Does low back pain have different effects on walking for men and women?

Not according to a recent study. Thirty-four patients with chronic low back pain were monitored while walking on a treadmill. Twenty-one patients were male; 13 were female. No differences in movement were detected between groups.


On the whole, however, these patients did vary from a group that didn’t have low back pain. Patients with back pain took shorter strides than the comparison group. They also showed an inconsistent stride.


From these results, it seems that gender doesn’t matter when it comes to walking. Low back pain does. The painful or cumbersome effects low back pain has on walking should be addressed in treatment.