After a couple of unhelpful trips to the doctor - advice such as don't pick up the children is not what is needed - I decided to go to the gym.

I graduated to the 'pull down on this bar' machine after a week or so, and after the demo I included it in my routine. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

I was sore for several days, and half an inch taller.

I can only assume that the lengthening effect realigned vertebrae in my lower back displaced by having children - they both started out at over 9lb and grew like weeds.

I used the machine without the strange sensation and twinges, so presumably it was fixed with the single set of ten repetitions