I suggest buying Vibram shoes and start running gently. My minor back pain went away and it feels great. Gotta ease in the calves and lower legs though.
I second that. I had problems with shin splints and sore knees running which seemed to go away once I switched to VFFs (Bikilas). You must take it slow and really focus on your running form to avoid hurting yourself though. Also, in my experience, running in VFFs will not result in you going any faster (probably a little slower), but definitely more comfortable.
