GOING on a daily walk for a specific number of minutes could slash your risk of chronic lower back pain, a large new study has revealed
Every year, around 9.5 million Brits suffer from the agonising condition, making it one of the most common causes of disability.
Back pain impacts around 9.5 million Brits each year[/caption]
Walking for a certain number of minutes can cut your risk of chronic lower back pain by a quarter.[/caption]
In many cases, lower back pain starts suddenly and improves within a few days or weeks.
But if it sticks around for more than three months, it’s classed as chronic, according to the NHS. In some cases, it can be considered a disability.
This is when it can make everyday things like bending, lifting, or standing for long periods much harder.
It typically hits in later life, affecting people over 50 as the spine naturally wears down.
But younger people aren’t immune, those with physically demanding jobs or sedentary lifestyles can suffer too.
Now, researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have found that walking around 100 minutes a day can cut your risk of chronic lower back pain by a quarter.
They found that the amount of walking mattered more than how fast or vigorously people walked.
Walking is already known to help reduce lower back pain by improving blood flow, strengthening muscles, and promoting flexibility.
Their large study, published in JAMA Network Open, tracked more than 11,000 adults over four years, using tech to measure daily walking volume and intensity.
They discovered that people walking between 101 and 124 minutes a day had a 23 per cent lower risk of developing chronic lower back pain, compared to those walking less than 78 minutes.
Walking 125 minutes or more daily also lowered the risk by 24 per cent, while higher walking intensity made less difference once total walking time was accounted for.
“These findings indicate that public health strategies promoting walking may help reduce the burden of chronic low back pain,” the authors said.
It comes as Australian study, published earlier this year, found that nine out of ten treatments for back pain are no good.
The NHS recommends anti-inflammatories, stretching, ice and heat packs to alleviate back pain.
If there is no improvement, it urges patients to see a GP.
When to see a doctor or call 999 for back pain
If your back pain never subsides, or if it’s getting progressively worse, despite putting practices in place to try and ease the pain, then book an appointment with your GP who will be able to guide you on the next steps.
It’s also wise to see your GP if the pain is disrupting your day-to-day life or if the pain is sharp and radiating into others areas of the body, as this could potentially indicate something more serious.
Back pain is very common. Physiotherapist Sammy Margo, part of the expert hub behind Mind Your Back, previously told The Sun it is usually injury to a muscle or ligament.
She said: “These strains may occur for many reasons such as poor posture, improper lifting [including during exercise] or being too sedentary and not having enough exercise.”
But back pain with chest pain is a good reason to seek urgent medical help.
It could be the sign of a heart issue or heart attack.
The signs of a heart attack are chest pain, and pain that can spread to other parts of the body, including the back, feeling lightheaded or dizzy, shortness of breath, sweating and nausea.
If you have back pain plus any of these symptoms, don’t delay – call 999 or go to A&E.
Sudden loss of bladder or bowel control (unable to hold it in) is another red flag that the NHS says you should call 999 for.
Cauda equina syndrome, when nerves of the spinal cord are compressed, can cause numbness of sensation in the buttocks — as well as genitals — and incontinence.
Meanwhile, in men, lower back pain could potentially be a sign of prostate cancer.
Other symptoms of prostate cancer include blood in the urine, abdominal pain, difficulty urinating and needing to pee more often.
Men should see their GP if they have these symptoms or are worried about their risk factors for prostate cancer: Use this online risk tool.
Meanwhile, kidney stones can cause agonising back pain, and you should phone NHS 111 if the pain is severe or if you have blood in your urine. Otherwise, see your GP.
