Walk the walk to ease low back pain

Walking brings huge benefits for low back pain, says new research in The Lancet. In fact, adults with a history of low back pain went nearly twice as long without a recurrence if they walked regularly.
About 800 million people globally have low back pain and it’s hard to shake off; seven in 10 people who recover from an episode have a recurrence within a year.
Current recommendations suggest exercise and education is the most helpful approach. Some forms of exercise are difficult to access or expensive, however.
A recent trial looked at if walking could be an effective, cheap and accessible intervention. A total of 701 adults with a history of low back pain were followed for up to three years. The volunteers were split into groups: an individualised walking programme and six physiotherapist-guided education sessions over six months, or a no-treatment control group.
“The intervention group had fewer occurrences of activity limiting pain compared to the control group, and a longer average period before they had a recurrence, with a median of 208 days compared to 112 days,” says senior author, Prof Mark Hancock. “Walking is a low-cost, widely accessible and simple exercise that almost anyone can engage in, regardless of geographic location, age or socio-economic status.
“We don’t know exactly why walking is so good for preventing back pain, but it is likely to include the combination of the gentle oscillatory movements, loading and strengthening the spinal structures and muscles, relaxation and stress relief, and release of ‘feel-good’ endorphins.
“And of course, we also know that walking comes with many other health benefits, including cardiovascular health, bone density, healthy weight, and improved mental health.”

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