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A team of physiotherapists at Macquarie University in Australia demonstrated the benefits of regular walking for back health. They found walking can be a low-cost, simple way to prevent recurring back pain. That conclusion came after a trial showed patients who walked daily reported significantly fewer complaints of back pain.
Participants who walked five times a week for about 30 minutes a day and received guidance from a physiotherapist experienced back pain about half as often. The researchers also found regular walks improved patients’ quality of life and nearly halved the amount of time they needed to rest at work.
Treatment and prevention of back pain currently combine exercise, therapy, and, in some cases, surgery. But some exercises are inaccessible or impractical and often require supervision.
Around 800 million people worldwide suffer from lower back pain. Among those who recover, seven out of ten experience flare-ups within a year. So regular walking could significantly change the landscape of back-related illness, a leading cause of disability worldwide.
What the study found
During the study, researchers followed more than 700 adults who had recently been treated for lower back pain they had been experiencing for three years.
Half of the randomly selected volunteers were assigned an individualized walking program and training sessions with a physiotherapist. The other half formed a control group. Participants in the control group received no recommendations but could seek treatment if symptoms returned, the Independent reported.
Professor of Physiotherapy Mark Hancock said the walking group reported fewer episodes of activity-limiting pain than the control group.
Professor Hancock said, “Walking is an inexpensive, widely accessible, and simple exercise that almost anyone can do, regardless of geographic location, age, or socioeconomic status.”
“We don’t exactly know why walking is so effective at preventing back pain, but it likely involves a combination of gentle, repeated movement; loading and strengthening the spine’s muscles and structures; and relaxation and tension relief,” the researcher added.
He also said walking offers other health benefits, especially for cardiovascular health, bone density, weight management, and mental well-being.
The study was published in The Lancet.
Dr. Atali Redwood-Brown of the School of Sport Sciences at Nottingham Trent University in the UK said, “Walking helps alleviate mechanical back pain by improving muscle strength, flexibility, and circulation, all crucial for spinal health.”
