Exercise Can Help Low Back Pain. But What Really Works?
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Introduction
Low back pain is one of the most common health problems today, affecting people of all ages. While many recover within a few weeks, it often comes back. Treatment usually involves rest, medication, or sometimes surgery, but these may not always be the best long-term solutions. A new large review offers fresh insight into how physical activity and exercise can help manage and prevent back pain.
How Exercise Helps
The review looked at 70 previous studies involving more than 95,000 people. It found that regular physical activity and structured exercises can bring small but meaningful improvements in pain and disability caused by low back pain. Popular exercises like Pilates, yoga, motor control training, and general stretching showed benefits—especially in the short term.
For people already experiencing low back pain, these exercises helped reduce pain levels and improve their ability to move. The effects were more noticeable when the activities were done regularly over weeks or months. Most exercise sessions lasted at least 40 minutes and were done 1 to 5 times a week.
Can It Prevent Back Pain Too?
Interestingly, exercise might not just help treat back pain—it could help prevent it. Some studies found that people who stayed active with regular leisure-time activities like walking, jogging, or sports had a lower risk of back pain returning. Even light activity a few times a week made a difference.
However, the review also found that doing very intense or heavy physical work might not offer extra benefits and could sometimes even raise the risk of pain coming back. So, balance matters.
Are There Any Risks?
Most people can exercise safely without serious side effects. Mild soreness or a temporary increase in pain was reported in a few cases, mainly with yoga or new routines. These effects usually went away on their own and didn’t require medical help. Serious issues were not reported.
However, researchers also noted that many studies didn’t report on safety or side effects clearly. So, while exercise appears to be safe, more research is needed to confirm this fully.
The Bottom Line
Exercise and physical activity are helpful tools in both managing and preventing low back pain. You don’t need to do anything extreme—regular, moderate activities like Pilates, yoga, walking, or stretching can be enough. The key is to be consistent and choose exercises that fit your body and lifestyle.
If you have back pain, talk to your doctor or physiotherapist before starting any new routine. With the right plan, movement might just be your best medicine.