Reflecting on gratitude for this holiday, I want to highlight something that can be shared with the wider world. Last year at this time, I focused on reasons to be thankful despite Donald Trump’s reelection:

Trump ran on promises he cannot possibly fulfill. He swore to reduce prices and raise tariffs. He doesn’t have the foggiest notion how to reduce prices, and raising tariffs will only increase them. He also promised that high tariffs will pay down the debt, subsidize the costs of housing and child care, and be paid by foreigners … Um, no.

This year, if you’ll indulge me, I want to share something that may seem trivial compared with the fate of the republic but that may just help others. I am grateful this year to be free of back pain.

For decades, about twice a year, I would get back spasms that were so excruciating I would weep. The pain would last for days and sometimes as much as two weeks, making every movement, even attempting to roll over in bed, agony. Back pain is bizarre. For example, you can X-ray two people’s backs. One will have obvious signs of disc troubles, arthritis or scoliosis, and the other will have a completely normal skeleton. Yet the one with the normal X-ray gets repeated episodes of crippling back pain, and the other is fine. A

While in the throes of back spasms, your body contorts. My husband refers to it as looking like a question mark.

Back pain is the world’s leading cause of disability. Evolution scientists blame our ancestors’ transition to bipedalism, which apparently had lots of survival advantages (throwing spears and such) but basically took a spinal structure that was designed for four legs and transferred it, without enough engineering tweaks, to two.

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 80% of Americans will experience low back pain at some point in their lives, and at any given time, about 26% are suffering with it.

I had tried heat therapy, massage, physical therapy, fascial stimulation (which is supposed to release the connective tissue pressure in the body), wearable heating pads and lots and lots of ibuprofen and Tylenol (I don’t like opioids.) Everything except the fascial stimulation brought a degree of relief, but nothing freed me from the curse until, through a dear friend, I found a trainer who knew his stuff.

Slowly and patiently, he led me through the exercises that would strengthen my core muscles to provide support and stability for my lower spine. We then progressed to the stretches that would keep me limber, and overall strength and stability training.

I am not presuming to offer medical advice. Obviously, some people have back issues that can’t be improved by these sorts of interventions.

But for the millions who don’t have nerve damage or tumors or other conditions that aren’t amenable to core training, these exercises can be life changing.

I recognize that not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to hire a personal trainer, but there are other options. Research has shown that Pilates, which focuses on core strength, is very effective at treating and preventing back pain.

It’s a blessing to plan for Thanksgiving without fretting that lifting the turkey or fitting extra leaves in the dining room table will ignite a holiday-killing bout of back spasms. I’m grateful, relieved and hoping that this might help others, too. Happy Thanksgiving!