Sally Loughrey Caldora - yeah, chiropractors will always say, "degenerating disk" - and sure, it's possible. But usually it's muscle spasms pinching the nerve. I think that's why proper stretching helps sometimes. I find stretching my calves often helps bad back. - depends what brought it on. I can make my back go out - bend over twist a little (like picking something up) then stand up. BLAM instant pain. So if you bend down and twist, make sure you go BACK to the original position to bend down in before standing up. ... that trick i learned the hard way years ago. "