Larry, I also suffered from a bad back for years.
Tried everything I could think of. Lotions, potions, heat-pads, stretches, posture re-aligners, pain drugs, hypnotherapy, plug-in back massagers, pain-relieving waistbands etc. I spent a fortune.
Then one day I had a sleepless night of tossing and turning and my back was awesome the next day.
Threw out the old mattress for a 6" memory-foam one, and made sure I adjust positions several times a night since then. Plus got a nice firm sofa with a straight back (chesterfield type) and voila, no bad back for a couple years since then (fingers crossed).
Sofas that discourage slouching are almost impossible to find thesedays. We have become a nation of slobs. Looking back to ye olde times of even 50-100 years ago people had such amazingly straight postures.
Good luck with the back. I am 100% sympathetic. One thing I never got round to trying was the TENS system of pain relief. Unfortunately it just removes the pain, but the underlying problem remains.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ten...
And thanks for sharing your inventive ideas.