your back goes

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Recently I read a medical article where I saw a sentence which grasped my attention by reason of the presence of a whimsical term namely “your back goes”.

“What should you do when your back goes? Rest as soon as possible, preferably on a hard bed, and take painkillers for as long as it takes to easy the pain.“

I think that would be right enough if you say “What should you do if your back goes out?”

I don't know where the expression "my back went out" came from but it was probably the same place as the equally false notion of the slipped disk.

Would you be kind enough explain to me the prtoper meaning of the expression in question with some more plain English words?

Could you interpred me the following question: So Why Do You Have aBad Back? What is the meaning of the term “bad back”?

Thank you in advance for your efforts.

Regards.

V.

[Neillythere]

Hi Vil

Sometimes, if you turn your body whilst lifting something, or when twisting out of a car (in a tight parking spot), say, you may get an intense pain in the lower back, which is very painful and prevents you from easily standing upright. That's regularly what's meant by your back's "gone" or "gone again".

I know, it's happened to me in the past.

Actually, the remedy, given to me by a physiotherapist, was quite simple, but can only normally be done indoors:

Lie face down, flat on the floor.
Do a "press-up", but keeping your hips on the floor and slowly trying to roll your body upwards and backwards towards you heels, until you are at elbow height, with your upper arms horizontal and pointing away from the body.
Repeat 10 times, relaxing absolutely completely, flat on your face between each press-up.
Then repeat the same, but with arms straight out, below you.
It's cured me many times in the past, but there is a catch:
Don't bend over forwards (supposedly for 4 days afterwards).
The first time I tried the cure it worked so successfully, I thought I could try out bending forwards. Never again!

A "bad back", is one that is susceptible to such problems.

Hope this helps explain it (and maybe even cure it, if you are unlucky enough to experience the problem).

Best regards

NT

[vil]

Hi Neillythere,

Thank you for your circumstantial explanation the matter in question. Words fails me to express my gratitude for your kindness. Your post at the present thread proved yours gratuitous willingness to help to the indigent.

But seriously, there was a grounded cause to put the present question on the table for discuss, namely, the first thing to do when the pain is killing you is to realize that your back didn't go anywhere at all. It didn't slip, it isn't dislocated and it certainly didn't "go out" as the expression seems to imply. All this sounds oddly enough and make a nice mess of things. For us, NNES’ is a common practice to break the meaning of many English words and expressions in the light of our own’s pictures on the basis of our own’s experiencies so we got frequently a distorted picture of the events in question. You might to experience our unutterable embarrassments only if you try to learn another’s language. I know you (NES) usually make that with very bad grace.

Thank you again for your backing.

Regards.

V.