Swimming shown to ease lower back pain, Australian study finds

An Australian scientific study has found that swimming helps relieve lower back pain, with improvements from swimming surpassing those seen with other forms of exercise or physical training. The benefits of swimming lasted for about six months to a year after completing the training program.

The study, conducted by a research team from Macquarie University in Sydney and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, confirmed that participating in an eight-week swimming program helped volunteers improve mobility and significantly reduce lower back pain.

Deborah Wareham, the study lead, said swimming reduced pain among participants by nearly 50 percent. The trial involved 76 adults aged between 26 and 74 who had experienced lower back pain for at least three months.

Mark Hancock, a researcher at Macquarie University's Spinal Pain Research Centre, said, "Swimming can improve mobility, strength, and the body's ability to use oxygen during movement in general."