My back problems started about 8 years ago and didn't know what caused it. My Dr. at the time would not do anything for quit a while. Then I compained so much, he finally sent me to have an MRI. Discovered that I had a compression fracture in the spine in the middle of my back plus my disc in the lower back down by the tailbone did not have any disc left at all - so was rubbing bone on bone. Finally went to a spine specialist who sent me to therapy and put me on Celebrex. Now I am relative pain free. Only hurts when I stand to long or sit to long. Exercises do help but the pain will never completely go away.