Thanks for the advice everyone. I have a feeling it isn't a chronic problem, just something that is easily set off again while it is healing. The reason I think this is that I had the same thing 10 years ago which disappeared after 2 weeks and have had no problem with it inbetween.

I think it was set off because I have gone very suddenly from a period of almost no activity and bad posture (due to depression) to being more active and also put on a lot of weight in a very short space of time for the same reason. This, combined with a long car journey (in a mini!) to and from scotland set my back off.

I've been doing some gentle stretching exercises I remember from my gymnastics days and taking my mother's advice of hanging from a door frame and it seems to be doing the trick - my movement is increasing and I no longer get pain when I am sitting. I've got the ice, coconut and chiropracter's phone number at hand just in case though.

And at least I've discovered one drug that my body really doesn't like (or maybe interacts with anti depressants) on the way.

Bagpuss