Back Pain: Foreword

Dear Reader,

Back pain is not a disease, but an alarm signal. It indicates that somewhere something is wrong. From the base of the skull to the coccyx (tail bone), back pain occurs for a variety of reasons. Everyone will experience back pain during their lifetime.

Back pain exceeding the normal and explicable muscle aches should be taken seriously, because in every case, the spinal column with its numerous connected moving segments are integrated with central nerve pathways and muscles. Back pain always causes movement restriction and is reflective of a transferred loading to compensate for problems, therefore setting up more severe future problems.

Spine orthopedics has made powerful progress in recent years. Nevertheless, a defective spinal column never can be restored to what it once was, so prevention of spinal disorders should be practiced.

This book gives the reader important information and management tools for preventing problems and changes of the spinal column. It also describes the connected muscle and nerve structures to give the reader a better understanding of the spine and back pain. It shows ways how everyone of us can obtain a strong spine and how parents can teach their children to walk erect. Whoever suffers from back pain, will get advice and help, and can begin some self-education in preparation in case any important decision must be made about an operation.

Prof. Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli