A twelve-week swimming and water exercise programme for people with long-term lower back pain has shown encouraging early results, according to the physiotherapists who run it at the Bayside Leisure Centre. Of the 86 people who completed the first two courses, most said their pain had eased and that they found everyday tasks such as walking and climbing stairs easier.
The programme, called Back in the Water, was set up by physiotherapists at Wrenhaven General Hospital with the leisure centre's swimming team. Participants, who are referred by their GP or physiotherapist, attend two sessions a week in the centre's warm teaching pool. The sessions combine gentle swimming, walking in the water and simple exercises to strengthen the muscles that support the spine.
Early findings, not a cure
Physiotherapist Lauren Achebe, who leads the programme, said participants filled in questionnaires about their pain and daily activity before and after the course. On average their scores improved, and many also reported sleeping better. She was careful to point out that there was no comparison group, so it was not possible to say how much of the improvement was due to the programme itself.
The water takes some of the weight off, and people find they can move in ways that hurt too much on land. That confidence often carries over into the rest of their week.
The hospital is now talking to researchers at the University of Wrenhaven about running a larger study that would compare the programme with usual care. Ms Achebe said that was the only way to know for certain whether it should be offered more widely.
Brian Holcroft, a 58-year-old delivery driver, joined the course after two years of back pain that had forced him to take time off work. "I had not been in a pool since I was a boy," he said. "By week six I was looking forward to it, and I have kept going twice a week since it finished."
Ms Achebe said anyone with back pain that is severe, getting worse or accompanied by symptoms such as numbness, weakness or problems with bladder control should see a doctor promptly, and that people should check with their GP or physiotherapist before starting a new exercise routine.