This Back was Made for Walkin’: A Guide to How Walking Reduces Lower Back Pain
If forced to make a list of things to avoid, death, public speaking, and pain would most likely be the top 3. The low back of anyone with a job that requires them to stand sedentary for hours on end will attest to the need for a solution that doesn’t require pills or surgery.
The good news is that pain research is constantly being done. One study found a correlation between sedentary, prolonged standing and low back pain. Further, this study found that taking a 5-minute walking break every 25 minutes allowed the lumbar spine to gently re-mobilize local tissues and structures, reducing pain in 73% of study participants.
Using outcome-based treatments such as ice, exercise, and other rehabilitative modalities, physical therapy has helped many patients reduce pain without needing to turn to medication or surgery. (It is worth mentioning here that visiting a local physical therapy clinic may result in movement analysis, a personalized exercise or recovery plan, and the good company of both physical therapists and other patients.)
As the study found, treatment of low back pain may be as simple as a 5-minute walk. Other benefits may include a higher daily step-count and improved relationships with coworkers. So, yes… walking reduces lower back pain!
