I am an Emergency Room Doctor. Every day I see people who have back pain. Across the United States, the total cost of back pain to society is in the billions of dollars, the cost in terms of pain and suffering is untold. What causes back pain and what can be done about it?

Basically two kinds of back pain exist: the painful kind, and the dangerous, painful kind. Dangerous, painful backaches arise from cancers, degenerative diseases of the bone and infections. Another kind of dangerous, painful backache arises when a disease elsewhere in the body - such as an ulcer, kidney infection or inflammation of the pancreas - send or "refer" pain to the area of the back. The important thing to know about these problems is that a doctor needs to see and treat them. The nice thing about these problems is that they are rare. Far more commonly, people are stricken with the plain old painful ache caused by straining of the muscles and occasionally by a "slipped disc". To determine the nature of a particular backache is not always easy and may also require the services of a doctor, but if an ache began with some aggravating incident, and is relieved by rest, then the problem is less likely to be of the dangerous, painful type. Further, those who suffer back pains on a long term basis, or "chronically", are also less likely to have a dangerous cause.

For sufferers of the common backache and even for some with slipped discs, doctors will invariably prescribe a regimen starting with proper rest techniques, anti-inflammatory medicine (Aspirin, Motrin, Meclomen, etc.), and sometimes pain medicine and muscle relaxants. Following the initial healing period comes the time for strengthening the back. Unfortunately, the medical system frequently fails to carry the patient to and beyond this point. This is where Mr. Latta and his technique for self-adjustment come into the picture. The Von Latta Technique aims to bring the sufferer through the rehabilitative phase by providing a structured program of relaxation coupled with the unique Pyramid approach to self-adjustment. The potential benefits of Mr. Von Latta's program are obviously enormous if the success cited can be extrapolated to the general population. A self-adjustment program has no inherent risk, save those mentioned above (remember, the need to "rule out" the dangerous, painful backache), and may indeed do a lot of good.

I will be happy to answer any questions on these issues. Please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:

Dan Field, MD
Department of Emergency Medicine
University Hospital, ML 769
234 Goodman
Cincinnati, Ohio 45267