Suffering from back pain? Don't reach for the paracetamol, go for a walk instead: Exercise reduces chronic lower back pain by up to 16%

  • Being highly active cuts the risk by 16% compared to those who do no exercise
  • Moderate activity lowers the risk of suffering chronic lower back pain by 14%
  • Exercise does not have an affect on acute pain or that which causes disability 
  • Experts advise we start with low-impact exercise, such as walking or swimming
  • They also recommend we avoid twisting sports, including tennis and golf

Being highly active reduces the risk of chronic lower back pain by 16 per cent, new research reveals. 

Regular moderate activity lowers the risk by 14 per cent, a study review found.

Yet, exercise has no impact on short-term back pain or that which causes hospitalisation or disability, the research adds.  

Dr Joel Press, physiatrist-in-chief at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, who was not involved in the study, said: 'We were meant to move. We were not meant to be stagnant in any way.

'Generally lower impact, walking type things are probably the starting point. Swimming is another low impact activity that puts less load on your back'.

Being highly active reduces the risk of lower back pain by 16 per cent, new research reveals

Being highly active reduces the risk of lower back pain by 16 per cent, new research reveals

YOGA IS AS EFFECTIVE AT TREATING LOWER BACK PAIN AS PHYSICAL THERAPY

Yoga relieves lower back pain as effectively as physiotherapy, research suggested last month.

Lower back pain affects four of every five people in the UK at some point in their life and is one of the most common medical complaints seen by GPs.

Yet despite most people experiencing the problem, there are few effective treatments.

For decades powerful painkillers have been doled out in their millions to relieve the agony of back pain - but growing evidence suggests the drugs are ineffective for the complaint, as well as being highly addictive.

Now researchers at Boston Medical Centre have found yoga may be a useful tool for people who struggle to ease their pain. 

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How the study was carried out  

Researchers from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki analysed data from 36 studies that included 158,475 people. 

The studies' participants did not have back pain at the start of the investigations.

Physical activity was defined as sport and intentional exercise, as well as walking and climbing stairs.

The participants were considered active if they engaged in physical activity at least twice a week for a minimum of 60 minutes. 

Key findings 

Results revealed that being highly active reduces the risk of chronic lower back pain by 16 per cent compared to those who do not regularly exercise. 

Moderate activity reduces the risk by 14 per cent. 

Yet, exercise does not have an impact on short-term back pain or that which causes hospitalisation or disability.

The findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. 

Exercise does not have an impact on acute lower back pain or that which causes disability  

Exercise does not have an impact on acute lower back pain or that which causes disability  

What the experts say 

Dr Press said: 'We were meant to move. We were not meant to be stagnant in any way, so I think this study does confirm that.

'Generally lower impact, walking type things are probably the starting point. 

'Swimming is another low impact activity that puts less load on your back.

'If somebody does an exercise and they're a little sore right afterward, but by later that day they feel fine, and the next day they're no worse, they feel fine, that's a green light - go ahead, you're doing okay.' 

Dr Press advises back pain sufferers avoid sports that involve a lot of twisting and turning, such as golf and tennis.