Exercise more to ease aching back


Know more about
Back pain
Exercise more to ease aching back

A University of Alberta study of 240 men and women with chronic lower-back pain showed that those who exercised four days a week had a better quality of life, 28 per cent less pain and 36 per cent less disability, while those who hit the gym only two or three days a week did not show the same level of change.

"While it could be assumed that someone with back pain should not be exercising frequently, our findings show that working with weights four days a week provides the greatest amount of pain relief and quality of life," said Robert Kell, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus.

About 80 per cent of North Americans suffer from lower back pain.

Kell presented some of the findings May 30 at the American College of Sports Medicine conference in Seattle, Wash.

In the study, groups of 60 men and women with chronically sore lower backs each exercised with weights in two, three or four-day weekly programs, or not at all. Their progress was measured over 16 weeks. The level of pain decreased by 28 per cent in programs that included exercise four days a week, by 18 per cent three days a week and by 14 per cent two days a week. The quality of life, defined as general physical and mental well-being, rose by 28 per cent, 22 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.


(Editor compiled and published Exercise more to ease aching back at HealthNewsTrack on June 4, 2009 sourced from University of Alberta - http://www.ualberta.ca/)

Back pain - recent articles and current news stories:

- Massage therapy helps ease chronic low back pain
- Chronic low back pain treatment can reverse abnormal brain activity
- TENS device for pain not recommended for chronic low back pain
- Patients with acute lower back pain can be diagnosed by PCP
- Yoga benefits back pain patients

Back pain article/news source:

Read more health articles from University of Alberta and health articles from Canada.

Back pain - search related terms:

Aching back, Back pain, Exercise, Exercise physiology, Life, Lower back, Lower back pain, Pain relief, Spinal column,
Back pain books,

Mission
Health Newstrack is dedicated to serve recent and updated health & medical research, events/news, views/reviews to its subscribers and free access to general public, health & medical professionals, and other health seekers worldwide online with a user-friendly system.


Subscribe to Health News by Email

Current news
Exercise more, not less, to ease aching back -- People with lower back pain are better off exercising more, not less.

Back pain
About Back pain
Back pain may occur in the upper, middle, or lower back; it is most often experienced in the lower back. It may originate from the bones and ligaments forming the spine, the muscles and tendons supporting the back, the nerves that exit the spinal column, or even the internal organs.


List health news, Health organizations, Health news world, Glossary, Best health articles, Featured     Go to top

The information provided on Health Newstrack is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician. We comply with the HONcode principles for trustworthy health information, and Health News Track is hon code accredited, verify here.
About us, Site map Privacy policy, Disclaimer
© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 HealthNewsTrack.com
3.41