Walking is a great remedy for back pain: what is the recommended frequency?

Doctors and physical therapists have been using aerobic exercise to treatment programs for low back pain. He movement can make it easier lower back pain and at the same time strengthen the muscles that support your back. However, many people with back pain may be reluctant to do so. exercise.

A new study published Wednesday in Lancet, offers more evidence of the power of the movement. According to a study, regular walking can be very effective in preventing the recurrence of back pain. The study focused on adults with low back pain; those who walked regularly passed by almost twice as long without returning back paincompared to the control group.

The new findings are consistent with a large body of existing research that has established a link between physical activity and improved health. Backache

. A 2019 systematic review found that physical activity reduces the prevalence of back pain. And a 2017 study found that yoga was as effective as physical therapy in relieving back pain.

The new study contributes to these studies by observing patients outside of a strictly controlled clinical environment. Mark Hancock, Professor of Physiotherapy at Macquarie University, Australia and the study’s lead author sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a less expensive intervention that could be more accessible to many people than treatment in a clinic.

Hancock and a team of researchers focused on a relatively sedentary group. The researchers collected data on 701 adults who had recently recovered from an episode of low back pain. They were randomly divided into two groups: One group received a customized walking and exercise program led by a physiotherapist for six sessions over a six-month period. The other group received no intervention. The researchers followed both groups for the next three years.

The goal of each person in the walking group was to do this. five times a week for at least 30 minutes a daybut the program was customized based on age, body mass index, current activity level, time constraints, and personal goals.

Participants in the walking group also received an educational program to help them better understand their pain and how to respond to it. When patients experienced episodes of low back pain, they were encouraged to continue walking, but adjusting the speed and distance if necessary. Hancock said that when many people experience increased pain, they often feel particularly defensive and avoid movement.

“Education changed their minds about it and made them more active, but they also stayed active when they had back pain,” Hancock said.

The new findings also echo findings from a meta-analysis of 25 studies published in 2020 on the prevention of low back pain that Hancock co-authored. In a meta-analysis, researchers found that Regular exercise combined with physical education has proven to be the most effective way to prevent the recurrence of low back pain.

Although there are many different causes of low back pain, often the root cause is a “weak base of support.” said Hamza Khalid, a physician at the Cleveland Clinic Spine Health Center. Walking can help strengthen muscle groups that help stabilize the spine, primarily the core muscles.

Muscle weakness in this area, also known as basicmay cause fatigue, spinal misalignment and pain.

According to Hancock’s research, nearly seven out of 10 people who recover from an episode of low back pain experience it again in the following year.

“Exercise is like medicine,” Khalid said, although he also stressed that it is “not a magic pill.” If your back pain is chronic or complex, your doctor or physical therapist can help you tailor an exercise program to your specific needs.

However, moving your body will probably help. At this point, Hancock said, “the evidence is pretty compelling.”

©New York Times, 2024