Being active has a range of health benefits Sergio Azenha/Alamy People who have recurring bouts of lower back pain seem to avoid the discomfort for longer if they go for regular walks. experience pain in this part of the back, . Despite this high prevalence, there is very little research into its prevention, says at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
Wanting to find an affordable and relatively accessible way for people to avoid the returning, Pocovi and her colleagues designed “WalkBack”, the first controlled trial of its kind. Advertisement Read more The researchers selected 701 people, aged between 20 and 82 years old, who lived throughout Australia and had experienced an episode of lower back pain without a specific diagnosis, such as a fracture or infection, within the previous six months that then resolved. On average, they had each had 33 episodes of lower back pain, which interfered with their daily activities and lasted at least 24 hours.
None of the participants regularly chose to go for recreational walks or engaged in any kind of programme for pain management. Get the most essential health and fitness news in your inbox every Saturday. The scientists asked 351 of them to develop an individualised walking programme with the help of a private physical therapist, aiming for a gradual build-up to 30 minutes of walking, five days a week, within six months.
The programme varied according to each individual to help them stick to it, says Pocovi. By 12 weeks, .