Have you ever been told your back, neck, rib or hip is “out”? It’s one of the most common phrases used when people talk about pain:“My back’s out.”“My hip’s out.”“My neck’s out again.” But what does “out” actually mean? Is something dislocated?Out of alignment?Locked?Or is it simply painful and stiff? The word “out” gets used a lot — by both patients and sometimes even health professionals — but it’s not a precise medical term. The problem is that vague or dramatic langua