Low-Back Pain Benefits from Walking More, More than Walking Faster
Plus 8 feature stories to help make your tomorrow a little better than today
Welcome back to your weekly dose of wisdom and wellness, written by Wise & Well’s editor, Robert Roy Britt. Below you’ll find several informative and actionable stories by our team of journalists, topical experts and practicing professionals. First, this week’s news brief:
Numerous studies have shown that walking is among the best activities to boost overall physical and mental health, and also to alleviate many types of chronic pain. While it’s not a silver bullet, walking as about as close as any remedy comes for improving well-being on many levels.
But how fast should you walk? Lots of studies have found that walking more briskly is better for health than sauntering casually. But even a slow pace is better than nothing, other research finds. The clear upshot, as I’ve written many times, is that movement of any sort brings many health benefits.
New research, published this week in the online JAMA Network Open journal, adds to this conclusion. Researchers found that…
Walking for more than 100 minutes per day was associated with a 23% lower risk of chronic low back pain compared with walking less than 78 minutes per day; walking intensity was also associated with risk of chronic low back pain but to a lesser degree than walking volume.
The findings are no surprise, given that many scientists are beginning to find significant health benefits from what they call light physical activity—pretty much anything that isn’t sitting or lying down.
The advice from experts is clear and simple: If you’re dealing with chronic pain, of course see a doctor, but don’t wait for pills or surgery to solve the problem. However much you move now, try to move more. Even if you can’t walk much, walk some. Take baby steps, and build from there.
To learn more about the benefits of walking, check out the Wise & Well archives on the benefits of walking:
Here are this week’s features:
What to Say (and What NOT to Say) at the Bedside of the Dying
If you’ve ever been around someone who is dying, or tried to comfort their dearest loved ones, you know how hard it can be to say the right thing. This doc, who specializes in palliative care, has learned what not to say (a good start). Stuff like “be strong” or “at least he didn’t suffer.” Or perhaps the worst: “I know exactly how you feel.” By Edward T. Creagan, MD
Would You Choose Physician-Assisted Death? Should it Even be Legal?
New York lawmakers voted to make medical aid in dying (MAID) legal for terminally ill patients under specific conditions. If the governor signs the bill, that’ll mark a dozen US states to allow the practice, along with a handful of European countries. Proponents argue it’s a right of autonomy, to choose a peaceful and dignified passing. Critics remain fiercely opposed, calling it assisted suicide and predicting dark outcomes. By Robert Roy Britt
Who’s That in the Mirror? My Struggle With Pain Dysmorphia.
What we look like on the outside is often out of whack with our sense of self, which gets stuck at a younger age. Similarly, for this chronic pain suffer, physical disabilities that are evident don’t reflect how he feels inside—vibrant and vigorous, as he once was. It’s a strange sensation that I bet a lot of people with all manner of conditions confront. And yes, he’s working on how to deal. By Randall H. Duckett
The Surprising Side Benefits of Working Out with Your Partner
One of the top tips for anyone who wants to get in shape, whether via jogging or weightlifting or any other activity, is to find a workout buddy. Being in cahoots with someone ups your odds of actually achieving your goals. If that somebody happens to be your lover, well… yes, that’s the side benefit we’re talking about. By Kathleen Murphy
How Bad Oral Health Goes Straight to Your Heart
Scientists have known that gum disease and other oral health problems raise the risk of cardiovascular illness and other diseases. New research reveals one direct cause, as researchers track harmful bacteria making their way from mouths to hearts. Yes, kinda creepy, like some campfire story you’d tell kids to get them to brush and floss. By Annie Foley
Bizarre Red Meat Allergy is on the Rise
You might not think of allergies arising from insect bites. Yeah, bizarre. The number of US cases of so-called alpha-gal syndrome is skyrocketing, in part, in seems, because some physicians are finally recognizing the cause of the allergies. Still, because symptoms may not kick in for months, many cases likely go undiagnosed. But now, thanks to this doc, you will know all about it. By Jennifer Brown, MD
Does the Order of Eating at Meals Matter?
Meat, salad, dessert… or maybe dessert, salad, meat? Whatever your favorite foods, the order you eat them in can affect how the food is digested and how effectively the nutrients are absorbed into your body. But how much difference does it make? This scientist explains, while dismissing some of the over-hyped advice you might’ve heard. By Sam Westreich, PhD
The Fear and Hope of Constantly Outliving a Cancer Diagnosis
Two decades ago, Jonathan Gluck was told he might not live two years. In his new book, An Exercise in Uncertainty, Gluck writes about the devastating diagnosis, his ongoing treatments, and the fear and hope amid all the ups and downs. “What radiation and chemotherapy do for the body, hope does for the soul,” he writes. I interviewed him to learn what it’s like to outlive a diagnosis by so long, and what life advice he might have for the rest of us. By Robert Roy Britt
I hope we’ve helped make your tomorrow a little better than today. If you find these stories helpful, you can follow Wise & Well and/or subscribe to this weekly newsletter.
Cheers,
Rob