An Australian study has shown that walking regularly reduces the number of pain attacks in people suffering from back pain, halving the frequency of recurrences.
Do physical activity it is one of the first recommendations that those suffering from back pain receive. However, it is not certain that everyone has the resources, including financial resources, and the time to sign up for a gym class or to be followed by a personal trainer. However, there is a physical exercise that everyone can do without it spend not even a single euro and in any spare time: walking.
Starting from the knowledge that there is no more accessible exercise, the research team specialized in back pain Macquarie University in Sydneyin Australia, conducted a study to determine whether walking could actually be considered an effective intervention against back pain. In fact, it is a more common problem than you think and often underestimated: it is estimated that there are approximately 800 million people who suffer from low back pain, the most common form of back pain.
How the study was conducted
The study, the results of which were published in the Lancet, monitored over a long period 701 adults who had recently recovered from an episode of low back pain lasting at least 24 hours. The average age was 54 years. A portion of the participants were assigned to a walking program and were accompanied by a physiotherapist with whom they carried out six educational sessions during a six-month period. The participants were followed by the team for a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 36 months. At the end of the experiment, they were questioned about their health conditions and the results were consistent with those of the group not assigned to the walking program.
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The group that underwent the walking exercises had fewer painful episodes and even when these occurred they were less intense than in the control group. Furthermore, walking proved to be sufficient to lengthen the time between one recurrence and another: in the participants who had joined the walking program this period was on average 112 days, while the control group had pain episodes on average every 208 days.
The benefits produced by walking
Although researchers are not yet clear how such a simple activity as walking has so many positive effects against back pain. Probably – the authors explain – the merit could derive from the possibility of strengthening the spinal structures and muscles, but also from the release of endorphins and the overall improvement of the person’s well-being.
Furthermore, walking is also good for those who do not suffer from back problems. The already known benefits – we read in the study – associated with this activity concern cardiovascular health, mood and even a reduction in the risk of non-communicable diseases. But above all, the most interesting aspect of this study is thehave demonstrated the benefits which can be obtained simply by walking, without resorting to often expensive equipment, and therefore through an activity truly accessible to everyone, regardless of economic or social status.
