IS RUNNING BAD FOR YOUR BACK?

IS RUNNING BAD FOR YOUR BACK?

Quite the contrary… running is actually quite often GOOD for your spine!

Relatively recent research has revealed that repetitive axial loading of the spine under body weight during running appears to be beneficial for the discs in our lower back.

In this study, long-distance runners and joggers showed evidence of better disc hydration, composition and hypertrophy compared to non-runners, especially in the lower lumbar spine (Belavy et al., 2017).

Similar to how our muscles respond the physical stress of resistance training and become bigger and stronger, the discs in your back actually adapt positively to running.

For years we never had any evidence to support this concept (apart from some basic studies done on mice), and many health professionals have actually advised people with back pain not to run to avoid any further damage. Hopefully this research will give people a more positive outlook on running and movement in general.

Chris Bryceson

B. Health Sciences (Physio), APAM

CB Physiotherapy