Question
I'am 22yrs old with two children,and for the last three years my back aches and throbes90% of the time.First it started in my  lower back and my knee and it was a throbbing,burning feeling then after a couple of months it still hurt there,but I started having bad head aches my neck muscles throbbed,burned and ached and my left shoulder started doing the same thing and across the top of my back.I have no insurance so I have to go to a based on your income Dr.that just thinks I want pain medicine and even though I have told him a million times I just want the problem fixed,but hes not quilfied in that area and doesnt understand the symptoms I explain to him.I just need a little advice to point me in the right direction or so at least I can try some pain relief stretches or something to realive the pain,because I cant handle day to day activities or keep up with my 6 and 3 year old.So any advice or a real Dr.s opinion would help out a great deal please.
                                   Sincerly,
                                      Lyndsay

Answer
Dear Lyndsay,

I have an answer for you -- but first. . .

When you see your doctor, have him PALPATE (he knows what that word means) the musculature in your painful areas.  He will almost certainly find muscles in contraction.  Palpation is almost a lost art in medicine, but it used to be the basic method of examination -- examination by touch:   "Enough TALK!  Feel this!"

Now, as to what you can do:  you have muscles held tight by stress-reflexes.  You need to recapture control of those muscles.  That's done by learning better control -- learn by doing.

Please see my articles on back pain at somatics.com/page4b.htm and select from among the options offered.  Also, try the exercise shown in one of them (I'm not saying which one so you'll read both).

This should be easy to correct.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold