It’s a simple action.
Recent research from Australia suggests that incorporating a regular walking routine can significantly reduce the recurrence of lower back pain in individuals who have previously experienced it.
Mark Hancock, senior study author and professor of physiotherapy at Macquarie University in Sydney, emphasized the multifaceted benefits of walking for back pain prevention. According to him, walking likely helps by promoting gentle movements that oscillate the spine, strengthening spinal structures and muscles, inducing relaxation, relieving stress, and triggering the release of endorphins.
The study, published in The Lancet journal on June 19, involved 701 adults who had recently recovered from a bout of low back pain. Participants were divided into two groups: one engaged in a personalized walking program along with six physiotherapist-led educational sessions over six months, while the other served as a control group without any intervention.
Results showed that the group following the walking program experienced fewer instances of activity-limiting pain and had a longer period before a recurrence of pain compared to the control group. The median time to recurrence was 208 days for the intervention group versus 112 days for the control group.
Dr. Natasha Pocovi, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at Macquarie, highlighted that beyond reducing pain, the walking program also enhanced participants’ overall quality of life. It significantly reduced their reliance on healthcare services and decreased the amount of time taken off work by approximately half.
Moreover, the walking intervention was noted for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Unlike other exercise-based interventions for back pain that require group settings, close clinical supervision, or expensive equipment, walking is widely accessible and can be performed by nearly anyone, regardless of age, location, or socioeconomic status.
Hancock and Pocovi underscored that walking offers additional health benefits beyond back pain relief, such as cardiovascular fitness, improved bone density, weight management, and enhanced mental well-being. These advantages make walking a practical and holistic approach to managing and preventing recurrent lower back pain, supporting its integration into routine healthcare practices.
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