Chances are, you or someone you know suffers from back pain. Back pain can affect people who are active and those who are sedentary, though for different reasons. So what should you do when back pain strikes? Get a softer – or firmer – mattress? Stand at your computer rather than sit? Hang upside down? Research shows that some of these solutions work while others are a waste of time and money. UH spine specialist A. Paul Gazzillo, MD, sorts through popular back pain remedies and identifies the symptoms that signal it’s time to see a spine specialist.