Been Told Running Is Bad for Your Back?
Let’s slow this down.
For years, many people with chronic low back pain have been told:
“Stick to walking.”
“Swimming is safer.”
“Running will flare it.”
It sounds reasonable.
But in 2024, that belief was actually tested.
The Study
Christopher Neason and colleagues published a randomised controlled trial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Forty adults aged 18–45 with chronic non-specific low back pain (pain lasting more than three months) were recruited.
They weren’t elite athletes.
They weren’t pain-free.
They were real people with ongoing back pain.
Half were assigned to a 12-week program.
Half were placed on a waitlist control group.
What Was the Program?
Not “just go for a run”.
It was structured.
3 sessions per week
30 minutes per session
Digitally delivered
Remotely supported
It started with mostly walking.
Short jogging intervals were introduced gradually.
Progression was time-based, not distance-based.
Pace was comfortable.
If pain flared, participants reduced the running dose.
They didn’t quit.
They adjusted.
That detail matters.
The Results
At 12 weeks, compared to the control group:
Average pain reduced by around 15 points (on a 0–100 scale)
Current pain reduced by nearly 20 points
Function improved
No one dropped out.
Adherence was about 70%.
Only one back flare was reported.
This wasn’t dramatic.
It was steady.
But it was real.
My Take as a Physio
Running didn’t magically “fix” backs.
What helped was:
Gradual exposure
Clear structure
Conservative progression
Removing the fear of movement
In clinic, I see two extremes:
People who avoid running completely because they’re scared.
People who jump straight back in at their old level and flare.
Both miss the middle.
Backs don’t usually hate running.
They hate sudden spikes in load.
When you strip away the fear-based narrative and introduce running properly, something interesting happens:
People stop feeling fragile.
Their system adapts.
Pain becomes less threatening.
Confidence returns.
That’s powerful.
What This Doesn’t Mean
It doesn’t mean everyone with back pain should start running tomorrow.
It doesn’t mean running is superior to all other exercise.
It means this:
Running is not automatically harmful for chronic low back pain.
Dose matters.
Progression matters.
Context matters.
If You’ve Been Avoiding Running
If running has flared you before, it doesn’t automatically mean damage.
Often it means:
Too much.
Too soon.
Too fast.
The right plan usually looks smaller than you expect.
Walk 4 minutes.
Jog 1 minute.
Repeat.
Build from there.
Boring works.
If you’ve got persistent back pain and are curious about returning to running, I help people personalise a gradual plan that fits their body, history, and goals.
You don’t need to guess the dose.
You just need a sensible starting point.
Get in touch.