Last newsletter, David Ball wrote in about recovering from a back injury, and asked whether the Indoor Rower would help or hinder him. Andrew North has written in with an account of his experience in a similar situation. After having sciatica and my back going into spasm, I was admitted to hospital in France, where after a scan I was eventually diagnosed with a protruding disc between L4/L5. I was then immobilised for three weeks at the hospital. I was ready to get out of there after the first few days, but it was when they said I was paralysed that I thought I should behave myself and do as told. On reflection now, it must have been the translation, because I was not paralysed!When I eventually got out of hospital, I visited the UK and managed to get a medical fitness for work certificate and saw my Chiropractor. She informed me that, although I may have had a protruding disc, the root of the problem was my pelvis (it sort of 'pops' out). She treated me, and I eventually found a Chiropractor in France who now tweaks me once every two months.You may be wondering what this has to do with indoor rowing? Well after returning to work on an offshore platform, I started to exercise on an indoor bike as, at 110kg, I needed to lose some weight to ease the pressure on my lower back. I was losing weight, but it never really did much for my back. About six months into this, a Concept 2 appeared in the gym at work.As everyone seemed to prefer using the bike, I decided to start using the Concept 2. It was shortly after this that I visited a prolotherapist in Devon. I told him about the rowing and how it appeared to have eased the pain. As a keen indoor rower himself he encouraged me to continue using the Concept 2.I sometimes struggle to understand how I should use the Concept 2. My method is to set it at 5 (I have tried greater, but I could feel it pulling my back), and row between 65% and 75% on my heart rate monitor. This equates to approx 28 to 30 strokes a minute and a split of anywhere between 2:05 and 2:12, depending on where I am at during the session. The session typically lasts for 20 to 30 minutes five times a week, and is followed by five minutes walking to get me standing upright again. The length of the row is dependent on what day it is in the cycle.After eighteen months of using the Concept 2, I am convinced that the action of rowing helps to 'align' my pelvis. Coupled to this is the loss of 18kg and what I call a girdle of strength around my lower back (muscle). I have no idea if it would work for everyone. All I can say is that it has for me.