Originally Posted by
Illusional 
when you freestyle, you turn your head to the side, thus it wouldn't put any pressure on the back or neck for that matter.
about.com says
"For the freestyle, make sure you do not rotate your head too much when taking breaths. In addition, do not let your head move up too much or deviate from the axis along the length of the body. Deviating from this axis, or over rotating the head, can easily lead to neck and back injury while swimming. Also, when you’re not going up for breathes make sure you keep your head looking downwards. As already mentioned, rolling too much can easily lead to damage."
that said, it is important to note that the article DOES recommend swimming for back pain. My point is that it is not a back exercise. Swimming is to your back what a wheelchair is to your legs. It will alleviate stress and help you relax and recuperate, but it will not strengthen you enough for regular everyday life.
Originally Posted by
Illusional i dunno, i'm not really into watching a girl give another girl a foot massage.
pfft, you're just saying that because you couldn't bear to just watch. Wait, are you saying you'd be into watching a guy give a girl a foot massage?
Originally Posted by
Baud's Bitch There is no cure for your ailments. Yes you can do pain killers, and muscle relaxers, and get injections, but you're back will never be what is once was.
I agree that there are cases where this holds true, and I can't imagine what that's like to go through.. but for the rest of us, it's this sort of negative statement that causes a sort of reverse placebo effect and contributes to the actual pain.