Summary: It is well known that exercise helps lower the risk of lower back pain and has many health benefits. But a new study shows that walking does more than we thought. It may significantly lower the risk of low back pain coming back (recurrence). This may be due to its effects on both body and mind.
Low back pain is one of the most common causes of chronic pain. It also tends to come back in more than 70% of cases. In fact, most people who recover from low back pain will have it return within a year.
Low back pain is a complex disorder, like any other chronic pain syndrome. Damaged cartilage in the spine, or cartilage breaking down (degeneration), is just one cause. The condition may start for many other reasons. That is why people with depression have a higher risk of low back pain.
Painkillers may dull the pain, but they rarely relieve it fully. Most of the time, pills also fail to stop the pain from coming back. But it appears that lifestyle changes help a great deal in preventing lower back pain.
One lifestyle change that works especially well against lower back pain is exercise. Then comes the question: what kind of exercise, and how much? People want to know how much exercise it takes to help. A new study in the journal The Lancet shows that a simple exercise like walking helps more than we thought.
The study found that walking may significantly reduce the risk of low back pain coming back. Of course, researchers knew that walking helps. What amazed them was how much it helps.
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In the study, low back pain came back after 208 days, on average, in the walking group. In people who did not walk, the pain returned after just 112 days. That is a massive difference.
What is good about walking is that it is easy and cheap. It needs no training or gear. Anyone can walk on a regular basis.
Researchers say they are not sure why walking is so good for low back pain. After all, walking is a light exercise. There could be many reasons why walking may be an ideal exercise for people with lower back pain. It is low impact and does not strain the spine.
But it is quite likely that there are other reasons too. Walking is good for stress relief and relaxation. People who walk often are less likely to have mood problems. Just 15 minutes of walking may lift mood and reduce how much pain you feel. Of course, longer walks are linked with greater health benefits.
Once you are pain-free, walk briskly, since this adds more health benefits. Brisk walking is good for the heart. It builds bone density, helps with weight loss, and relieves stress much better.
Another good point about this study is that even walking alone may help. Researchers say earlier studies looked at walking in groups. In this study, people walked often, and often alone. This means almost anyone can use walking to help prevent lower back pain.
In the long run, brisk walking may even help prevent metabolic disorders, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of most chronic illnesses. It is good for preventing chronic pain syndromes, and it may also add years to life and slow aging. There are almost no health risks tied to regular walking. Still, if you are having problems, a visit to a chronic pain specialist in St. Louis is recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is walking good for lower back pain?
Yes. Walking is one of the best tools for keeping low back pain from coming back. It is low-intensity, it does not strain the spine, and it needs no training or equipment, so almost anyone can do it. It also relieves stress and lifts mood, and that matters because back pain is tied to depression. There are almost no health risks to regular walking.
How long does walking keep back pain away?
In a randomized trial published in The Lancet, people in the walking program went an average of 208 days before their low back pain returned. People who did not walk had their pain come back after just 112 days. That is nearly twice as long pain-free, from an intervention that costs almost nothing and needs no equipment.
How many minutes should I walk for back pain?
Start with what you can do. Just 15 minutes of walking may lift your mood and reduce how strongly you feel pain. Longer walks bring greater benefits. Once you are pain-free, walk briskly: brisk walking adds cardiovascular benefits, raises bone density, helps with weight loss and relieves stress better. Over the long run it also helps lower blood pressure and protect against metabolic disorders.
Why does lower back pain keep coming back?
Most people who recover from low back pain have it return within a year. The condition is complex: cartilage damage or degeneration in the spine is only one cause, and depression raises the risk too. Painkillers may dull the pain, but they rarely relieve it completely and usually fail to prevent the next episode. Lifestyle changes, walking above all, do a better job of keeping it away.
Do I need to walk with a group to get the benefit?
No. Earlier studies focused on group walking, but in this trial participants walked regularly and often alone, and they still got the benefit. That makes walking a practical way to prevent low back pain for almost anyone. If your pain keeps returning despite regular walking, a chronic pain specialist can look for what else is driving it.
Source:
Pocovi, N. C., Lin, C.-W. C., French, S. D., Graham, P. L., Dongen, J. M. van, Latimer, J., Merom, D., Tiedemann, A., Maher, C. G., Clavisi, O., Tong, S. Y. K., & Hancock, M. J. (2024). Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an individualized, progressive walking and education intervention for the prevention of low back pain recurrence in Australia (WalkBack): A randomized controlled trial. The Lancet, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00755-4
Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
