Give your spine the support it needs Try exercises that
strengthen and stretch back, abdominal and leg muscles to keep
your back strong and healthy. By SALLY ANDERSON Published
February 27, 2007 "The spinal column is a long chain of bones.
The head sits on the top and you sit on the bottom." "Oh, my
aching back" . . . words that four out of five Americans can
expect to utter at some time. Back problems are thought to be
the most expensive "benign" health condition in America, costing
millions of lost workdays and billions in medical care and
disability payments. Humans have about 650 muscles in their
bodies, but as we age, the most prevalent and debilitating
muscle problems are those in the back. Even everyday movements
can affect the health of your back. As Dr. Ira Fisch, a Maryland
orthopedic surgeon specializing in spinal problems, notes, "You
could bend over to pick up a pencil and have the same problem as
someone who picks up a load of bricks." The basic problem we
face is that unconditioned muscles cann