If you’d met me in early 2025, you would have heard a very different story.
I’d just retired at age 65. I told myself I was going to use my extra time to get in great shape and finally get ‘my bad back and neck’ under control. A good friend laughingly told me, ‘April, control is an illusion.’ She was right.
With a deadline to move by March 1, I decided to move across the country. This meant undertaking a physically demanding push to purge nearly all my possessions.
Retiring earlier than planned, I also underwent a sizable emotional shift — leaving my job, and changing both my environment and circumstances.
Beginning in my early 60s, I started having significant back and neck pain, which these efforts made worse.
At every turn, I began to complain about ‘My Bad Back.’
It embarrasses me now, morphing into the stereotypical older woman whining about her ailments.
While my friends graciously listened to me, which helped, they couldn’t heal me. I was becoming the opposite of the older woman aging gracefully.
Worse, I was unconsciously creating a false narrative that was quickly becoming my ‘truth.’
This negative thought pattern took over my existence. I became a victim instead of working to create a healing environment and reality for myself.
This false story didn’t fit the physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy person I promised myself I’d be in old age.
The ‘Desperation’ Phase
Because our phones hear everything, pretty soon ads for ‘miracle cures’ started flooding my devices.
In desperation, I tried many things. I signed up for expensive chiropractic treatments. And considered drastic measures like steroid injections, nerve ablation, and back surgery.
I went into high gear, going to the community pool for aqua aerobics nearly every day, on top of my chiropractic rehab. The result? The combination of aggressive treatment and over-activity only made my pain worse.
When I wasn’t overdoing it, I was lying in bed reading books on back pain, taking anti-inflammatory drugs, and feeling sorry for myself. I felt disempowered, helpless, and ‘old.’
I learned first-hand that back and neck pain in older women doesn’t just go away — it gets worse with inactivity and doing the wrong activities.
2 sage adages popped into my head again:
- Pain is the touchstone of growth — but only if I do the work..
- Knowledge is power — but only when I put it into action.
The Reality Check
It took three big jolts in a row to get me moving in the right direction — and out of self-pity.
The Perspective Shift:
Considering back surgery, I called a high school friend to ask about his recent back surgery.
He told me his spine wasn’t the problem. Instead he had been diagnosed with ALS, an incurable progressive neurological disease. Hearing his stunning and sad news, I didn’t mention my back again.
Every time I call him, he says, ‘April, every day is a gift.’
The ‘Gupta’ Moment:
I read an article in AARP’s magazine on Sanjay Gupta’s new book, ‘It Doesn’t Have to Hurt.’ He described his mother’s back pain as so severe, she told him she couldn’t live it.
The Independence Fear:
My best friend’s mother survived a major stroke a couple of years ago. Her mobility has declined to the point where she’s completely lost the ability to do any activities of daily living for herself.
Despite having financial means, she continues to be moved from one care facility to another. Her needs outpace their ability to care for her.
I can’t imagine the stress and anguish endured by her and her daughters.
The Moment of Real Truth:
My complaints immediately became smaller in the face of these worse realities.
I realized that if I didn’t change my approach, I was heading down a path I didn’t want to travel. So, I quickly snapped back into gratitude for the good life I have, despite my pain.
My ‘Hidden’ Credentials (Or: Why You Should Trust Me)
Here’s the part of the story I usually save for last.
I’m not just a woman with a backache. I actually have a B.S. in Exercise Science from Arizona State University.
My education was in the college of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. Yep, a P.E. degree! Classes full of dancers and jocks, smelling of garlic, patchouli, and sweat!
There was a time when my P.E. degree embarrassed me. But today, I’m grateful to have earned a strong foundation in anatomy and physiology that has remained a lifetime passion.
Now that I’m over 60, I’m dusting off that degree, learning and applying lots of new knowledge.
The goal? To manage my own pain — and help you manage yours.
From the Phoenix Suns to Horse Troughs
My journey into exercise science and body mechanics started early. At age 17, I landed a work-study job with Dr. Paul M. Steingard, the team doctor for the Phoenix Suns.
It was a fascinating time. I got to meet Olympic runner Jesse Owens, and I watched the Phoenix Suns stoop down in our clinic because the ceilings were too low for them!
I worked alongside kinesiologists and athletic trainers, learning about sports injuries and rehab. And for the record, cold plunging isn’t new. We had horse troughs filled with ice and water for injured joints back in the 70s!
The Dancer’s Intuition
While studying at ASU, I landed another work-study job with the famous dance professor and choreographer Daniel Nagrin.
Daniel saw through me right away. He confronted my poor posture and the unhappiness I was trying to hide. He introduced me to a fellow dance professor, Pam Matt, who teaches a bodywork field called Ideokinesis.
Ideokinesis is a somatic, imagery-based approach to improving posture, movement efficiency, and neuromuscular coordination.
I was lucky to be able to enroll in her classes. She’s a gifted teacher and her lessons were transformative. She’s still around and I’m going to share her exceptional mind-body wisdom elsewhere here for us to put into practice.
Coming Full Circle
After college, life took a turn. I worked in a Parkinson’s clinic for a while — an emotionally hard job that taught me the true value of mobility — before heading into Corporate America to pay the bills.
So, my degree became my general ticket to a better career path and my exercise and health expertise were then directed toward my own exercise practices.
In my early 30s and in Northern California, I became a yoga devotee. I learned mind and body expanding disciplines with very good teachers and fellow students, becoming a proficient novice yogi.
I later rolled my yoga practice into one that included meditation, with the ISHA Inner Engineering program under Sadhguru. It was amazing and challenging to body, mind, and spirit!
Jumping ahead — read my back story here — I’ve come full circle back to my exercise science foundation. I’m now in the business of re-educating myself and giving you suggestions toward your good back, neck and entire body.
We’re also going to work on expanding our healthy minds, spirits, and lifestyles.
The ‘Her Good Back’ Philosophy
I realized I couldn’t ‘cure’ myself with aggressive exercise, treatments, surgeries or by lying in bed reading books. I needed what I call ‘Balancing Actions,’ to counteract my faulty ‘all or nothing’ thinking.
Why I Started This Blog:
I started Her Good Back for YOU, my sisters. Whether you are 40, 60, or 90, we are on a journey to heal and live well.
- Accountability: The only way I can be accountable to myself is to be accountable to you.
- Community: I can’t do this alone. I need to share what I learn, but I also need your feedback and lessons.
- Honesty: I make a lot of mistakes. I’m sharing them so you don’t have to make them. And I’m sure you’ll let me know when I make more!
Let’s move, empowering each other — to live our last chapters in good health and with graceful, independent spirits!
Thank you for joining me on the journey from our bad backs to Her Good Back!
