Lower back pain is improved in a safe, easy way to follow the running routine

In the first study of its kind, new research has shown that incorporating running or jogging into a walking program is an acceptable form of exercise for many people with chronic back pain. Traditionally, this high-impact exercise has been advised against activities such as swimming, cycling and simply walking.

Although running and jogging are considered good for healthy people to maintain good back health, little research has looked at whether they can benefit those who already have back problems.

The study, led by Monash University in Australia, recruited 40 people aged 18-45 (33 years) with chronic back pain and gave them a 12-week walking program. or put them on a waiting list, ‘while they continued with their normal activities (control group).

The short-term training program consisted of three, continuous sessions of 30 minutes per week, programmed and sent to the participants digitally, and supported remotely by a physical therapist . At the end of the experiment, both groups reported their pain levels with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for Pain, which ranges from 0-100 points. They also complete the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (or Oswestry Disability Index, or ODI), an important clinical tool for measuring how this chronic condition affects a person’s quality of life.

The training program, which continued gradually over 12 weeks, consisted of short periods of running mixed with walking. At first, the running time was only 15 seconds, and gradually it increased to three minutes, depending on the person’s ability and endurance. Walking time was reduced as the participants’ running ability increased.

In addition, each participant in the program had a two-minute test before the test, and was given an exercise guide based on this – from those who could run in seconds only a few, to those who could handle 90-120 seconds. During the test, the participants moved to the next level of difficulty (more running and less walking), if they tolerated their periods well and were stable. Conversely, exercise levels were reduced for those with any increase in pain or discomfort.

At the end of the study, the walking group reported an average decrease in pain of 15.3 points on the VAS scale and a decrease of 19.35 points when asked to report their current pain intensity, while the group of control is still there.

The run club also saw an improvement in their ODI score, with a mean change of 5.2 points. Although not huge, this shows a helpful change in daily activities while living with their lower back pain.

Nine non-serious adverse events, related to lower leg pain or injury, were reported, but all participants resumed training after recovery; overall, there was 70% adherence to the program, and all completed 12 weeks, however, there was an average of 2.1 sessions per week.

Although the results were promising, the researchers acknowledge that not everyone has the ability to run, and caution that doing any new physical activity to combat low back pain (LBP) requires close medical attention.

“To reduce the risk of injury or ‘flaring’ pain, we recommend that people with chronic unstable LBP work closely with a qualified health professional (eg, a physical therapist) physical or physiotherapist) when they return to running or start a new exercise training program,” they noted in the study.

Also, the study did not reach statistically ‘clinically meaningful’ results on the VAS or ODI, but the findings suggest that this type of guided walking program is an acceptable method of exercise for a chronic, non-specific back. Painful pain.

More research and long-term studies on the effects of interval training are needed.

The research was published in British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Source: Monash University by British Journal of Sports Medicine