Today our hypothesis to consider is this: Are there forms of pool exercise that can bring relief to the millions of Americans with chronic lower back pain (CLBP)?
Let’s dive-in and see how swimming and the many forms of pool exercise or aquatic therapy can lead to reduced lower back pain and better quality of life.
- Big Data on Lower Back Pain
- Treatment Options for Lower Back Pain
- Aquatic Therapy for Lower Back Pain
Big Data on Lower Back Pain
According the CDC, spine or back pain is the second most common form of disability, with 16% of the US population suffering from some form of chronic back pain, and 80% having at least one episode of severe LBP in their lifetime. [5]
The amount of lost productivity from lower back pain is also worth mentioning, an estimated 149 million work days are lost each year to LBP, with hundreds of billions of dollars in lost wages and lost productivity.
Lower back pain has also been rising among an increasingly older generation. Among those 65 and older, reported LBP increased from 29% in 1997 to over 33% in 2013, according to this infographic by The Good Body.
And contrary to stereotype, LBP is more commonly reported in women. Nearly 1/3 of women report LBP as a problem, compared to 1/4 of men. Lower back pain is a reported problem for around 1/2 of all pregnant women. [6]
What is the result of all this rising prevalence of chronic low back pain? In addition to lost productivity previously mentioned, LBP also results in less restful sleep, reduced task completion and reduced exercise among those afflicted.
Treatment Options for Lower Back Pain
Back pain is sometimes not fully understood, and most people with lower back pain cannot connect their back problem to a specific back trauma. Even doctors and specialists can often fail to find a direct cause to some forms of lower back pain.
To better diagnose the underlying causes of LBP, your doctor may order a CT scan, MRI or X-ray to get a good look inside. Blood tests can rule out infection, and EMG tests can measure muscle reactions and nerve traffic to see spinal areas under spasm. [3]
Treatment options for lower back pain includes massage, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, pain relievers and in some cases surgery. Electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and electrothermal therapy (IDET), can help relieve pain for some. With proper care, most people will recover from LBP and not develop CLBP. [4]
Aquatic exercise therapy can help speed recovery of episodic lower back pain, and is an ideal way to safely and comfortably exercise with LBP. Swimming and aquatic exercise can result in reduced pain and disk decompression, developing stronger back muscles and spinal ligaments.
In 2009, researchers concluded that water-based exercises produced better improvement in disability and quality of life for patients with CLBP (chronic lower back pain) compared to than land-based exercise. [1]
And in 2018, another study on therapeutic aquatic exercise for low back pain concluded that “Aquatic exercise can significantly reduce pain and increase physical function in patients with low back pain”. [2]
In other words, swimming is good for lower back pain!
Aquatic Therapy for Lower Back Pain
Foremost I will offer that I myself have improved my spinal condition with swimming. After a spinal compression fracture in 1991, I have had lower back pain for decades. In 2016, I began swimming laps regularly, 2-3 times per week, for general exercise purposes.
As a result of the last 24 months of regular swimming, my lower back has never felt better or stronger. And I also feel taller, and I’m sure to be. The water has a way of allowing the body to escape gravity, and allows the spine to stretch without the normal pressures of body weight, atmospheric pressure and gravity.
Aside from swimming laps, there are dozens of low-impact water exercises and soft stretches that allow your spine to decompress gently. Swimming and other water workouts strengthen the core, obliques and lower back muscles, to reduce strain to overworked spinal ligaments. Swimming also stretches and strengthens the legs and shoulders, which are often overworked and painful from supporting a lower back in spasm.
You can find pool exercise tips all over the In The Swim blog. Read our other pool exercise blogs: water jogging, water yoga, or water aerobics to find a personal water workout that works best to relieve your lower back pain. Freestyle swimming and underwater dolphin kicks works well for my back pain, but every spine issue is absolutely unique.
You can also find specific lower back pool exercise videos on youtube. For the average LBP sufferer, just get in the water and do what feels natural – just about any repetitive movement in the water is beneficial. Have fun developing your own routine of LBP pool exercises, blending different stretching and strengthening sets.
For those with severe chronic lower back pain however, seek the advice of your physician or physical therapist for recommended water exercises for back pain. You can use your own pool in-season, and like me, swim at your local community pool during the off-season. Our Pool noodles, flotation belts and kickboards are useful for many LBP water exercises.
You can also work with a physical therapist that offers aquatic therapy programs at a local pool, for instance read this Aquatic Therapy for Lower Back Pain article by Lynda Huey of CompletePT.com, offering pool physical therapy in Los Angeles.
References:
[1] Dundalk U, et al. “Clinical effectiveness of aquatic exercise to treat chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial”. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kocatepe University. 15 June 2009. Web.
[2] Waller B, et al. “Therapeutic aquatic exercise in the treatment of low back pain: a systematic review”. Sage Journals. 1 January 2009. Web.
[3] Shi Z, et al. “Aquatic Exercises in the Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Meta-Analysis of Eight Studies”. Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. 1 February 2018. Web.
[4] Freburger, PT, PhD, Janet K, et al. “The Rising Prevalence of Chronic Low Back Pain”. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 9 February 2009. Web.
[5] “Prevalence and Most Common Causes of Disability Among Adults”. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta. 1 May 2009. Web.
[6] “30 Of The Most Surprising (And Alarming) Back Pain Statistics”. Infographic by thegoodbody.com. 3 May 2017. Web.
Thanks for this post – my spinal problems started years ago, with my first child. I also discovered swimming several years ago as a solution to my lower back pain. Can’t recommend it highly enough! After just a few weeks, back pain will lessen, and after months of swimming, your back will begin to realign and strengthen in wonderful ways!