According to researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia, exercise is the most effective way to provide relief and to prevent episodes of lower back pain, HNGN reports.
Earlier studies have also emphasized the importance of exercise in providing relief for and preventing lower back pain.
The researchers said exercise alone, or along with knowledge on lower back pain, reduce the risk of experiencing episodes of lower back pain.
Education on lower back pain may include training in lifting techniques, correct posture or attending back school, which is a comprehensive program on back health, according to CBS News.
As a result, exercise also reduces the number of times that people have to be absent from work because of the lower back pain.
The study noted that the use of shoe insoles and back support belts that are specially designed to alleviate back pain do not seem to provide back pain relief.
The researchers also said that ergonomics does not help prevent back pain, either.
For the study, the researchers studied data from 23 earlier studies involving a total of 30,850 participants. They found that people who exercised were 35 percent less likely to experience episodes of lower back pain and 78 percent less likely to not report for work.
The study also found that people who both exercised and had knowledge about lower back pain were 45 percent less likely to have an episode of lower back pain.
"This finding raises the important issue that, for exercise to remain protective against future LBP, it is likely that ongoing exercise is required," the researchers said in a press release.
The study was published online Jan. 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
