Health
IF YOU experience recurring bouts of lower back pain, you might be able to stave off debilitating episodes for longer by going for regular walks.
More than 600 million people globally get pain in this part of the back, which often recurs. Yet there is little research into its prevention, says Tash Pocovi at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
Wanting to find an affordable and accessible way for people to avoid this type of pain, Pocovi and her colleagues designed “WalkBack”, the first controlled trial of its kind. They selected 701 people, aged between 20 and 82 years old, who lived in 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 exercise programme for pain management. The researchers asked 351 of them to develop an individualised walking programme with the help of a physical therapist, aiming for a gradual build-up to 30 minutes of walking, five days a week, within six months. The programme varied for each individual to help them stick to it, says Pocovi. By 12 weeks, the participants were walking an average of 130 minutes per week.
They were also told about the latest scientific knowledge regarding lower bac
