Walking & Unloading: The Most Underrated Tools for Back Pain

You've probably been told to rest when your back flares up. And while a short break from aggravating activities makes sense, it’s important to keep moving. This week, we're making the case for walking — and giving you two practical tools to do it even on your worst days.

Why Walking?

Yes, you read that right, walking is so important that it gets its own section…with a couple of other goodies too. Research recommends walking as the baseline activity for people with back pain [1].

Walking is particularly useful when dealing with back pain and flare-ups because:

• Walking is our primary form of transportation, and we want to maintain this capability at all costs.
• It's low impact
• Easily scalable — short walks, long walks, fast walks, slow walks
• Requires no equipment
• Keeps us mobile
• May reduce pain during and after activity for many people

The Biomechanical Case for Walking

There's also a biomechanical basis for recommending walking. Walking provides:

• Low-rate rhythmic forces that load and unload the spine — this loading pattern enhances nutrient transportation to our intervertebral discs [2].
• Swinging your arms freely while you walk 'dampens' the rotational forces on your trunk and head [3].
  • Patients with disc herniations stiffened their posture while walking and did not freely swing their arms, which may unintentionally cause greater rotational forces on their spines [4].

How to Walk with Back Pain

I bet you never thought you'd be told how to walk again. Well, you bet wrong.

• Let your arms swing naturally — this reduces rotational forces on your spine
• Think about being stable, not rigid
• Start with short bouts of walking — continue until discomfort and then unload/decompress
• Build up distance and speed over time

The pattern is simple: walk a comfortable distance, decompress for a few minutes (as needed), and walk again when symptoms settle. Repeat.

Unloading & Decompression Techniques

These are not 'rest' — they're short resets that change your spinal loading and let things calm down before you get moving again.

Counter-top Decompression

1. Stand facing a sturdy bench, table, or countertop that is around hip height.
2. Place your hands or forearms on the surface, then offload your weight onto the supporting surface. It helps to turn your palms facing forward and not let your shoulders shrug.
3. Let your knees soften slightly and allow your arms to support some of your bodyweight. If you have a stable surface, you may fully offload your weight.
4. Breathe slowly and feel your low back gently unload. Hold for 30–60 seconds, then slowly walk your feet back in and stand up tall.

Lying with Legs Up (90/90 Position)

1. Lie on your back and rest your lower legs on a chair or couch.
2. Form a 90-degree angle at your hips and knees.

This position unloads the posterior elements of the spine in a safe and stable position, but is less accessible and portable than the counter-top decompression.

Thank you all for tuning in to another weekly newsletter! Try the decompression positions today and see if they give you some relief! Oh, and keep walking!

Best,

Mitch

References

[1] Vanti et al. (2019) — Disability and Rehabilitation: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2017.1410730

[2] Gullbrand et al. (2015) — Spine: https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000001012

[3] Pontzer et al. (2009) — Journal of Experimental Biology: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.024927

[4] Huang et al. (2011) — European Spine Journal: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-010-1639-8