If you live with low back pain, you know how one simple move can set things off.

A new study followed more than 400 adults for a full year to find out which common movements raise the risk of a painful flare, and whether any of them lead to long-term back problems.

Participants reported how much time they spent doing 10 everyday activities — things like lifting, bending, twisting, squatting, pushing or pulling and even sitting.

Many of those movements significantly raised the odds of a painful flare within the next 24 hours, according to the results.

Lifting more than 10 pounds and spending more time bending, pushing or pulling, twisting, and squatting were all linked to a higher short-term risk.

Sitting, on the other hand, was associated with a lower likelihood of back pain kicking up.

But here’s the key point: the researchers found these short-term flares didn’t translate into long-term harm. After a full year, none of the activities were linked to greater disability from low back pain.

The authors say, “These findings suggest that people with low back pain who engage in more of these activities do not have better or worse long-term outcomes.”

Source: JAMA Network Open

Author Affiliations: Veterans Affairs (VA) Puget Sound Health Care System, University of Washington, University of Queensland

Everyday Moves That Spike — or Reduce — Low Back Pain

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