Dr Lori Goodsell, Chiropractor When your back goes out on you, it is painful, debilitating and inconvenient. When your back goes out on you, its common to curl up on the couch and use a heating pad. This is the WORST way to approach this situation. It will cause this painful episode of lower back pain to last for too long and become too intense. Follow my advice to keep your back from wrecking your week. Your back usually goes out on you when you are are doing something very