Combination of swimming and psychotherapy reduces risk of disability from back pain

• The combination of swimming and psychotherapy reduces the risk of disability.
• The effect was observed only in the 8th week of intervention.
• By the 52nd week, the differences between the groups disappeared.
• Swimming did not change the intensity of back pain.

Back pain remains one of the leading causes of temporary disability in many countries, leading to significant economic losses and a decrease in the quality of life for patients. Traditional treatment methods include medication therapy, physiotherapy, and psychotherapy, but their effectiveness in preventing loss of work ability is ambiguous.

A recent clinical study conducted by a group of Australian specialists tested the hypothesis that physical activity in the form of swimming combined with psychological counseling may more effectively protect against disability than psychotherapy without physical activity.

Research Methodology

The experiment involved patients with chronic back pain who were offered two intervention options: the first group engaged in swimming under the supervision of an instructor while simultaneously receiving psychological counseling; the second group received only psychotherapy. The duration of the program was 12 weeks, and the assessment of results was conducted at the 8th and 52nd weeks after the start of treatment.

The main indicators of effectiveness were the level of temporary disability (the number of days the patient could not work) and pain intensity measured on the VAS scale.

Results

In the eighth week, the combined approach showed a statistically significant reduction in the risk of disability compared to the group receiving only psychotherapy. However, by the 52nd week, the differences between the groups disappeared, indicating the short-term nature of the effect obtained.

As for pain, swimming had no noticeable effect on its intensity: the average VAS scores in both groups remained comparable.

The study was published in the reputable British Journal of Sports Medicine, where the authors emphasized the need for further research to assess the long-term effects of physical activity combined with psychotherapy.

The data obtained may serve as a basis for developing more comprehensive rehabilitation programs aimed at preventing loss of work capacity, but specialists note that without maintaining regular activities, the effect may quickly disappear.

Thus, swimming combined with psychological support is a promising but temporarily limited tool in the fight against disability caused by back pain.

Source: N+1