European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 24, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Re bag Back sciatic a numb Neu her is symptom of sciatic a the  by Lar Moat Back pain occur in in Mumbai a Teton Al limn to Muen u in the cd tical it Glon. Most Lumbar Achaa an tha Veaurl of muscular Pasma. Sciatica re ural Whan in eclat la Narva radial ing irom Comal column Down . He aloud disk stories by Jane e. Brody new York times after 10 weeks and seven additional pounds the sports enthusiast is finally playing Tennis again. What happened to the summer and to his Waistline my Back went out he said and All i could do was lie around and  a woman who normally swims Hall a mile every Day was Laid up with an ailing Back while on vacation in Maine where it was too cold to swim. An avid runner who usually logs about live Miles a Day has temporarily traded her running shoes or a Bike because she Hurt her Back. And a Man whose daily activity is biking had to quit Riding Lor awhile because his Back Hurt so much he could t get his Bike out of the House. I Loo have had to ease up on running because of recurrent Back pain which began ironically after my first attempt at an exercise video for beginners. It seems As h an epidemic of Back disorders ranging from muscle strains to slipped discs and pressure on the sciatic nerve has struck the exercise enthusiasts i know. And we Are hardly alone. Persistent sciatica curtailed Page 16 the stars and stripes a promising Tennis career for Tracy Austin. And John Davidson a former goalie for the new York rangers spent weeks in traction to ease his crippling attack of sciatica. But Aren t these people supposed to be protected from Back trouble in t the problem usually attributed to sedentary living flabby Muscles and excess weight does exercise cause the problem and How should an Active person respond when the Back acts up Many physically Active people Don t take Back injuries very graciously. And unless they Are incapacitated by painful muscle spasms few take these injuries lying Down a fact that can aggravate the damage and prolong the pain. Back trouble can strike almost anyone at almost any time. While weightlifters might be particularly vulnerable you can Hurt your Back merely by picking up a Napkin. The first time my Back went out All i had done was Bend Over to put a bathing suit in a suitcase. The pain was so excruciating i had to be hospitalized and Given shots of morphine. Unfair i cried. I m in such Good  but my Back was t listening. Exercise does offer Protection by strengthening the Muscles that support the Back and reducing the layers of body fat that Strain the Back. Tuesday. November 24,1987 but Many of the most popular forms of exercise such As running and Tennis also tighten up the body and subject it to repeated pounding and abrupt starts and stops. And Many activities do Little it anything to strengthen the Back s most critical source of support the abdominal Muscles. Furthermore Many people pursue the same activity Day after Day and gradually add to the stress on vulnerable areas. And few sports enthusiasts myself included take the time to do adequate stretching and warm ups before asking their bodies to perform full tilt. The real answer is that proper exercise can help protect your Back but an ill conceived or Overly ambitious exercise program can do it serious harm. Sack injuries from overexertion five hours of Tennis or a whole Day of gardening Are commonplace. Fortunately the pangs of excess Are usually the result of soft tissue Strain which eases with a few Days of rest. Although Back sufferers and physicians Are inclined to describe the problem As a slipped  More often than not the problem is a strained muscle or ligament or a wearing Down of the vertebral joints. Only 5 to 10 percent of Back injuries involve the discs cylinders of Collagen that act As cushions Between the vertebrae. When a disc slips or Hemi ates in medical