Researchers from Macquarie University in Australia investigated whether swimming could help people with chronic lower back pain, according to HealthDay.
The study involved 76 adults aged between 26 and 74, all of whom had experienced lower back pain for at least three months.
Participants were divided into two groups.
One group completed an eight-week swimming program under the guidance of a physiotherapist.
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The other group received education on the best ways to manage back pain but did not take part in the swimming program.
The effects were monitored for a year
The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, followed participants for up to one year after the trial.
The positive effects of swimming were still evident after both six and twelve months, although the difference between the two groups became smaller over time.
According to the researchers, some participants continued swimming after the study, while others chose different forms of exercise.
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They also noted that the buoyancy of water can make it easier to move the body and exercise without placing as much strain on the back.
Swimming reduced pain
The results showed that participants in the swimming group experienced an average 50 percent reduction in pain and improved physical function compared with their condition before the study.
They also scored approximately 30 percent lower on a widely used scale that measures how much back pain affects daily life, compared with the group that received education alone.
The researchers therefore conclude that there is now scientific evidence supporting swimming as a suitable form of exercise for people with chronic lower back pain.
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