June 14
Got Your Back: How David Ben-Gurion Fixed His Back Pain
Article Summary
A recent article in Ynetnews revisited one of the most fascinating stories in the history of the Feldenkrais Method®: how Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, sought help from Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais for debilitating back pain. The story offers more than an historical curiosity—it reveals the extraordinary effectiveness of Feldenkrais’ work and the principles that continue to help people move with greater comfort, confidence, and freedom today.
Sometimes History Hides in Plain Sight
Every once in a while a story resurfaces that reminds us just how extraordinary Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais really was.
A recent article published by Ynetnews, one of Israel’s leading newspapers, recounts how David Ben-Gurion—Israel’s founding Prime Minister—turned to Dr. Feldenkrais after suffering from chronic lower back pain.
Today, most people remember the famous photographs of Ben-Gurion standing on his head along the beach.
Far fewer know why he learned to do it. Or what it had to do with relieving his back pain.
The Story Behind the Photograph
According to the article, Ben-Gurion had struggled with severe lumbago (acute lower back pain). After being introduced to Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, he began working with him regularly.
The results were remarkable.
Ben-Gurion later remarked that Feldenkrais:
“Knows his work well.”
and
“Understands anatomy better than any doctor I’ve met in my life.”
He even stated:
“Before the Sinai War, I suffered from lumbago… and he cured me.”
That is an extraordinary endorsement coming from one of the most respected political leaders of the twentieth century.
Why the Headstand?
The famous headstand wasn’t an exercise prescription.
It wasn’t about strengthening the neck. It wasn’t even about doing headstands.
According to Feldenkrais’ own account, he wanted Ben-Gurion to accomplish something he believed was impossible.
Feldenkrais reportedly told him: “You’ve never been proud of your body… I want you to do something you believe you can’t do.”
The challenge transformed more than Ben-Gurion’s movement. It transformed his confidence.
The headstand became a symbol—not of gymnastics—but of discovering new possibilities.
More Than Back Pain
One detail in the article particularly stands out. Feldenkrais wasn’t treating a spine. He was working with an entire person.
This reflects one of the central ideas behind the Feldenkrais Method.
Pain rarely exists in isolation.
The way we breathe. The way we organize our balance. The way we stand. The way we distribute effort.
All influence how our nervous system experiences movement.
Rather than forcing better posture or strengthening isolated muscles, Feldenkrais helped people discover easier, more efficient ways of organizing themselves.
Often the pain changed as a result.
Science Meets Curiosity
The article briefly describes Feldenkrais’ remarkable background.
He was:
- A physicist
- One of Europe’s earliest judo black belts
- An engineer
- An inventor
- A scientist fascinated by learning
After a serious knee injury, he began studying how the brain learns movement.
The work eventually became what we know today as the Feldenkrais Method.
Long before “neuroplasticity” became a common word, Feldenkrais was exploring the nervous system’s remarkable ability to learn new movement patterns.
Today, modern neuroscience continues to validate many of the principles he discovered through observation and experimentation.
Why This Story Still Matters
It’s easy to dismiss the Ben-Gurion story as an interesting historical anecdote. I think it is much more than that. It reminds us that movement can change far more than flexibility or posture. Learning to move differently can change confidence.
Comfort, balance, self-image, and possibility.
That lesson is every bit as relevant today as it was in the 1950s.
Read the Original Story
The Ynetnews article is well worth reading and contains additional historical details about Dr. Feldenkrais, Ben-Gurion, and the continued growth of the Feldenkrais Method around the world.
If you’re curious about the history of the Method—or simply enjoy remarkable stories about human potential—I encourage you to read it.
Editor’s Note
Originally reported by Jack Yaakov Cohen in Ynetnews.
This article was adapted, expanded, and commented upon by Al Wadleigh, GCFP, to provide additional historical context and explain the significance of the story for students of the Feldenkrais Method.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was David Ben-Gurion’s connection to Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais?+
David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, worked regularly with Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais after suffering from severe lower back pain. Ben-Gurion later praised Feldenkrais’ understanding of anatomy and credited him with relieving his lumbago.
Did Moshe Feldenkrais really help Ben-Gurion’s back pain?+
According to Ben-Gurion’s own words, yes. He stated that before the Sinai War he suffered from lumbago and that Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais helped cure him. It remains one of the best-known historical stories associated with the Feldenkrais Method.
Why did Feldenkrais teach Ben-Gurion to stand on his head?+
The headstand was not simply an exercise. Feldenkrais wanted Ben-Gurion to accomplish something he believed was impossible. The lesson was about confidence, self-image, learning, and discovering new possibilities through movement.
How does the Feldenkrais Method approach back pain?+
The Feldenkrais Method does not treat back pain as an isolated mechanical problem. It looks at how the whole person organizes movement, balance, breathing, attention, and effort. As movement becomes easier and better coordinated, strain often decreases.
Why does this Ben-Gurion story still matter today?+
The story shows that Feldenkrais was not simply trying to fix Ben-Gurion’s back. He was helping him organize himself differently. That is still the heart of the Feldenkrais Method: using movement and awareness to improve comfort, confidence, and human possibility.
Tags
back pain, Ben-Gurion headstand, David Ben-Gurion, Feldenkrais history, Feldenkrais Method, Functional Integration, lumbago, Moshe Feldenkrais, movement education, Self-Image
