How helpful is walking for lower back pain?

New study adds to a large body of evidence on the effectiveness of movement in treating and preventing pain.

Doctors and physiotherapists have long integrated aerobic exercise into lower back pain treatment programs. Movement can simultaneously relieve lower back pain and strengthen the muscles that support your back. Yet many people with back pain may be hesitant to exercise.

A new study, published Wednesday in The Lancet, offers more evidence on the power of movement. The study found that a regular walking routine can be very effective in preventing back pain from recurring. The study focused on adults with a history of low back pain; those who walked regularly walked almost twice as long without their back pain returning compared to the control group.

The new findings are consistent with a large body of research. existing research that has established an association between physical activity and better back pain outcomes. A 2019 systematic review found that physical activity reduced the prevalence of back pain. And a 2017 study found that yoga was as effective as physical therapy for relieving back pain.

The new study builds on this research by following patients outside of a tightly controlled clinical setting. Mark Hancock, professor of physiotherapy at Macquarie University in Australia and lead author of the study, sought to assess the effectiveness of a less expensive intervention that could be easier to access for many people than treatment in clinic.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Dr. Hancock and a team of researchers targeted a relatively sedentary sample 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 an individualized walking and education program, led by a physiotherapist, over six sessions over a six-month period. The other group received no intervention. The researchers followed both groups for one to three years.

The goal for each person in the walking group was to walk five times a week for at least 30 minutes per day. — but the program was highly personalized based on age, body mass index, current activity level, time constraints and personal goals.

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We are having trouble retrieving the content of the article, but the program was highly personalized based on age, body mass index, current activity level, time constraints, and personal goals. p>

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How helpful is walking for lower back pain?

New study adds to a large body of evidence on the effectiveness of movement in treating and preventing pain.

Doctors and physiotherapists have long integrated aerobic exercise into lower back pain treatment programs. Movement can simultaneously relieve lower back pain and strengthen the muscles that support your back. Yet many people with back pain may be hesitant to exercise.

A new study, published Wednesday in The Lancet, offers more evidence on the power of movement. The study found that a regular walking routine can be very effective in preventing back pain from recurring. The study focused on adults with a history of low back pain; those who walked regularly walked almost twice as long without their back pain returning compared to the control group.

The new findings are consistent with a large body of research. existing research that has established an association between physical activity and better back pain outcomes. A 2019 systematic review found that physical activity reduced the prevalence of back pain. And a 2017 study found that yoga was as effective as physical therapy for relieving back pain.

The new study builds on this research by following patients outside of a tightly controlled clinical setting. Mark Hancock, professor of physiotherapy at Macquarie University in Australia and lead author of the study, sought to assess the effectiveness of a less expensive intervention that could be easier to access for many people than treatment in clinic.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Dr. Hancock and a team of researchers targeted a relatively sedentary sample 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 an individualized walking and education program, led by a physiotherapist, over six sessions over a six-month period. The other group received no intervention. The researchers followed both groups for one to three years.

The goal for each person in the walking group was to walk five times a week for at least 30 minutes per day. — but the program was highly personalized based on age, body mass index, current activity level, time constraints and personal goals.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

We are having trouble retrieving the content of the article.

We are having trouble retrieving the content of the article.

We are having trouble retrieving the content of the article.

We are having trouble retrieving the content of the article, but the program was highly personalized based on age, body mass index, current activity level, time constraints, and personal goals. p>

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode, please exit and log in to your Times account, or subscribe to the entire Times.

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