Scientists find simple method to relieve lower back pain

Discover how a simple daily habit could be the key to beating back pain and improving your overall health

Health.- Walking could be a cheap and easy way to prevent back pain recurrent, according to a study showing that patients who walk daily suffer fewer flare-ups.

According to researchers, Taking steps regularly also improved patients’ quality of life. and the time they had to miss work was almost halved.

The findings, published in the Lancet journal, show that walking can have a “profound impact” on a condition that affects eight in ten people in the UK and is the leading cause of disability worldwide.

Walking is simple and effective

“Walking is a simple, low-cost and very accessible exercise. “that almost anyone can practice, regardless of their geographic location, age or socioeconomic status,” said Mark Hancock, Professor of Physiotherapy at Macquarie University (Australia).

Around 800 million people worldwide suffer from low back pain, and seven out of 10 people who recover from an episode have a flare-up within a year.

Currently, treatment and prevention of back pain consists of a combination of exercise, therapy and, in some cases, surgery.

But researchers noted that some forms of exercise are not accessible or affordable, and often require supervision.

The study

The scientists They followed more than 700 adults for up to three years. who had recently recovered from an episode of low back pain.

Half of them were randomly assigned to a tailored walking programme and educational sessions from a physiotherapist, while the rest were assigned to a control group who were not given any specific intervention but could seek treatment if symptoms recurred.

“The intervention group had fewer episodes of activity-limiting pain compared with the control group, and a longer median time to recurrence, with a median of 208 days versus 112,” Hancock said.

“We don’t know exactly why walking is so good for preventing back pain, but it likely involves the combination of gentle rocking movements, loading and strengthening of the spinal structures and muscles, relaxation and stress relief, and the release of feel-good endorphins. And of course, We also know that walking has many other health benefits.such as cardiovascular health, bone density, healthy weight and better mental health,” he added.