Sep 1, 2025
Walking, paired with education, can cut low back pain recurrence by 28% and is a cost-effective, accessible prevention strategy, study finds.
Low back pain is one of the world’s leading causes of disability—and it tends to come back. About 70% of people who recover from an episode of back pain will experience another within a year. This cycle is not only frustrating for individuals but also costly for healthcare systems.
While exercise is widely recommended to prevent recurrence, many programs require equipment, supervision, or high costs that limit accessibility. A 2024 Australian study, however, points to a simple, affordable, and scalable solution: walking.
The WalkBack Trial: Can Walking Prevent Back Pain from Returning?
Researchers launched the WalkBack trial, the first randomized controlled trial to test whether walking—paired with education—could reduce the recurrence of low back pain.
Participants: 701 adults (average age 54, 81% women) across Australia who had recently recovered from non-specific low back pain.
Intervention: Six physiotherapy-guided sessions over six months, where participants received a personalized, progressive walking program and education on back pain. The goal was to reach about 30 minutes of walking five times per week.
Control: No structured program, though participants could seek usual care if pain returned.
Follow-up: 12 to 36 months.
Key Findings
Reduced recurrence risk: Those in the walking group had a 28% lower risk of recurrent back pain compared with the control group (hazard ratio 0.72).
Longer pain-free periods: The median time before pain returned was 208 days in the walking group vs. 112 days in the control group.
Improved function: Disability scores and quality of life measures consistently favored the walking group.
Cost-effective care: The program cost about AU$7802 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained, with a 94% probability of being cost-effective at Australia’s accepted threshold.
Adverse events: Rates were similar between groups overall, though the walking group reported more lower extremity issues (e.g., leg or foot discomfort).
Why This Matters
This study is significant because it shows that a low-cost, accessible intervention can deliver results comparable to more intensive and expensive exercise programs. Walking is already known to benefit heart health, mood, and longevity—now evidence suggests it may also help keep low back pain from coming back.
Healthcare providers could integrate walking and education into standard after-care for back pain patients, shifting the focus toward prevention and self-management rather than repeated cycles of treatment.
Takeaway for Your Back Health
If you’ve recently recovered from back pain, incorporating a structured walking routine—guided if possible by a health professional—could help extend your pain-free time and reduce the risk of recurrence. While some leg or foot discomfort may occur, the overall benefits appear to outweigh the risks.
Bottom line: Walking isn’t just good exercise—it might be one of the most practical tools we have for keeping low back pain from coming back.