium keeps your muscles from cramping. And always remember, your back and stomach muscles need to be in equilibrium. Both need exercise. If either one is stronger than the other, it causes cramping from over compensation. Also, email Doc Reneker in Ocean Beach up in San Francisco. I don’t know his exact email address, but Sam George at Surfer Magazine will give it to you, no problem. His (Sam) email is in every Surfer Magazine.Hope that helps. Mark Reneker is a big wave rider, doctor, and anti wave runner dude that is very well respected in the upper Central California area (Nor Cal starts above the Bay).

Same thing happens to me, but only when I longboard. The reason: my body > contorts, but the board doesn’t give (as I paddle over waves, etc.). ON a > shortboard, the board will sink and rise with your changing body position. > But, you want solutions. Stretch a lot, tread water beside your board > while waiting for sets, take some Advil before you surf, and eat a banana > an hour before you surf. The potassium keeps your muscles from cramping. > And always remember, your back and stomach muscles need to be in > equilibrium. Both need exercise. If either one is stronger than the other, > it causes cramping from over compensation. Also, email Doc Reneker in > Ocean Beach up in San Francisco. I don’t know his exact email address, but > Sam George at Surfer Magazine will give it to you, no problem. His (Sam) > email is in every Surfer Magazine.Hope that helps. Mark Reneker is a big > wave rider, doctor, and anti wave runner dude that is very well respected > in the upper Central California area (Nor Cal starts above the Bay). I’ve recently been out of action with back problems, and have spent the last 3 months having some heavy duty physiotherapy. I was really shocked, having had a scan, of the damage, down at the base of my spine. Due to prolonged sitting in front of computer screens (sadly my job) the discs become de-hydrated, less flexible and therefore do not function properly. I caused two anular tears in the discs, by just picking up my 9’ 6 off the sand, it took 1 hr and alot of sweating and swearing, just to get my wettie off!! So, where am I going with this? Well, I went to the gym 3 times a week, swimming, weights etc and had great physique. But what I was lacking, was core stability. The muscles which support your spine, and keep everything in place. So, as well as doing gym work, try some Pilates, and Yoga, which strengthen those core muscles. Try to learn some stretching work, to regain flexibilty, its amazing how un-flexible we can become. But. before you try any of the above, get checked out properly.I would be careful taking pain killers before you surf, as it could mask more serious problems, you could be doing damage and not feel it. Good luck to you sir. Peaman

Up until a few months ago, I paddled by constricting my lower back muscles to help balance out the movement of my arms. WRONG!!! Took some advice from a chiropractor buddy and now I tighten my stomach muscles when I paddle. And let me tell it has made a great deal of difference. I no longer get as tired after a few hours in the water, and I feel that I am a stronger paddler. Reason for this is that the stomach muscles, the front abs, and side obliques are (when in decent condition) much more powerful a set of muscles that tthe lower lumbar back muscles. And by not using the proper set of muscles you rob yourself of power and resort to over stressing the back muscles. Hope that helps.

forgive my audacity . … but it’s true . … you can even only come once and i will tell you enough advice then and show you . … so that you can take care of it yourself the rest of your days . … been working on bodies for . . … forever let’s say . … I know what I am doing . … but live in L.A., maybe you don’t . … I guess you could call me a body worker . . but I am more serious than that . … not overpriced . … and not soliciting either . … but whenever I see a comment like that, since I can fix it . … and know about it, I pipe up.

stressing the back muscles . … in general . … with most people … it is because they never connected with them in the first place . . and so those in particular, the lower sacral and thoracic spinal muscles . … as well as the upper . … they’re depleted and undeveloped. Look at the back of a Russian dancer . … and/or . (please forgive anyone misunderstanding this next comment, it is actually a compliment of the genetics of this racial influence, not a racist comment) a black person . … you will see a decent sized groove surrounding their spinal column . … the deeper that groove goes in the more development coming UP and OUT, AWAY from the vertebrae - that the spinal muscles has. AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET THOSE MUSCLES IS THE CONTRACTION OF BACKWARD BENDING, something the medical establishment warned against for years and years and years. Always talking as if our spines were so fragile and one move and you would be paralyzed. If you were older, my gosh . . .you shouldn’t drop your head backwards … it might split the discs open . … etc. etc. It was bull and it has been completely reversed now, the only way those muscles contract is by arching . … and the more arching one does, the more the groove develops and then those muscles make the stomach look like nothing . … believe me . … mother nature . … or whomever … by the year 2002 . … has evolved us and siphoned us down to a species that is born with the potential of very very very strong spinal muscles … it is just this society that thinks it knows better than she. Shoes . … the complete binding of the feet . … cement . … and everything in the usage of the body being forward bending, which is contraction of the stomach muscles, and if they were such a supreme set of muscles one might think they would show alot more muscle tone for being contracted forward as they are almost 90% of the time . … no . . … .the spinal muscles are the best ones. … they insert into the largest muscle group in the body . … which is why they do . …because that large muscle group, the gluts … is there precisely to give foundation to the arch of the spinal muscles . … the butt is the shelf that stops the spinals from arching us over backwards . … anyway . … yeah use the stomach contracted while you paddle . … but better yet to use both evenly, sometimes arching up with your whole chest and head and neck up and off of the board and sometimes the opposite … yoga will work . … but it should be good strong backward bending yoga … not just the kind that wrings the legs and arms out.

forgive my audacity . … but it’s true . … you can even only come once > and i will tell you enough advice then and show you . … so that you can > take care of it yourself the rest of your days . … been working on > bodies for . . … forever let’s say . … I know what I am doing . … but > live in L.A., maybe you don’t . … I guess you could call me a body > worker . . but I am more serious than that . … not overpriced . … and > not soliciting either . … but whenever I see a comment like that, since I > can fix it . … and know about it, I pipe up. Which part of the body do you pipe up? Which part of your body do you use? Why can I only come once? have fun [blush]

I have lower back pain and it’s affecting my ability to enjoy surfing. > What’s the solution? I think I got this from lifting weights in an attempt > to build more muscle.>>> Yoga? Acupunctor? Pain killers? Massage? Chiropractor? Massage?>>> Help. wavelust- The Surfers Journal had a very interesting article specific to your condition, Vol.3, No.1, Spring 1994, "Dr. Tim Brown/ interview by Brian Gillogly. It featured many surfers, past and present, who have suffered chronic back pain, serious spinal injuries, and what theyve done about it. Worth checking out. Dale

I’ve recently been out of action with back problems, and have spent the > last 3 months having some heavy duty physiotherapy. I was really shocked, > having had a scan, of the damage, down at the base of my spine. Due to > prolonged sitting in front of computer screens (sadly my job) the discs > become de-hydrated, less flexible and therefore do not function properly. > I caused two anular tears in the discs, by just picking up my 9’ 6 off the > sand, it took 1 hr and alot of sweating and swearing, just to get my > wettie off!! So, where am I going with this? Well, I went to the gym 3 > times a week, swimming, weights etc and had great physique. But what I was > lacking, was core stability. The muscles which support your spine, and > keep everything in place. So, as well as doing gym work, try some Pilates, > and Yoga, which strengthen those core muscles. Try to learn some > stretching work, to regain flexibilty, its amazing how un-flexible we can > become. But. before you try any of the above, get checked out properly.I > would be careful taking pain killers before you surf, as it could mask > more serious problems, you could be doing damage and not feel it.>>> Good luck to you sir.>>> Peaman Lots of good advice here but I feel compelled to add to this subject since it is within my field of study. Its been my observation that most regular surfers have sufficient tone and strength in their back nuscles, it’s the muscles of the lower abdomen and abdominal floor that often need attention. See a yoga instructor or trainer if needed for help with special interest in the transverse abdominis muscle. Also, scoliosis (curving and twisting of the spine) can predispose someone to back problems, especially in the area of the quadratus lumborum muscles. Be sure your Dr. checks for this condition. For all those who have to sit for long periods at work, this is unfortunately one of the very worst things one can do for their backs. It’s been a while since I researched this but I believe the numbers go like this: when lying down with knees slightly bent, the axial or downward pressure exerted through the spine is 1x, when standing this pressure increases to 3x(three times the pressure lying down), when sitting this pressure increases to 7x! The answer? Maybe standing or recumbant computer work stations

I try, whenever possible (wave and board conditions), to alternate paddling with knee paddling.

so versatile in the fact that there are so many positions that you guys have to vary in just one session . … my old guy who started at between 8 and 13 surfing . … and became world champion . … through alot of work . … man oh man did I watch those knee bumps get bigger and bigger as the years went on . … but they are gone now . … the body is amazing . … it will try to grow you armor and then it will adjust to when you don’t need it - it’s a beautiful sport and I believe surfers help to keep care alive for our oceans . … it’s too bad . …things like those 45 whales wanting to die . … I am hoping environment is not that instrumental there . … I wandered . … knee callouses … they’re funny - hope they don’t hurt

Lots of good advice here but I feel compelled to add to this subject since > it is within my field of study. Its been my observation that most regular > surfers have sufficient tone and strength in their back nuscles, it’s the > muscles of the lower abdomen and abdominal floor that often need > attention. See a yoga instructor or trainer if needed for help with > special interest in the transverse abdominis muscle. Also, scoliosis > (curving and twisting of the spine) can predispose someone to back > problems, especially in the area of the quadratus lumborum muscles. Be > sure your Dr. checks for this condition. For all those who have to sit for > long periods at work, this is unfortunately one of the very worst things > one can do for their backs. It’s been a while since I researched this but > I believe the numbers go like this: when lying down with knees slightly > bent, the axial or downward pressure exerted through the spine is 1x, when > standing this pressure increases to 3x(three times the pressure lying > down), when sitting this pressure increases to 7x! The answer? Maybe > standing or recumbant computer work stations and forgive me sir . … but I challenge you on the man-made term of scoliosis, or loradosis. . … or kyphosis . … . I challenge quite a few medical terms . … since they are merely words made up by a man . … to supposedly stereotype and categorize something that so much more dynamically intelligent than man, has created and evolved and adjusted and twiqued . … in order to survive this length of time. Just recently . … medical jargon categorized a man with a slow pulse . … as being in need of hospitalization . … not very long ago women were hospitalized and millions were given unnecessary hysterectomys - the same is now being revealed about all knee surgeries, lower spinal column laminectomys, and hip surgeries. The diagnosis there??? The findings categorically prove that these treatments do not work! These treatments have been therapies diagnosed and recommended . … for conditions such as you described as scoliosis. Now I am not desputing that there are mutations of the body due to malformation perhaps while the infant is being nourished . … but I am disputing a condition of the spinal column that I have seen be so reversible - upon development of the spinal muscles … and these terms so so so so often DO NOT describe anything but some man’s ego a while back . … who wanted to give his name or his term or some greek term to something that was transitory . … and upon naming it, it became then some genetic supposed disease. “Hammer toe” is the same . … there are countless others. The back is so so so much stronger and so much more agile, into much later years than we have ever imagined - that to propagate fear about the body, and timidity and cautious diagnosis . … I rale against I must admit. You were not doing that . … I don’t mean this towards you . … but anyone who has a pain in their back . … do not think of it as something indicating that there is something wrong with your back. Either check if you have too much weight on your front, and no stomach muscle tone does not offset weight imbalance - you can do a million sit ups . . and if you have too much gut, it doesn’t matter, it still pulls your spinal nerves out of alignment and yes, will tweak you in the pain area. But most recently the most advanced spinal information is coming from a radical institute on the east coast that instead of cautiously treating people like they are old and can not move the spine, they are taking ex-laminectomy patients - who have had no pain relief whatsoever upon coming from that surgery, and they are drilling them on the roman chair, and hyperextensions and crucially arching and demanding much more “feeling” tolerance in those spinal muscles. so that eventually people who have never “felt” what is feels like to have sore spinal muscles, due to exercising them - now realize . . .that sore spinal muscles does not equate with spinal paralysis, or spinal disintegration, etc. Rather it is lactic acid build-up in spinal muscles that have never been worked out. And this pain tolerance or this pain adjustment, is working on these people. And these are not treatments that pay any attention whatsoever . . .to diagnosis of “scoliosis”. Which almost all of us have to some degree if you measure the fact that the spinal column IS SUPPOSED TO BE CURVED!!! Hello!!! that is why there are 7 cervical, 12 thoracic and 7 lumbar and 5 sacral . … or whatever . … separate and moving separately spinal vertebrae. So now kind gentleman , enlighten us as to what your quadratus whatever is, please.

but not really . … quite catchy . … Coral I don’t pipe up the body . … I work on it . … and I work really hard on it . … and I instruct a bit and try to inform - so that someone might be able to get enough information to help - if they will perhaps try some different stretches and/or exercises. I would be happy to work on you . … I am sure there are people here on this board, that might suggest to me . … possible solutions I could try with you … perhaps put just a bit more care in your life . … just a bit … so that you won’t require this attention that you receive that is really only temporary and not very satisfying when it comes to actually feeling cared for, this that you get in trying to be so stupidly cute. It lasts for too short a time, doesn’t it Coral. It really isn’t that much fun, is it. It’s good you realize this … you’ll change things then.

but not really . … quite catchy . … Coral I don’t pipe up the body . > … I work on it . … and I work really hard on it . … and I instruct a > bit and try to inform - so that someone might be able to get enough > information to help - if they will perhaps try some different stretches > and/or exercises. I would be happy to work on you . … I am sure there are > people here on this board, that might suggest to me . … possible > solutions I could try with you … perhaps put just a bit more care in > your life . … just a bit … so that you won’t require this attention > that you receive that is really only temporary and not very satisfying > when it comes to actually feeling cared for, this that you get in trying > to be so stupidly cute. It lasts for too short a time, doesn’t it Coral. > It really isn’t that much fun, is it. It’s good you realize this … > you’ll change things then. Me, you say that just because you have pain in your back, it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong? Mmmmmm. You see, in my paticular case, I have seen the evidence from the MRI scan that I had. I can see the two offending discs which are bulging and the two anular tears in them. I will get better, stronger and more flexible. I will work the inner core muscles, and make them strong. I know nothing of your background sir, or the ways in which you help work peoples bodies, or help them to help themselves. But when you say ‘I am the solution’(and I say it with the up most respect) isn’t that wandering into the realms of playing God? Also, why call Coral stupidly cute? Your opinions sound incredibly interesting (kind of like Dr Pirsig? the Zen guy) but come across frustrated. I think, if you have different ideas on the way the human body responds in certain situations,then fantastic, you have a very special gift.

Quadratus Lumborum muscles. The Q L ’ s run parallel to the spine , and are important for lateral movement. My physical Therapy has focused on the Q L’s and all of the hip flexor muscles. Sometimes ligament damage , or a tear create great instability DoubleJay 's got it right.

and forgive me sir . … but I challenge you on the man-made term of > scoliosis, or loradosis. . … or kyphosis . … . I challenge quite a > few medical terms . … since they are merely words made up by a man . … > to supposedly stereotype and categorize something that so much more > dynamically intelligent than man, has created and evolved and adjusted and > twiqued . … in order to survive this length of time. Just recently . … > medical jargon categorized a man with a slow pulse . … as being in need > of hospitalization . … not very long ago women were hospitalized and > millions were given unnecessary hysterectomys - the same is now being > revealed about all knee surgeries, lower spinal column laminectomys, and > hip surgeries. The diagnosis there??? The findings categorically prove > that these treatments do not work! These treatments have been therapies > diagnosed and recommended . … for conditions such as you described as > scoliosis. Now I am not desputing that there are mutations of the body due > to malformation perhaps while the infant is being nourished . … but I am > disputing a condition of the spinal column that I have seen be so > reversible - upon development of the spinal muscles … and these terms > so so so so often DO NOT describe anything but some man’s ego a while back > . … who wanted to give his name or his term or some greek term to > something that was transitory . … and upon naming it, it became then some > genetic supposed disease. “Hammer toe” is the same . … there > are countless others. The back is so so so much stronger and so much more > agile, into much later years than we have ever imagined - that to > propagate fear about the body, and timidity and cautious diagnosis . … I > rale against I must admit. You were not doing that . … I don’t mean > this towards you . … but anyone who has a pain in their back . … do not > think of it as something indicating that there is something wrong with > your back. Either check if you have too much weight on your front, and no > stomach muscle tone does not offset weight imbalance - you can do a > million sit ups . . and if you have too much gut, it doesn’t matter, it > still pulls your spinal nerves out of alignment and yes, will tweak you in > the pain area. But most recently the most advanced spinal information is > coming from a radical institute on the east coast that instead of > cautiously treating people like they are old and can not move the spine, > they are taking ex-laminectomy patients - who have had no pain relief > whatsoever upon coming from that surgery, and they are drilling them on > the roman chair, and hyperextensions and crucially arching and demanding > much more “feeling” tolerance in those spinal muscles. so that > eventually people who have never “felt” what is feels like to > have sore spinal muscles, due to exercising them - now realize . . .that > sore spinal muscles does not equate with spinal paralysis, or spinal > disintegration, etc. Rather it is lactic acid build-up in spinal muscles > that have never been worked out. And this pain tolerance or this pain > adjustment, is working on these people. And these are not treatments that > pay any attention whatsoever . . .to diagnosis of “scoliosis”. > Which almost all of us have to some degree if you measure the fact that > the spinal column IS SUPPOSED TO BE CURVED!!! Hello!!! that is why > there are 7 cervical, 12 thoracic and 7 lumbar and 5 sacral . … or > whatever . … separate and moving separately spinal vertebrae. So now > kind gentleman , enlighten us as to what your quadratus whatever is, > please. Wow, try to help and you get attacked. Initially considered you not worth a reply since Easternpacific backed me up, but your valley-girlish “Hello!!!” called me out. Of course the spine is natually curved, anteriorly to posteriorly that is(front to back). However, there is not supposed to be much of a curve from side to side. This is scoliosis, an underlying cause of muscular imbalance and resulting back pain for a lot of people. Sorry you never heard of it. Did you go to Life College?

Coral is the intentionally stupidly cute character dreamed up by a regular here at Swaylocks. I find that good old bend-over-n-grunt work strengthens my back muscles immensely. Planting plants, working on cars. The idea is to move to differing back poses in the outdoor heat. At first the back complains. Sometimes I even have to lay off for a while with some ibuprofen. But then my back gets stronger. I also lose weight. Where individual diagnosis may not be wise, on a broad scale “Me” is right on. My grandmother always told me “Your internal organs aren’t supposed to carry your weight. Your back is supposed to carry your weight.” I’ve talked to lots of people with ruptured disks. Every case of ruptured disk I’ve ever come across, the person was overweight and trying to lift large heavy objects. Put a foot of fat between your back and the weight, and it can’t do you any good. You have to wrap your backbone around the object and your own fat in order to balance over your feet. Hello? Backs won’t do that. Funny how westerners’ lives were once consumed with this type of work before air conditioning, indoor work, computers and television. Now we use our backs less, and everybody’s backs hurt …odd! It’s a syndrome with America’s new fat, sedentary population. We can’t do physical work because we’re too fat. We can’t skinny down because we’re too fat to work. The solution? Denial. Blame the person who tells us the truth. Say, are you gunna eat that other twinkie?

I guess you didn’t notice that I paid respect to your other moron medical terms of “kyphosis” and “loradosis” … bet you’re one of those types who might be termed a “mesamorph” huh . … short and squatty . … hey is this one of your elaborately intelligent medical diagnostic terms . … . .huh . … scoliosis . … . …hey it’s all fine to me . … whatever you want to believe in . … I am sure you can manifest - personally I like terminology that hasn’t been coined a hundred years ago . … by some dickbrain . … who wanted to assign a label . … you know . … surfer dood, sort of like your valley girl . … well it’s obvious you like labels

appreciative of Noodles insight and wit . … laughter . … the best probably the best for the back and more, Peaman, way way too fast of a response from me when I wrote out “I am the answer” - don’t believe that . . . and Coral forgive my frustration . … sounded like you were trying to attach sexual overtones to my phraseology - I know I know - not a word. Anyway sometimes I have read some of your comments and they’re like . . . . well anyway who am I to judge. BUT as a matter of fact, had a doctor, a definite M.D. diagnosed by the MRI - as having a herniated disk - longtime client but hadn’t seen him for a while - he’s over here within a week of pulling that sucker and having the expensive machine give him that diagnosis . . … and I spend 3 to 4 hours on him - yeah it’s alot . . . yeah it’s hot . … and by the time I am thru he can do the plow almost as well as hyperextend . … and yes the ache still goes down the leg in exactly the way I explain to him WHY it goes there and how it was pulled out - the disk - and he knows my complete refusal to accept diagnosis and has as a doctor admitted that yes there have been plenty of recorded times where an xray will take a pic of the body and perhaps within hours the body has manifested something different. . … . my point being . … is the integration into your brain since you were a child, and told to respect these machines and their supposed finite picture of a particular instance in your body . … as being some finite state of affairs that means something in particular per your body - WHEN THE VERY FACT THAT SINCE YOU WERE A BOY THE MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT HAS CHANGED ITS OPINION ABOUT DISCS AND ABOUT THE SPINAL CORD AND ABOUT NERVE CELL REGENERATION AND ABOUT A MILLION OTHER THINGS - like muscle cells and brain cells (which excuse me is just another “nerve” cell - . … excuse me but . . … 50 years from now they will be looking at us and going . … “they actually cut into the body back then”. Our machines, our ways of attacking the body and “diagnosing” it - of labeling it with terms that often - so very very often - years later - have proven to be valueless terms - and in cases where people don’t accept those terms - the statistics back up the better control they have over how and what course their body takes - I realize this is all a bit too fluffy . … but the truth of the matter is I practice it non-fluffily everyday . … and have worked on bodies for 25 years . … 93 year old bodies and 10 year old bodies . … and they all change . … and do according to . . . actually I hate to sound this stupid - but they change according to how the person really wants them to change. And that applies to that 93 year old whose body I went over with a fine tooth comb for hours and hours . . .for 10 years straight . … and their was still bone regeneration and muscle upkeep going on strong is this person . … I guess I would have to say that your “tears” that you have seen . … I don’t doubt that you believe in them … but I say to you . … bone and nerves and all of it - is tissue . … living breathing and circulating tissue … and it can change in the most astonishing ways . … according to how it is used . … and the usage of some areas in some people - is drastically altered the minute they believe in something that sends FEAR through them . … FEAR is a more overpowering condition or state of belief than any diagnosis is . … but that is what diagnosis usually does . … it first says "Get ready now , , , , tighten up . … grit down . … and hear how weak something of yours supposedly is . … " and you can be damn sure by the time that little sucker has gotten into alot of people’s brains . … the circulation going through that tissue, in that particular area . … has just jammed up . … bigtime . … and without circulation, blood with nutrients, lymph with white defense cells, and drainage . … gas that fills up joints and makes them tight and pops out when their joints . … excuse me . … pass wind . … everything . … all of it . … biochemicals that are more powerful than drugs . … hormones that can change tissue within hours . … amazing things that we do not even know about yet . … because we are still only using just a part of the brain. Well I say to you sir . … at 15 . … I saw through my skin . … the capillaries and the blood flow . … and the tissue . … now birds have mercury insertions in their cells for navigation . … and other animals have cellular insertions that give them xray vision and/or night vision . . .and sometimes with color and sometimes not . … well we have all of it . … we have abilities that we have shut down . . and that we haven’t tapped into . … it’s proven over and over as time goes on, that the human body is capable of more and more, the more you give it . . .the more it takes. . … Lance Armstrong . … and everyday instances of people surviving unbelievable stuff . … Sounds a bit fluffy . … don’t have a machine to back up any picture of it . … but the mind . … heh . … the mind . … in cahoots with the body . … is a very very very powerful machine . … I suggest to you . … you LOSE that diagnosis . … that you seem to covet a bit too much . … ah that was harsh . … don’t mean it . … but just like I think biochemicals that allow our brains to go to places that probably they would be able to go to if we still had the natural pharmacy around us plant-wise . … I believe we have been sold a slew of goods . … that are very very beneath our capacity for dimensional thought - and then again . … I struggled and sweated over a paraplegic for a couple of years . … that’s a heavy one to try and transcend with fluff . … but this guy lived in a airplane hanger . … and the airplane was his legs . … and he sometimes said he felt stuff and sometimes he didn’t . … but I was convinced at the end . . .that spinal paralysis . … and nerve cell regeneration . … we are right there . … . we are a sliver away from it . … so a torn annular fibrosis . … ah me that wasn’t it . … hey . … the disk is essentially fluid . … it fills up and it plumps up some space back between the vertebrae (hey we are 70 % fluid, we mirror the earth, we boil down to the same raw basic elements of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen - start to look at yourself from a broader horizon . … that bone was once soft tissue that just more calcium eventually went into . … if it did it once . … it can still do it . … )you are constantly filling up and healing yourself all day long . … take away the stress the body has from digesting food … and the powers it has extra . … ??? alot . … alot . … food does not keep man alive . … past 20 … … it’s the brain . … and the basic nutrients . … the rest is dreams . … hopefully . … I say dream your body into what state you want . … sometimes it works . … sometimes it doesn’t . …

you say about "not supposed to be much of a curve from side to side . … " Ardha-Chandrasana is its official name . … and it goes back hundreds of years . … a yoga pose . … that uses the INFRASPINITIS or spinal muscles as you so oddly term the quadratus lumborum . … let’s see my $200 dollar UCLA Anatomy book here with Japanese photography on all real tissue, it also does not have your odd term . … hey so what . … I am the one NOT for terms . … but you’re wrong. The spine can take plenty of sideward curve, Half Moon Pose is held with the upper body being completely laid out sideways from the lower body . … with the arms completely held up - which demands the lower and middle spinal muscles hold the body in balance. A snake . … depends completely on his spinal muscles . … your term scoliosis is the LACK of spinal muscles and so the bones are displaying to unusual degrees . … but it merely is a observational temporary description . … .and a person can change it. It is not a condition unless the person chooses to try and NOT change it. But it is not a condition that is genetic . … or valid . … or anything. I would suggest saying weak spinal muscles . … but not scoliosis. This is what you say . … forgive me but read it again . … you actually say scoliosis is an underlying cause of muscular imbalance. Hey DB, it is not the cause of it . … it might be a fancy term that only MEANs muscular imbalance, like I said, it is LACK of spinal development. And you are talking as if muscular imbalance comes later . . . after bone imbalance . … uh . … life college . . is that where they taught you that BONES are first developed before muscle tissue ??? . . . Because they are a more concentrated laying down of calcium and minerals in tissue that WAS AT FIRST Muscular tissue . … . and Bones are completely dependent upon muscle for their alignment . … .so a term suggesting a condition that is quite changeable per muscular development, is NOT a term that finitely describes a muscular condition. oR A bone condition for that matter. Think about it, DB Your sentence: "Of course the spine is natually curved, anteriorly to posteriorly that is(front to back). However, there is not supposed to be much of a curve from side to side. This is scoliosis, an underlying cause of muscular imbalance and resulting back pain for a lot of people. "