There’s an old joke that goes something like this…
The patient says, “Hey, Doc! It hurts whenever I do this.”
The doctor replies. “Then stop doing that!”
This little comedy routine has absolutely no relevance to real life, yet many people take it to heart.
It is something that has plagued me during my entire career, especially when the general complaint is that a patient’s knees, hips or back hurt when they walk.
What do these patients do? They often stop walking unless absolutely necessary!
If You Don’t Use It, You Lose It
In 2023, The Lancet showed that low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that a brand-new study published in the same prestigious journal shows that that there may be a super easy and low-cost way to reduce symptoms of back pain.
It turns out that taking a daily walk could be all it takes to resolve back pain – and keep it away. In other words, you can walk away your back pain!
Walking for just 11 to 18 minutes a day reduces the risk of recurrent back pain by 28%, and can lead to 43% fewer trips to a healthcare professional.
This is amazing! It’s like physical therapy for the back.
Think of it this way…
When people have knee, hip or shoulder pain, they go to physical therapy or rehab for recovery.
This entails stretching, flexing and other physical activities that stimulate the production of synovial fluid and increase blood flow to synovial membranes so they have a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients.
At the same time, these activities reduce inflammation by releasing anti-inflammatory cytokines.
In the end, a good round of rehab or physical therapy strengthens the muscles, ligaments and tendons surrounding the joints, reduces pain levels, enhances joint flexibility and improves balance and coordination.
Well, when you walk, similar events occur.
Walking engages your body’s core muscles to help your back move. You have to keep your legs in motion, stand upright and maintain balance – all at the same time. This means all of the ligaments and tendons in your back have to stretch and flex to keep you moving and prevent you from falling down.
In other words, it helps keep those muscles from becoming weak and over-tired. So you are getting a lot more support when you engage those muscles while walking.
Ultimately, taking a walk every day will increase the stability of the spine, improve core strength, build stronger muscle and provide better balance. Plus, it will increase range of motion and provide better flexibility.
The best thing of all? As all of these improvements occur, back pain will diminish. (So will knee and hip pain.) And it only takes about a quarter of an hour a day!
Take Your Aging Back for a Walk
Walking is one of the best ways reduce back pain, stiffness, inflammation and so much more!
If you haven’t done much walking lately, I recommend starting off slowly. Just 15-minutes a day as recommended in The Lancet study.
All you have to do is point your feet in one direction, and start moving. (If you’re up to it, put a little pep in your step for more vigorous activity.)
As your pain recedes and you gain more strength, extend your walks to 30 or 45 minutes daily. Your back (knees and hips!) will be all the better for it.
SOURCES:
GBD 2021 Low Back Pain Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of low back pain, 1990-2020, its attributable risk factors, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Rheumatol. 2023 May 22;5(6):e316-e329.
Natasha C. Pocovi et al., Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an individualized, progressive walking and education intervention for the prevention of low back pain recurrence in Australia (WalkBack): a randomized controlled trial. The Lancet. Jul 2024;404(10448):134-144.
