Back exercises not the answer to back pain

Exercise may help ease lower back pain - as long as the exercise is not specifically targeting the back. Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for trips to the doctor and the main reason people seek alternative therapies like acupuncture. Physical therapists often prescribe exercises to mobilise and strengthen the lower back, but growing evidence suggests that targeting the back does not help, and may even aggravate, the pain. Researchers from the University of California, USA, followed nearly 700 patients with low back pain for 18 months. They found that those who walked and did other forms of exercise had a lower risk of pain over time. In contrast, those who performed exercises specifically for their backs appeared to make matters worse. This points to the benefits of general activity like brisk walking or swimming. Study participants who got the equivalent of 3 or more hours of brisk walking per week had a better prognosis than those who got little to no general exercise - showing improvements in pain, disability and psychological distress. On the other hand, back exercises generally increased patients' risk of suffering pain and disability over time. General physical activity is more beneficial. Exactly why general activity may help back pain sufferers' recovery, while back exercises may hinder it, is unclear. According to the researchers, the benefits of general exercise could be related to endorphins-natural painkilling chemicals released by the brain during exertion - or to the muscle toning and overall sense of well-being that comes with physical activity. The reason why back exercises may fail, could be that people tend to perform them incorrectly, or that individuals are often not prescribed the specific exercises that could benefit them. What does seem clear is the importance of staying active. Being sedentary delays recovery and makes the back more prone to pain recurrence. Some people with lower back pain worry that walking and other exercise will make their pain worse but they need to be encouraged to stay active.