I had gone to the doctor to tell him that I had a stiff neck, and during the consultation he asked me whether I was also suffering from any back pain, and after thinking about it for a while I told him that I was. He arranged for me to see a specialist, and when I did I was surprised to learn that I was suffering from a herniated disc, a problem which can cause pain in the lower back. Luckily, he told me, the problem can be solved by the right type of surgery, and so I went ahead and had the surgery done as quickly as possible, in order that my back pain could be got rid of and would not get any worse.