Back pain might go away for a while, but you never know when it will return. Research shows that recurrence rates for low back pain soar as high as 50% in the 12 months following the initial episode.

And although patients are encouraged to return to normal activities as soon as possible, many fear that movement or activity will only make their pain worse.

In July, the British Medical Journal published a study that evaluated the effectiveness of an exercise program for dealing with back pain. One hundred and eighty-seven patients with low back pain of 1-6 months duration were divided into an exercise group or a control group. The exercise group participated in eight one-hour classes that included muscle strengthening, stretching, relaxation techniques and a brief education on back care. The control group continued under the care of their doctor.

Questionnaires completed six months and one year after the program revealed that patients in the exercise group reported less back pain and associated disability than the control group. The exercise group also took less days off work than the control group in the 12-month follow-up period (378 days by the exercise group vs. 607 days by the control group).

As these results suggest, something can be done about back pain. In fact, exercise is just one of many potential options available to back pain sufferers. A doctor of chiropractic can evaluate you and outline the most appropriate course of rehabilitation for your condition.

Reference:

Moffett JK, Torgerson D, Bell-Syer S, et al. Randomised controlled trial of exercise for low back pain: clinical outcomes, cost and preferences. British Medical Journal, July 31, 1999: Vol. 319, No. 7205, pp279-283.

For more information on back pain, go to http://www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/backpain.html