An End to Back Pain?

       I had worn the iPosture to the lecture, in part because I had had back pain when I went to the theatre earlier in the week.  I had hoped the device would help remind me to sit upright.

       But I was rather surprised that the iPosture didn't buzz me while there.  As I did at home, I bent way over at one point to ensure it was functioning, and it did eventually vibrate.  And then I sat up straight again, and it didn't buzz me. I should have been paying attention to the lecture -- the ticket had cost $40. But I was distracted by my posture.  It seemed to me that my back was straight, my arms hanging by my side.  At most talks or lectures, I slouched, crossed my arms or squirmed.  But this time, it appeared that I was sitting up properly. Either that or the device worked only when I bent over.  

       Either way, when I left the lecture, I had no back pain.

       The next day, I wore my iPosture to a triple-feature movie.  We wanted to see all the movies nominated for Academy Award Best Picture that we hadn't yet seen, and this was the most efficient way to do it.  Once again, I wasn't buzzed -- at all. I was aware that I was sitting up quite straight in my movie seat. Sure, I leaned toward Tom occasionally to whisper something to him; I would bend over to take a quick drink from my giant frequently-refilled Diet Coke. But as none of those took longer than 60 seconds, I wasn't buzzed. The rest of the time, I sat up straight -- perhaps straighter than I ever had in a movie before.  I wondered if I looked fake to anyone -- sitting up with a false erectness. But it was dark, and I was with strangers. It seemed unlikely that anyone would either notice me, or care. And after eight hours of sitting in a theater, I got up and my back didn't hurt at all -- which was truly unexpected.

       The next night, I wore the device again to our neighbors' place, where we watched the Academy Awards together.  I sat on the sofa, Olympia stretched out next to me.  This time, the iPosture occasionally buzzed me. It went off maybe four times over the course of the four-hour program. And every time it did, I sat up straight, my arms at my side. I wondered again if it looked false or fake, but no one commented on it.  No one seemed to notice or care, even though I was not hiding in darkness and was with people who knew me.  And when I got up at the end of the long evening, my back felt fine again.

       It isn't like I have constant back pain or anything. But normally after sitting like that -- at a lecture, movie or a long television show, I get up with a groan -- like some kind of old, old lady. The back pain usually goes away quickly -- often within minutes.  But for the last three days, I hadn't had even that pain.

       It appeared that something was happening. Something good...