Exercise may help ease lower back pain -- just as long
as the exercise is not specifically targeting the back,
a new study suggests.
Researchers found that of the nearly 700 patients with
low back pain they followed for 18 months, those who walked
and got other forms of "recreational" exercise had a lower
risk of pain over time. In contrast, those who performed
exercises specifically for their backs appeared to make
matters worse.
Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for Americans'
trips to the doctor, and the top reason people seek alternative
therapies like acupuncture. Chiropractors and physical therapists
often prescribe exercises to mobilize and strengthen the
lower back, but growing evidence suggests that targeting
the back does not help, and may even aggravate, the pain.
The new findings, published in the American Journal of
Public Health, add to that notion-and point to the benefits
of general activity like brisk walking or swimming.
"Our findings suggest that general physical activity is
more beneficial," Dr. Eric L. Hurwitz of the University
of California, Los Angeles stated.
Study participants who got the equivalent of 3 or more
hours of brisk walking per week had a better prognosis than
those who got little to no general exercise-showing improvements,
Hurwitz said, in pain, disability and psychological distress.
On the other hand, back exercises generally increased patients'
risk of suffering pain and disability over time.
Exactly why general activity may help back pain sufferers'
recovery, while back exercises may hinder it, is unclear.
According to Hurwitz, the benefits of general exercise could
be related to endorphins-natural painkilling chemicals released
by the brain during exertion-or to the muscle toning and
overall sense of well-being that comes with physical activity.
As for why back exercises may fail, Hurwitz said, it could
be that people tend to perform them incorrectly, or that
individuals are often not prescribed the specific exercises
that could benefit them.
What does seem clear is the importance of staying active.
"Sitting is not beneficial for people with low-back pain,"
Hurwitz noted. "Being sedentary delays recovery and makes
the back more prone to (pain) recurrence."
Some people with lower back pain worry that walking and
other exercise will make their pain worse, according to
Hurwitz. Doctors, he said, need to get them past that fear
and encourage them to be active.
SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health, October 2005.
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