Red Dead Redemption 2 - What Is Lumbago?

gamerant.com:

Over the course of the campaign in Red Dead Redemption 2, players are introduced to the lazy, free-loading gang member Uncle. As he is one of the longest-standing members of Dutch van der Linde's gang, the other gang members seem to have learned to merely endure Uncle's presence as a necessary nuisance. One of Uncle's favorite conversation topics is that of his chronic, terminal lumbago. Uncle cites his lumbago as the reason for his inability to help with various chores around the camp and his aversion to going out on missions.

Lumbago is a common condition, simply defined as lower back pain. According to the Cleveland Clinic, four out of five people experience some sort of lumbago in their lifetime. Lumbago can be treated with stretching, physical activity, and proper posture, and it often goes away within two to four weeks. Contrary to Uncle's claims, lumbago is not terminal.

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The term lumbago has largely been done away with in modern medical contexts in favor of more specific clinical terms. It is possible that Uncle made a self-diagnosis of the pain he was experiencing, or that at the end of the nineteenth century, lumbago was used as a catch-all term for back pain of any kind. If Uncle really did suffer from lumbago, he likely would have had very little opportunity or knowledge to receive treatment for it as an outlaw in 1899 (the year Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place).

In Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur calls Uncle a compulsive liar in response to Uncle using his lumbago as an excuse for getting out of work, implying that Arthur thinks Uncle is faking his condition. While the game never makes it clear whether Uncle really does have debilitating back