Is Walking Good For Lower Back Pain?

[aleyda]

Back pain is the second most common cause of doctor's visits and the most common reason for missing work. Low back pain alone accounts for $100-$200 billion in annual costs in the United States. Back pain affects the ability of a person to function in life every day, from small things like cooking dinner to picking up a child. 

Is walking helpful for lower back pain?

Dr. Michal Katz-Leurer at Tel Aviv University’s Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions at the Sackler faculty of medicine and colleague Ilana Shnayderman, As a graduate student at the physical therapy department and a practicing physiotherapist at Maccabi Health Care, I discovered in a small-scale study that daily aerobic exercise for 20 minutes gradually increased to 40 minutes as endurance was built was just as effective as the twice-weekly exercise routine typical of physical therapy clinics for back pain.

The walking in the above trial was “aerobic,” meaning that participants were not just strolling along. A slow walk, while not as damaging as high-impact activities such as running, compresses the low back at a steady, constant rate and does not flex the spine.

Faster walking allows more movement and motion in the spine, especially when swinging arms are added. This ups the aerobic ante, too, allowing not only for therapeutic relief of back pain but also cardiovascular benefits.

[aleyda]

In sciatica nerve pain walking in the wrong posture will be painful for a human being. Nevertheless, walking in the right posture will alleviate some of your pain. REF: Guidance in sciatica nerve pain for walkers [1]