Does the speed of your walks influence the pain relieving effects that walking can have on lower back pain? Several research studies and leading authorities on back pain treatments suggest that walking speed is an important element of healing and walking lower back pain away.
Spinal Stabilization
Studies have shown that spinal stabilization exercises can be effective for decreasing back pains, as well as functional disability associated with degenerative and herniated discs, and that stabilization exercise is better than general exercise (1,2,3). Using stabilization exercises while walking is the central theme of the Walk Away Back Pain™ Program, and as discussed in my previous articles, the increased arm swing motion associated with faster walking can help activate the gluteal hip muscles, which aid in low back stabilization.
Healthy Discs and Fast Walking
Other studies have shown an association between long distance running and healthier spinal discs in middle age men (44-62 years), and distance runners/ joggers of both genders in younger age groups (25-35 years) compared to non-exercisers. The healthiest discs appeared to be associated with fast walking or slow jogging speeds of approximately 2 meters per second in the younger regularly exercising age groups. (4,5). These findings support the notion that fast walking may be beneficial for back pain by enhancing spinal disc health. When combined with tailored neutral spine stabilizing muscle tensions as taught in the Walk Away Back Pain™ Program, this style of corrective fast walking may be the best combination (stability exercise plus fast walking speed) for disc sufferers of all ages.
Multifidus Muscle Function
The multifidus muscles are often involved in chronic lower back pain, and are a key component of spinal stabilization exercises that have been shown to help. These small stabilizing muscles that connect up to 5 adjacent vertebral spinal segments are growing in interest to back pain researchers because they help to control excess spinal flexion (dangerous bending forward motions between adjacent vertebrae).
Besides disc herniations, bulges and degeneration, many other types of low back pain are typically aggravated by spinal flexion, or bending forwards. This motion compresses the front of the spine, (where the discs are located) and overstretches ligaments, muscles, tendons, nerves and joint capsules on the rear portion of the spine. Many cases of painful bending forward and walking lower back pain are associated with multifidus stabilizing weakness. These muscles in particular are prone to atrophy (shrinking/weakness) and fatty infiltration in cases of lower back disc herniations and other chronic back pains. Multifidus fat composition is correlated with symptom duration and severity of nerve compression (6). When the multifidus muscles are weak and have a higher fat to muscle fiber ratio, it is easier for the spinal vertebral segments to move excessively during motion, which can cause back pain.
Faster walking speeds are beneficial from this perspective as well because the multifidus has been shown to become more activated with faster walking speeds (7). Progressive fast walking is an activity that helps to strengthen the multifidus. The more active and conditioned the multifidus becomes, the more stability it can offer.
Disc and other back pain conditions often benefit from an emphasis on maintaining corrective multifidus contractions at approximately 10% of maximal effort while walking at faster speeds. Because different back pain sufferers will respond better to certain multifidus activation methods than others, a tailored approach to multifidus training, as taught in the Walk Away Back Pain™ program, is often a key component in any self-rehab effort of walking lower back pain away.
Dr. Michael C Remy, DABCO, CCSP is a chiropractic sports orthopedist who specializes in custom walking exercises for back pain and spine rehabilitation. His Walk Away Back Pain™ Program offers simple and effective back pain solutions through improved walking movements and techniques.
Disclaimer: Please be advised that any exercise or movement advice given is for general information purposes only. There is no intent to diagnose, treat, or suggest personal advice as per your individual health issues or status. Certain exercise and movement advice given here may be harmful for your condition, and may cause injury or a worsening of your condition, as well as other health problems. Always consult with your own doctor before beginning or changing exercises or body movements.
1. Kim S. et al (2014) Effects of Spinal Stabilization Exercise on the Cross-sectional areas of
the Lumbar Multifidus and Psoas Major Muscles, Pain Intensity, and Lumbar Muscle Strength of
Patients with Degenerative Disc Disease. J Phys Ther Sci Apr; 26(4):579-582.
2. Bakhtiary A et al. (2005) Lumbar Stabilizing Exercises Improve Activities of Daily Living
in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil 18, 55-60.
3. Ye C et al (2015) Comparison of Lumbar Spine Stabilization Exercise versus General
Exercise in Young Male Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation after 1 Year of Follow-up. Int J
Clin Exp Med 8(6):9869-9875.
4. Mitchell UH et al. (2020) Long-Term Running in Middle-Aged Men and Intervertebral
Disc Health, A Cross-sectional Pilot Study. PLoS ONE 15(2):e0229457.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229457.
5. Belavy DL et al (2017) Running Exercise Strengthens the Intervertebral Disc. Sci Rep
7,45975;doi:10.1038/srep45975
6. Colakoglu B and Alis D (2019) Evaluation of Lumbar Multifidus Muscle in Patients with
Lumbar Disc Herniation: Are Complex Quantitative MRI Measurements Needed? J Int Med Res.
Aug; 47(8):3590-3600.
7. Lee HS et al. (2014) Facilitating effects of fast and slope walking on paraspinal muscles.
Ann Rehabil Med 38(4).