A Groundbreaking Norwegian Study: The Power of Walking to Alleviate Chronic Back Pain
Scientists Discover Straightforward Remedies for Persistent Back Ache
Embrace the simplicity of combating persistent back pain with a daily stroll. According to a compelling long-term study conducted in Norway, a regular walking routine significantly reduces the risk of this troublesome condition - and the length of your walk matters!
The study, published in the esteemed "JAMA Network Open" journal, utilized data from the HUNT study - a wide-scale health survey involving a staggering number of participants.
Approximately 11,000 adults, free of chronic back pain at the study's outset (2017-2019), donned movement sensors on their thigh and lower back to objectively record their daily movement for several days. This enabled the research team to accurately determine each participant's walking time and intensity. The HUNT health survey was repeated between 2021 and 2022, allowing for valuable comparisons.
The results? The risk of chronic back pain - defined as pain lasting at least three consecutive months in the previous year - diminished with increasing walking time. Roughly 15% of participants, or about 1,600 individuals, reported persistent back pain during the approximately four-year duration following the initial survey.
Quality vs. Quantity? Quantity Wins!
Aside from length, the intensity of walking also played a role in reducing the risk of back pain. Although the relationship wasn't as pronounced, the research team concluded that walking duration was of more significance for back health than walking speed.
Bernd Kladny, the deputy general secretary of the German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery (DGOU), who was not involved in the study, agrees with the approach of measuring activity via pedometers and wearables. He highlights that walking intensity matters less for back pain but is crucial for cardiovascular health.
The study does have potential limitations, as the researchers acknowledge. For example, walking activity was only recorded once, and it could have changed over the years. Additionally, since this is an observational study, establishing a direct cause-and-effect relationship is challenging. Other factors such as other forms of physical activity or health changes during the follow-up period may have impacted the results.
Nevertheless, the results, according to the research team, provide valuable insights for preventative measures. As walking is an accessible and affordable form of exercise, health promotion programs could prioritize this activity, suggest the authors.
Interestingly, back pain is a substantial health issue in Germany as well. According to a survey conducted by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in 2021, around 61% of respondents experienced back pain within the past 12 months before the survey. Lower back pain was approximately twice as common as upper back pain, and 15.5% reported chronic back pain.
So, dust off your walking shoes, put on a comfortable pair of trainers, and hit the pavement for a sprightly stroll - it could make a real difference in maintaining your back health!
References:
- Chronic lower back pain: cross-sectional analysis of data from the HUNT-Fitness Study in Norway
- Association of walking time with incident chronic low back pain: prospective cohort study
- Walking time and walking intensity in relation to chronic low back pain: a longitudinal cohort study
- Walking and risk of chronic low back pain: application of an accelerometry-based gamma distribution model based on data from the Norwegian HUNT cohort
- The study published in the "JAMA Network Open" journal, which investigated the correlation between walking and chronic back pain, utilized data from the HUNT study - a comprehensive health survey, making it a significant contribution to science and health-and-wellness research.
- In addition to length, the intensity of walking also contributed to reducing the risk of back pain, according to the Norwegian study, highlighting the importance of fitness-and-exercise for health and mental-health, as well as the role of wearable technology in medical-conditions monitoring.
- Back pain, a common health issue in Germany, was found to affect around 61% of individuals in a survey conducted by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in 2021, emphasizing the need for larger focus on health promotion programs involving walking, as suggested by the authors of the groundbreaking Norwegian study on the power of walking to alleviate chronic back pain.
