A recent study suggests that long walks are associated with a significant reduction in the risk of developing chronic lower back pain.
While previous research found a link between a 30-minute walk, five times a week, and lower back pain, the latest study suggests a bit more time might be needed.
The latest findings, published in JAMA Network Open, examined the results from thousands of participants. The researchers found that walking for more than 100 minutes per day was correlated with a 23% lower risk of chronic lower back pain compared to engaging in the activity for less than 78 minutes per day.
The results could offer some hope for the many people suffering from the sometimes crippling affliction. The World Health Organization says lower back pain is the leading cause of disability globally.
So, how exactly did the researchers reach their conclusion? After all, perhaps people with healthy backs are simply capable of walking longer distances.
Rayane Haddadj of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim and co-author of the study, says he and his team first collected a pool of 11,194 participants with an average age of 55 who did not report having any chronic lower back pain. The researchers then attached movement-tracking devices to the individuals in the study for up to a week to gain insight into their walking habits.
Roughly four years later, about 1,700 participants reported having back issues. The team discovered that individuals who engaged in more walking were 23% less likely to be part of the group reporting pain.
Of course, Haddadj recognizes that participants’ walking habits may have changed over time. Moreover, because the study was observational, the cause-and-effect relationship cannot be fully established.
Even still, taking an extra step might be worth a try.
“These findings suggest that policies and public health strategies promoting walking could help to reduce the occurrence of chronic LBP (lower back pain),” the study concluded.