Two pains in the ass back

My back is a wreck.

I have two very distinct areas that flare up from time to time for entirely different reasons. Of course, they have chosen to conspire and both attack at the same time. My lower back is tender from a life of abuse, mostly from the turning and torquing it takes from playing golf for 30+ years. When I have an episode, it generally comes from overdoing it, not stretching, or just being lazy and slouching too much on the couch. Last night, it started to spasm when I picked up a full laundry basket. A friggin' laundry basket. How old am I? It's not one of the more serious episodes I've had, but annoying nonetheless. Advil, rest, a well placed heating pad, or a hot bath over the next couple of days will take care of it.

The spasms at the junction of my neck and left shoulder are another matter entirely. These are completely stress related. There are usually no warning signs when these will strike. This morning, I was at the traffic light waiting to pull into the garage at work when that familiar sharp pain shot through my body. It was intense enough that I involuntarily jerked the steering wheel a bit and mashed the brake pedal further into the floor board. Advil and the heating pad help this too, but only when the immediate stress subsides. When the neck pain strikes, it is even painful to turn my head. So instead of turning my head, I have to turn my torso which further aggravates my already tender lower back. The last three hours have been pure joy... stuck at work without a heating pad, sucking down wimpy, out of date aspirin from the first aid kit, and betting against myself which will be the next to spasm, upper back or lower back. Right now the score stands Upper: 3, Lower: 1 and I've been right 50% of the time.

The Battle of the Back rages on with no ceasefire on the horizon.