Walking for Low Back Pain?

Educational Objectives

Summary

Progressive Walking and Education Program for Patients with Low Back Pain

Exercise and education can prevent some recurrences of low back pain, but most studied interventions have involved group sessions, direct clinician supervision, and equipment, all of which increase costs. Walking improves a variety of health outcomes inexpensively, but whether it helps prevent recurrence of low back pain is unknown.

In a study in The Lancet (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00755-4), Australian investigators randomized 700 adults (80% women; mean age, 54) who had recovered from an episode of nonspecific low back pain (pain duration, ≥24 hours; median lifetime episodes, 33) during the past 6 months to an individualized, progressive walking and education program or to no treatment. The intervention was structured to optimize long-term adherence and involved 6 in-person or remote sessions with a physical therapist who encouraged walking for at least 30 minutes 5 times weekly by the end of the 6-month program.

Median time to recurrence of low back pain was significantly longer in the intervention group than in the control group (208 vs 112 days), and the intervention group was significantly less likely to report or seek care for recurrent low back pain during the first year of follow-up.

This inexpensive and effective program for preventing some recurrences of low back pain should be attractive to health systems and insurers. Primary care clinicians should encourage patients with nonspecific back pain to walk regularly, but individualized guidance and follow-up from trained physical therapists probably is what made this intervention effective.

Bruce Soloway, MD

Readings

Disclosures

Acknowledgements

CME/CE INFO

Accreditation:

The Audio- Digest Foundation is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Audio- Digest Foundation designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Audio Digest Foundation is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC's) Commission on Accreditation. Audio Digest Foundation designates this activity for 0.00 CE contact hours.

Lecture ID:

JW351519

Expiration:

This CME course qualifies for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for 3 years from the date of publication.

Instructions:

To earn CME/CE credit for this course, you must complete all the following components in the order recommended: (1) Review introductory course content, including Educational Objectives and Faculty/Planner Disclosures; (2) Listen to the audio program and review accompanying learning materials; (3) Complete posttest (only after completing Step 2) and earn a passing score of at least 80%. Taking the course Pretest and completing the Evaluation Survey are strongly recommended (but not mandatory) components of completing this CME/CE course.

Estimated time to complete this CME/CE course:

Approximately 2x the length of the recorded lecture to account for time spent studying accompanying learning materials and completing tests.

More Details - Certification & Accreditation