Back pain is something experienced by nine out of ten people in America at some point in their life and five out of ten experience back pain every year. Years ago, I found a very helpful book by Robin McKenzie called How to Treat Your Own Back. You can find the book and other related items at a site called OPTP. I have had three back surgeries and learned more than I ever wanted to know about the subject. I do 50 McKenzie back stretches every night and rarely encounter any back pain. I highly recommend the book but, of course, see your own doctor for advice. Another useful resource is the Back Pain Health Center at WebMD.

I am at the Demo conference in San Jose (more on this to come) and met Dr. Charles Wang, a young physician with an MBA who has a great vision for using mobile technology to address back pain. The concept is to use a stick-on sensor similar to a bandaid which you place on your back. The sensor can tell when you are following good posture or when you are slouching. The sensor sends data to your mobile phone and an app alerts you to your bad posture and keeps track of your habits. The theory is that looking at the data with your app will lead you to more healthy habits and less back pain. If you want to follow the startup’s progress, visit LumoBack.