The Washington times., 1916-04-15
What "Crick'
In Your Back
May NJ e a n
By DIR. L. X. HIRSHBERG.


|THERE ia nothing so certain as a
backache to confirm the old saw
that 1T Is better to wear out
tnan to rust out" Those who
suffer most with enduring '1umba gos''-
as backaches are, sometimes called-are
usually persons who lead an inactive
life. or have sedentary occupations.
Athletes. men who labor by the sweat
OF their brow, and the aggressive,
muscular agile type of the human tribe.
seldom suffer long from stitches in the
SIDE" or from chronic backaches. True
T. is that men with hoes. dggers OF
ditchos and those who bend much In one
posture may occasionally feel 'crick'
/ In tho small OF the back. but the trou-
BILE is then easily traceable to the occu-
patton. SO numerous. however. are the
origins and starting points OF aches
almost anything from fiat feet TO house
maids knee, from childbirth to sway
| sources.
Detormation Of the spine. tuberculosis
Of the knee and of the vertebra. and
| analogous disorders OF the backbone are
not by any means common causes OF
these aches. The habit Of standing too
mucn on one leg with more than half OF
counts perceptlbly for pains in the
smalI' OF some backs.
What Research Shows.
In their experimental study Of GER
tain phases OF chronic backaches. Drs.
Edward Reynolds and r. w. Lovett.
two distinguished orthepedic surgeons
OF Boston, discovered that by far the
greatest number Of backaches belong to
fatigue and lack OF balance group
In nNh h<R a.
lent and fond delusion, a man with n
crick In his side ana his hand pushed
flatly into the hollow or small" Of the
back. does not indicate that his trouble
the muscles. the hinges or Joints be-
tween bones and gristle. and other
structures situated nearby.
Fallen intestines, enlarged tubes and
ovaries In women. the strain which ac-
or absent heels, faulty corsets, weak
ened muscular balance from poor food
indoor life. or long illness, excessive de-
nosits OF abdominal fat, lifting weights
too heavy. for the individual, fallen
arches. infections in the bladder ana
nei9hboring THEOLOGICAL structures. in
nammatory deposits and scar tissue
where the appendix and the pelvic tis-
sues were once present, these and a
large number OF other elements enter
into explanations Of the why's and
wherefores' OF backaches.
Drugs Only Palliate.
What Is to be done? Often a simple
thinR such as a long, broad strip of ad-
hesive plaster may alleviate the most
violent DanRs of backache.
Gymnastics with military drill ma
neuVers serve a good purpose in de-
feat OF the backache of department
store clerks, police. letter ca rriers book
keepers and those who bend over desks
" the backache is OF the toxic neurI-
US sort-a sequence OF alcoholic induI-
Sence. or some similar excess-the tn :
poo OF the poison, the application OF
neat. the use OF laxatives and Vigorous
MASSAGE are sometimes sufficient 10
remedy the ailment
Fr!eny. II NAV he said that sedatIvo
ana anesthetic drugs. such as aspIrin
sallcylate OF soda. quinine. and the coal
tar group will assuage the anguish NJ n
nackache only long enough for tho vic
tim to advertise the doctor. the DRUG
= and the nelghbor who rccommended
them II will. In fine. relieve the main
\ so that you In turn win advise Tom
DIck and Harry to trv IT, Then your
| misery Will return with renewed ar
dor and will remain or Ieturn again and
again until some slow and painsta kim
| physician goes to the seat of the trou.
III move IT, ''
Copyright 1916 Newspaper Feature Service,