If, like millions of people, you have back pain, a study has just determined the best way to relieve the pain. And, good news, it is accessible to everyone and completely free!
Dull or sharp pain, incessant tension in the lumbar region, sudden twinges when climbing stairs or bending over… Back pain affects millions of people around the world, whether we spend hours sitting at a desk or that we use our body daily in physical professions. It is sometimes nicknamed “the evil of the century”, and for good reason! From simple temporary discomfort to chronic paralyzing pain, it can take multiple forms, each as invasive as the next.
In 2020, it was estimated that lower back pain affected 619 million people worldwide. A number that is expected to reach 843 million by 2050. In addition, nearly seven in ten people experience a relapse of pain during the 12 months following their remission.
However, few solutions seem really effective in overcoming it. Painkillers, physiotherapy sessions, even surgical interventions are common remedies, but often expensive and with results that vary from one person to another. So, how can we hope to provide lasting relief from these ailments without going through heavy and restrictive treatments?
A recent study published on June 19 in The Lancet, conducted by Dr Natasha Pocovi and Professor Mark Hancock from the University Macquarie in Sydney has highlighted a solution that is both simple and accessible to all. Researchers, curious to explore the benefits of natural methods, became interested in a practice often neglected in the prevention and treatment of back pain: walking.
The study included 700 participants aged 18 or over – 81% of them were women with an average age of 54. All had recently recovered from an episode of low back pain – intense pain located in the lower back, corresponding to the area of the five lumbar vertebrae and surrounding muscle masses – which had lasted at least 24 hours. They were followed between 12 and 36 months and divided into two groups. The first benefited from an individualized and progressive walking and education intervention, facilitated by six physiotherapy sessions over six months, while the second served as a control group and received no treatment.
The results indicated that the group that walked regularly went an average of 208 days without recurrence, compared to 112 in the control group. “We thought it was very important to start focusing on preventing future episodes and empowering patients to manage their back pain, knowing that for most people it is a chronic condition. long lasting”explains Mark Hancock. Dr Natasha Pocovi would like to point out that “n“Not only did walking improve people’s lives, it also reduced their need for sick leave and medical support by about half.”
Why does a remedy as banal as walking produce such effects? ““We don’t know exactly why walking is so beneficial for preventing back pain.” confess Mark Hancock. “However, it is likely that this is due to the combination of gentle oscillatory movements, loading and strengthening of spinal structures and muscles, relaxation and stress reduction, and the release of endorphins. “
Researchers were interested in walking because it is an exercise “simple, inexpensive and widely accessible, which almost anyone can indulge in, regardless of age, geographic location or socio-economic status”. No need for sophisticated equipment or special skills to get started! Walking can be easily integrated into daily life, whether with a walk in the forest, a walk to work, or simply a few walks around the neighborhood are enough to start the healing process.
In the study, the amount of walking each person did was individualized based on a range of factors, such as participants’ age, physical ability, preferences and available time. After three months, most participants were walking three to five days per week for an average of 130 minutes per week. So, get your sneakers on! Your back will thank you.