You should always rest a bad back: Moderate exercise is essential to build and maintain strength and flexibility in the spine, improving posture and protecting you from any further pain. While total rest may seem like a good way to recover often continuing moderate physical activity will help in the long run. Your local chiropractor will be able to advise on what is right for you. Back or neck pain is simply part of the ageing process: While ageing can have an impact on your back health, back or neck pain can occur at any age. Maintaining good health into later years and being aware of how to preserve one of our body's most important assets, the back, is important in allowing us to maintain activity levels. The BCA has advice on how to protect your back at any age. Back or neck pain is not common: Back and neck pain is very common, and statistics have shown that 80 per cent of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. The spine can be injured easily: The spine is actually one of the strongest parts of your body and is designed to be strong. Like any other part of your body though, taking good care of it is essential to allow it to do its job effectively for as long as possible. A slipped disc means a disc has slipped out of your spine: The discs are circular pads of connective tissue - cartilage - in between each vertebra in your back. These discs have an inner gel-like substance and a tough outer case. They help maintain your back's flexibility and wide range of movement. A slipped disc means that one of the discs of cartilage in the spine is damaged and possibly extruding, irritating or pressing on the nerves. It can also be known as a prolapsed or herniated disc. Pain killers can cure back pain: Most back pain is 'mechanical' in nature so, even though painkillers can be helpful, some sort of mechanical, hands on treatment involving movement/exercise is more likely to help manage the problem and reduce recurrence. Source
