The comical response is, "So don't do that!!!" If what makes "it" hurt is standing, sitting, or especially, breathing, we are in trouble. For back pain sufferers, all these things and many others are painful. Back pain sufferers are forced to change their lives when they are "down in the back". Favorite activities become memories and busy people can be stopped dead in their tracks by back pain.

In the past, some doctors suggested extended bed rest as a prescription for back pain. If one says that now, don't believe it! New information proves that bed rest can actually slow down the healing process. There is indication, according to the US Agency for Healthcare Policy, that light, low-stress exercises like walking, swimming, and cycling are much preferable to bed rest in the healing process.

The agency's panel concluded that back surgery is suggested too early and too often. Surgery has a high complication rate and a low success rate. Medications may help the pain short term but do little to correct the underlying problem.

Too much dry heat on the hurt area can also be bad. Heat can increase inflammation which dries out tissues and can hinder healing. Moist heat, as in a 15 minute hot shower, may be useful. Cold, 10 minutes on the hour, is usually a much better option and can help reduce swelling in the part of the back that hurts. The pain is less, but we still need to evaluate why it hurts...

So, instead of a "So, don't do that!!!" joke answer, try this one on for size:

Often back pain is the result of messed up body "mechanics". Back pain in children and adults can be caused by specific types of musculoskeletal dysfunction. One or more bones of the spine become misplaced from their normal position. The muscles and nerves attached or associated with this damaged portion of the spine become spastic or too loose. These malfuctioning body parts can not help the body work correctly. Pain is one of the symptoms.

This muscle/bone dysfunction is commonly corrected in chiropractic offices. There are a variety of terms for this condition including vertebral subluxation complex, non-allopathic lesion, neuromusculoskeletal disorder, and spinal misalignment. Regardless of the name, this is the cause of much of the world's back pain. And chiropractic is the answer.

The real response to, "Doctor, it only hurts when I do this..." is for your chiropractor to reply, "Come on over here. Let me check your spine".