Pain
Regular walking can hamper low back pain recurrence
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
If your low back pain tends to return again and again, walking regularly may help stave off a repeat episode, a new study suggests.
The analysis, published online June 19, 2024, by The Lancet, tracked 701 adults (average age 54, 81% women), all of whom had recently recovered from an episode of low back pain. Half were assigned to six months of an individualized, physical therapist–guided walking program and education sessions, while the other half received no walking guidance or education.
After tracking participants for between one and three years, researchers found that the walking and education group had fewer occurrences of activity-limiting pain compared to the no-intervention group. They also went nearly twice as long before they had a recurrence of low back pain — an average of 208 days compared to 112 days. While researchers couldn't pinpoint why walking seemed to hamper back pain, they believe the benefits stem from a combination of factors, including movement, stress relief, and release of "feel-good" chemicals called endorphins.
Image: © Carlos G. Lopez /Getty Images
About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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