Pain in the back — primarily the low back — is the source of great suffering and disability for a large number of Americans. Each year, it accounts for more than 70 million visits to doctors. For such a prevalent complaint, low-back pain remains remarkably difficult to explain and treat. Many people claim to understand the root causes, but in my view the real reasons remain a mystery. A number of experts say low-back pain is strictly a mechanical phenomenon, i.e., just fatigue and strain of muscles, tendons, or ligaments.

Complementary and alternative medicine continues to gain acceptance in many of the nation’s most prestigious medical institutions. The newest college to incorporate nonconventional medical training is the University of Pennsylvania, which has moved to include acupuncture, herbal remedies, and massage therapy into its curriculum. The university will pair with Maryland’s Tai Sophia Institute to instruct medical students. Of the 125 medical schools in the United States, 95 now require at least some coursework in CAM.

Mud is one of the oldest beauty treatments in the world. Not the kind washed into the street after a rainstorm, but the medicinal mud and healing clay varieties found in estuaries or harvested from underground veins. In fact, healing clays “have been used by indigenous cultures since before recorded history,” according to Jason R. Eaton, founder of Eytons’ Earth, a Las Vegas-based, public awareness organization dedicated to researching the benefits of medicinal clays.

In life, it is encouraged to think of others first. It is seen as a virtue to selflessly address the needs of parents, children, friends, and loved ones before, or sometimes at the cost of, our personal needs. But this virtue, like any, is best and most meaningful in moderation. Overly caring for others can easily be an unconscious cry for love or a crutch. Devoting all of your time to others can stand in the way of you caring for yourself. Taking care of yourself can feel selfish while taking care of others can seem easier than dealing with your own issues.