Lower back pain is the biggest cause of disability globally. Oftentimes the pain will go away on its own, but it may come back months or years later. If you’ve had episodes of lower back pain, you know how difficult it can be to perform everyday activities. When your lower back pain returns, is there anything you can do to help them be less severe?

Systematic Review of Back Pain Prevention Strategies

When researchers, scientists, and medical professionals perform studies they publish results in scientific articles. Each study/article can provide valuable information. Sometimes, researchers will take several studies/articles about the same topic and look at them together. With this approach, the researchers can evaluate results from a larger sample size, and sometimes glean new information. This type of study is called a systematic review.

Some Professors from Universities in Australia performed a systematic review of strategies for prevention of future back pain. Their results highlighted one method that was most effective in reducing the impact of future lower back pain episodes.

#1 Treatment Method to Reduce Future Back Pain Episodes

If you had to guess, what do you think is the #1 thing you can do to reduce future low back pain episodes? If you guessed exercise, you’d be correct. When the individual starts an exercise program, they are helping reduce the impact of future back pain episodes. There is also some evidence that education along with an exercise program can be beneficial as well. But, education alone, or education with ergonomics training was not as impactful as the exercise program.

How to Begin

Starting an exercise program can be a daunting task. But you don’t have to jump in to a huge commitment.

First, it’s best to talk to your doctor about your condition and exercises that may be suitable for you. Then, once you know it’s safe to begin, start slowly. Do a little each day, and gradually increase the amount or length of time you exercise. Before you know it you’ll be able to do more and will feel better.

A great way to start is by walking. Go to a park, or grab a friend, and go for a short walk. Don’t overdo. Try a little more the next time you walk. If you continue to get out a few times a week you’ll find that you’re slowly starting to gain endurance and strength. Walking is a great all body cardio workout and with the beautiful weather we’ve been having here in Saratoga, there’s no better time to start! So, take advantage of the nice weather and get out and walk! If you’re unsure about your current situation or what exercise you can handle, reach out to one of the doctors as Saratoga Spine for advice. We’re available in our Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls, and Plattsburgh offices. Give us a call.

Reference: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/9/468