[dshobbies]

Gil,

Please take this as from someone who has absolutely no medical expertise, just some personal experience.

Your lumbar spine is stiff in the mornings and loosens up as the day progresses. You look in the mirror and you're not standing straight. This sounds like muscle spasms, what my doctor calls 'protective mode'. As your actual spine worsens, so do the spasms or tightness.

Muscle relaxers can help as does the stretching and pt but the only way to fix this is to fix your back, which you're trying to do. Bureaucracy stands between you and that fix for which I have a few expletives but not much more. Yes, I agree, a foundation would be beyond great but...- ISpine was intended to be such an endowment but alas, Mark has a little too much on his plate.

Good luck and if you discover exactly what this is, keep us in the loop.

Dale