| Swiss researchers found that exercise, done | | | | when they were pain free. Ultimately, it must be |
| properly and under supervision, helps reduce back | | | | recognized that the back pain patients |
| pain and sciatica, particularly low-back pain. A | | | | experienced pain less often, and to a lessor |
| Swiss study, conducted in December 1999, noted | | | | degree, then before the study commenced. |
| that an exercise program consisting of low-impact | | | | Dr. Charles Edwards, a physician and professor of |
| aerobics may be quite effective in reducing back | | | | surgery at Baltimore's, University of Maryland |
| pain, particularly pain affecting the lower back. The | | | | School of Medicine, noted that both in his personal |
| study maintained that low impact aerobics may | | | | life and his professional dealings with patients, he |
| indeed offer the back pain and sciatica sufferer a | | | | had found the use of exercise to be a significant |
| viable alternative to physical therapy and weight | | | | factor in reducing and/or relieving lower back pain. |
| training alone, that adding low impact aerobics to | | | | Edwards went on to maintain that because the |
| an exercise and therapy program significantly | | | | researchers had shown comparable findings |
| reduced pain levels in less than three months or | | | | among and between these very different |
| less. | | | | modalities, that the research would make a |
| The study, published in the journal Spine, noted | | | | significant contribution to the literature supporting |
| that low impact exercise, like aerobics, can reduce | | | | the use of exercise as a means of treating low |
| or eliminate chronic low-back pain as effectively | | | | back pain and sciatica. Edwards went on to |
| as an exercise program of exercise machines, | | | | conclude that it may be said that exercise |
| weight lifting, and physical therapy, alone. | | | | counters the effects or, as he put it, the vicious |
| According to the research findings, the most | | | | cycle, of sedentary life associated with a |
| impressive data suggested that a combination of | | | | decrease in activity. The decreased activity |
| the three modalities, or treatments, administered | | | | associated with back pain and sciatica leads to |
| in concert, proved to be equally effective in | | | | weakness, stiffness, and even atrophy (shrinking |
| significantly reducing or even eliminating not only | | | | and/or loss of muscle tissue when not used) in |
| pain frequency, but its intensity and the disabling | | | | chronic back pain and sciatica sufferers. The loss |
| effects leading to an inability to perform even the | | | | of muscle tone and tissue is followed by a |
| most rudimentary tasks associated with daily | | | | decrease in the production of endorphins (naturally |
| living.The research was conducted by Anne F. | | | | produced opiates or pain killers in the body), this |
| Mannion, Ph.D., Müntener M, Taimela S, and | | | | leads to increased pain sensitivity. The decrease in |
| Dvorak J. from the University of Zurich-Irchel and | | | | endorphins and the increased pain sensitivity of |
| the Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland. The | | | | chronic back pain and sciatica sufferers, is almost |
| researchers enrolled 132 chronic back pain | | | | certainly a factor in prescription pain medication |
| sufferers, dividing them in to three groups: one | | | | abuse, as chronic back pain sufferers attempt to |
| group was assigned to a sub-grouping of two or | | | | alleviate their suffering. |
| three patients, their treatment modality was lifting | | | | Edwards concludes by noting that this is a very |
| weights for an hour; the second group was | | | | real physical pattern that develops, and exercise |
| assigned traditional physical therapy, one-half hour | | | | helps to restore and preserve normal physiology |
| in duration; and, the third group of subjects was | | | | or bodily functions, in chronic pain sufferers. I |
| enrolled in a low impact aerobics program, an hour | | | | would argue that it is also, and equally, a |
| in length. | | | | psychological pattern, one that contributes to the |
| All three groups met for a period of three | | | | well-being of the back pain and sciatica sufferer |
| months, twice a week. The pain level of each | | | | when he or she is actively engaged in an exercise |
| patient was scaled at the beginning of treatment | | | | program.In conclusion, the following findings are |
| and then assessed again after three months.After | | | | informative: one, in working with and treating |
| the test period, Dr. Mannion and her fellow | | | | patients displaying symptoms of chronic lower |
| researchers discovered a quantitative and | | | | back pain and sciatica, low impact aerobics is just |
| qualitative difference in the pain experienced by all | | | | as effective a treatment modality as exercising |
| three treatment groups. In other words, the | | | | with machines, lifting weights or even physical |
| patients not only had less pain overall but they | | | | therapy; second, after 3 consecutive months in |
| had an improved standard of living, as related to | | | | one of the three test groups, back pain sufferers |
| the ability to involve themselves in the day-to-day | | | | using one of the three treatment strategies |
| functions of life. Interestingly, it was discovered | | | | reported a significant overall reduction in low back |
| that no significant difference between the | | | | pain and sciatica; and finally, the researchers |
| different treatment modalities existed, all three | | | | involved in the study, and others interviewed, all |
| groups achieved virtually the same level of pain | | | | suggest that exercise breaks the vicious cycle of |
| relief. The back pain sufferers participating in the | | | | a sedentary lifestyle, decreased activity, that |
| study noted not only a lessening of overall pain | | | | leads to stiff muscles, weakness, atrophy and an |
| but they also observed that there were now | | | | increased sensitivity to back pain and sciatica. |
| periods when pain was not evident at all, periods | | | | |