Thus a common problem like backache, which can potentially ruin people's lives, is managed by medicine in a mechanistic way. Discs cause the problem so they are removed to relieve the pain or treated. If tonsils cause recurrent problems they are treated with antibiotics or are removed. Teeth are conservatively treated or removed to relieve the pain. No mention is ever made of what causes these areas to degenerate or get inflamed in the first place. Since it is not exactly known what causes discs to be maintained in status quo or what force keeps the spine erect, the immediate culprit (the discs) is therefore attacked. Thus backache becomes chronic and in the majority of cases it remains as a potential health hazard. Once a backache, always a backache is the slogan. Some people get over it and keep it at bay with weight control and regular exercises. If they stop they know that it will come back and often with a vengeance, causing great personal discomfort. One is always aware of backache. There isn't a single person in the urban world who has never experienced backache, in some form or another. It is universal even though some people may not notice it when the pain is subthreshold. A person experiences pain when it crosses a certain barrier or threshold. Problems like disc compression may start long before the actual symptoms appear and the discomfort caused to the back in this phase remains unnoticed because it remains in the subthreshold zone.

*36\330\8*