Not Fast, But Slow and Steady... "This" Is Good for Lower Back Pain

Norwegian University of Science and Technology Research Team Finds
Walking for a Long Duration Reduces Chronic Lower Back Pain Risk by Over 23%

Reference photo to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay

Lower back pain is cited as a major cause of functional health loss among people of all ages. As the population continues to age, the healthcare burden caused by lower back pain is expected to keep increasing. However, a recent study has found that walking steadily for a long duration each day can significantly reduce the risk of chronic lower back pain. On June 15, Yonhap News reported, citing the research team led by Professor Paul Jarle Mork at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, that people who walk for more than 100 minutes a day have a 23% lower risk of chronic lower back pain compared to those who walk less than 78 minutes a day.

The research team published their findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, stating that they tracked the relationship between daily walking intensity and the risk of chronic lower back pain in over 11,000 people for more than four years. For this study, the team analyzed data from the Trondelag Health Study (HUNT study), which included 11,194 participants (average age 55.3 years) from 2017-2019 to 2021-2023. At the start of the study, participants did not have lower back pain, and their daily walking time and walking speed were measured using wearable devices. The occurrence of lower back pain was monitored over an average period of 4.2 years. During the study period, 1,659 participants (14.8%) developed chronic lower back pain.

The participants were divided into groups based on daily walking time: less than 78 minutes, 78-100 minutes, 101-124 minutes, and 125 minutes or more. Walking intensity was categorized according to metabolic equivalents (MET) per minute, which is the energy consumption at rest: less than 3.00 MET (walking speed below 4 km/h), 3.00-3.11 MET (4.1-5.4 km/h), 3.12-3.26 MET (5.5-6.4 km/h), and 3.27 MET (6.4 km/h) or higher. The risk of chronic lower back pain was compared across these groups.

The results showed that, compared to the group that walked less than 78 minutes per day, the 78-100 minute group had a 13% lower risk of chronic lower back pain. The 101-124 minute group had a 23% lower risk, and the group that walked 125 minutes or more had a 24% lower risk. Regarding walking intensity, compared to those in the group with less than 3.00 MET per minute, the 3.00-3.11 MET group had a 15% lower risk of chronic lower back pain. The 3.12-3.26 MET and 3.27 MET or higher groups each had an 18% lower risk.

The research team explained, "When we adjusted for mutual influences and analyzed the data, the association between the amount of walking and chronic lower back pain largely remained, but the association with walking intensity was somewhat weakened." They added, "This suggests that the amount of walking has a more pronounced effect on preventing chronic lower back pain than walking intensity." The team further stated, "These findings indicate that policies and public health strategies promoting walking could help reduce the burden of chronic lower back pain."