Please share a tip in the form of a haiku on back pain.

Patients: Patients with disc hernitations and disc bulges should avoid prolonged sitting and poor posture.

25%: 25% of your force transmission while standing goes through your abs, so be sure to work your core.

Change: Change positions frequently during the day. Breaks from sitting make a difference.

Heat: Take a hot shower or use a heating pad on the muscles. Then use transdermal magnesium and stretch.

Ice: Ice packs for inflammation and swelling; moist heat for muscle spasms and cramps.

Stress: Stress increases pain. Find ways to manage and channel your stress.

Increase: Increase your abdominal wall strength to protect your back.

Put: Put a pillow under and between bent knees when sleeping.

Stretching: Stretching and exercise really helps prevent and treat back pain.

Weight: Weight loss surgery often reduces back pain.

If: If you have no radiation of pain or numbness to your legs, you are not "pinching" a nerve!

Learn: Learn mckenzie exercises, and do stretching, but swimming may be the best approach of all.

Nobody: Nobody knows the agony; when bending or twisting over; unreleivably bad.

Learn: Learn to stretch. Don't stay immobile. Focus on other issues. Enjoy what you can when you can.

If: If you are a woman with very large breasts a breast reduction can sometimes cure back pain.

Ignore: Posture is important even if your back is not hurting. If hurting it is even more important.

Always: Always lift with legs. And items close to the body. Posture prevents pain.

If: If you are overweight, first thing which will help is significant loss of weight toward normal.

Keep: Keep away back pain by keeping your weight down, exercising your core muscles, & stretching daily.

Besides: Besides medications, consider physical therapy, epidural shots, magnetic therapy, acupuncture & yoga.

Spend: Spend time doing things you enjoy and that take the focus of your life away from pain.

A: A weight lifter's belt is often very protective of back injury, especially when lifting at home.

Stretch: Stretch and warm up back muscles prior to physical activity.

Very: Very slow, gentle yoga stretches will relieve muscle tightness, one cause of back pain.

Cool: Cool compresses can be helpful for relief of head and minor back pain. They can also help cool you!

Gravity: Gravity inversion tables are inexpensive and can help with degenerative disc disease & spasm.

Be: Be aware of good posture. Avoid heavy lifting. Bend with your knees. Get massage. Apply warm packs.

Do: Do pleasurable activities; sit & stand up straight; get a massage; engage in sports; think positively!

If: If you smoke: quit smoking to improve back pain and lessen disability.

DON'T: Don't do physical therapy on your own. Only with trained professional because form is important!

Yoga: Yoga is underrated. This is a fantastic way to help alleviate many patients chronic low back pain.

Never: Never lift anything heavy if you can get someone else to do it for you.