A new study published in the journal BMJ Open has shown that reducing daily sitting time may prevent back pain from worsening over time.
The six-month randomized controlled trial included 64 adults who were considered overweight or obese and who had metabolic syndrome. The participants were divided evenly into an intervention group and a control group. The participants in the intervention group were encouraged to reduce their daily sedentary behavior by one hour per day and were given accelerometers to measure their daily sedentary time. The control group continued with their usual activities. Both groups had their back pain intensity assessed during the study along with other health and pain measures.
At the end of the study, the intervention group had reduced their daily sedentary time by about 40 minutes per day on average. Throughout the study, back pain intensity increased significantly in the control group. However, back pain intensity remained unchanged in the intervention group, suggesting that less sitting throughout the day may help prevent back pain.
The authors of the study pointed out that the participants in the study were fairly average adults — they sat for most of their day, did not get much exercise, and carried some extra weight. These factors (sedentary behavior, low physical activity levels, and excess weight) are all associated with poor cardiovascular health in addition to increased back pain. Through a relatively simple intervention of trying to sit for one hour less per day, the participants in this study were able to halt the progression of their back pain, and it is also likely that they improved their cardiovascular health. While exercises such as walking or jogging are the better than simply standing up, any reduction in sedentary time per day is likely to improve heart health and address back pain.
Sources: BMJ Open, Science Daily