Back problems
jongraehl: In a vulnerable state (from athletic wear and tear), I've incurred unexpected sharp nerve compression pain (feeling like part of my spine crunching against the nerve, maybe some minor lumbar disk slip) from things like kicking a lid shut on a trash can, or crouching down to open a cabinet - in those cases, conscious bracing (or just being more cautious when not feeling 100%) would likely have avoided the irritation altogether.Those minor tweaks have always resulted in at least a few days or weeks of pain, which seems a little ridiculous, but one of the unfortunate things about back pain (not muscle strain or soreness, but actual spinal soft tissue incidents) is the increased likelihood of reinjury later in life.  For many of us, there's a direct and obvious spinal trauma causing a few weeks or months of injury, followed by seemingly normal function, but with (lifelong?) heightened risk of reinjury from more minor strains.