I haven't ridden my bike since Monday due to a "tweak" in my back that happened Tuesday morning. There I was, nearly ready to go and lift weights, when I turned to grab a tissue, and bro-o-o-i-i-n-g my lower back tensed up without warning (I never injure my back when doing heavy lifting or exercise - it's always random like this). So, I tried not to panic and basically went about my business (except that I didn't lift). I went to work, and did generally OK, except for some stiffness after sitting for any period. But Wednesday morning, my back was very stiff, and I ended up not going to work. It wasn't totally debilitating - I just couldn't stand the idea of driving my car. By lunchtime, when I had loosened up, I really just didn't have an interest in going to work. It's been getting progressively better the last couple of days, but I still am avoiding any hardcore workouts (I've been walking quite a bit). I hope to get a bike ride in this weekend.

All of this is much different than it used to be when I had a "back attack". I'd always miss at least a week of work, and would basically lay on the floor, flat on my back, watching TV or reading. It was always super-painful to stand up and move around. Well, a couple of things changed my mind about that sort of treatment. One, believe it or not, was Howard Stern, who reported how his doctor told him that his back pain was psycho-somatic and that his attitude had a lot to do with the pain. The other was a book I read at my in-laws a few years ago, I think it was called The Back Book, where the author said basically the same thing: so, you have a bad back -- deal with it. Don't let it freak you out. Accept it and move on. That's basically been my attitude ever since. I accept that I'm going to hose up my back occasionally, and when it happens I try to be as nonchalant about it as possible. I try to stay at least somewhat active. I think that works pretty well. I'm pretty sure that all my laying around when my back was messed up in the old days just contributed to the back being more stiff, and therefore more painful. Your mileage may vary.