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It is common knowledge that walking is good for health. But now a study has revealed that longer you walk it is better for those afflicted with chronic low back pain. According to WHO, about 619 million people are living with low back pain, which is expected to increase to 843 million by 2050

A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open Trusted Source by Rayane Haddadi from Department of Public Health and Nursing at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology says increasing the length of time you walk and its intensity help lower the risk of chronic low back pain.

Based on analysed medical data of more than 11000 adult participants with an average age of 55, which ran from 2017-2019 with a follow-up in 2021 to 2023 found that walking for more than 100 minutes per day were associated with 23 per cent lower risk of chronic low back pain compared with those who walked less than 78 minutes per day.

Among the risk factors for chronic back pain, some like age, genetics and other medical conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis, spinal infections etc are not modifiable. But risk factors like obesity, smoking, stress, sedentary lifestyle and lifting techniques are modifiable

Rayane Haddadi said in Medical News Today that low back pain is the leading cause of disability globally and identifying and targeting modifiable risk factors through public health policy and interventions is important.

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