It is noticeable that many of the people I know with horses have back problems. Some friends have had fusion operations to stabilise their lower backs.
Over the years I have suffered a lot with my back. I learnt a lot about complementary therapies due to my problem. I practised the Alexander Technique for seven years. I tried osteopathic treatment and physiotherapy, as well as sports massage. Finally, I had an MRI scan which revealed a severely degenerated L5S1 disc in my spine. This is the last disc at the base of the spine. I was offered a relatively new procedure - a disc replacement operation, in which a prosthetic disc is used to replace the faulty disc(s).
An alternative was to chose the more conservative approach. I decided that the operation was too risky. Now I work on my core strength. I started learning Body Control Pilates in January 2005 and now use modified Pilates exercises especially for people with disc problems. I have been practising Pilates, and have been sound, ever since!