Before you blame your aching back on your aching back, consider that some of that pain might have a completely different cause. Among these are:
• A misaligned pelvis or too-tight hips
• A weak core. Not having the proper strength in your stomach and back can cause all sorts of back problems.
• An infection in the discs in your spine. New research from Denmark found that a large number of people with chronic back pain had an infection in their spines. A round of antibiotic treatment seemed to help.
• Repetitive motions such as shoveling snow or swinging a golf club.
• Sitting too long. More and more researchers are telling us that sitting too many hours a day is as bad as smoking.
• Too tight hamstrings.
The good news in all this is that small changes in habit and lifestyle will correct almost all of these issues. Properly done stretching and strengthening may be able to achieve as much as a surgeon every could. If you have been sedentary for a long time, do not rush into an exercise program. But see if a little bit of gentle work on your hamstrings, hips, and abdominal muscles helps. The link below has videos of exercises you can try.
