Exercise Training Eases Chronic Back Pain

Those suffering chronic back pain should not overlook the importance of exercise. According to a new study, a supervised exercise program combining resistance training to strengthen the muscles of the lower back with exercises designed to improve flexibility and coordination can improve their chronic condition. This study included 314 consecutive individuals with chronic back pain attributed largely to work-related causes and consisted of an 8 to 15 week exercise program. Remarkably, researchers were able to take two-thirds of workers who were previously deemed "unemployable" and bring them to an "employable" condition. The researchers found it seemed the more  intensive the training, the greater the improvement. A word of caution, those in the study were fully supervised by health care professions during their exercise program.