Is pain relief aFOOT?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Back pain got you bent out of shape? Relief may be right under your feet!
Enter Rayane Haddadj and team at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. They tracked the walking habits of over eleven thousand adults. Participants wore motion detectors to understand if walking affected the development of chronic back pain.
And? Walking just eighty-minutes daily decreased the odds for pain by about fifteen percent. About two hours of walking gave the best results!
Chronic lower back pain affects millions of people, which can make everyday life harder. Turns out, something simple like walking could reduce long term risks.
Sounds like a huge STEP in the right direction!
Reference: Haddadj R, Nordstoga AL, Nilsen TIL, et al. Volume and Intensity of Walking and Risk of Chronic Low Back Pain. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(6):e2515592. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.15592