If you’ve recovered from lower back pain, try walking away from a recurrence. New research out of Australia shows that folks who started a walking regimen kept recurrent back pain episodes at bay for much longer than people who didn’t. “We don’t know exactly why walking is so good for preventing back pain, but it is likely to include the combination of the gentle oscillatory movements, loading and strengthening the spinal structures and muscles, relaxation and stress relief, and release of ‘feel-good’ endorphins,” said senior study author Mark Hancock. He’s a professor of physiotherapy at Macquarie University in Sydney. Over 800 million people around the world suffer from low back pain, according to background information from the study authors. In 7 of 10 cases, the pain will ease — only to return later. Special exercise programs, along with educating patients about back pain, are typically part of standard care aimed at preventing a recurrence. Hancock’s team wondered if plain old walking might help. “Walking is a low-cost, widely accessible and simple exercise that almost anyone can engage in, regardless of geographic location, age or socio-economic status,” he reasoned in a Macquarie news release. In the new trial, 701 adults who had recently recovered from an episode of low back pain were randomized to either an individualized walking program and six physiotherapist-guided education sessions over six…  read on >  read on >

Folks nearing retirement shouldn’t skip leg days at the gym, a new study advises. One year of heavy strength training preserves vital leg strength up to at least four years later, researchers found. “This study provides evidence that resistance training with heavy loads at retirement age can have long-term effects over several years,” concluded the research team led by Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, a professor of cognitive neuroscience of aging with Umea University in Sweden. For the study, researchers assigned 369 people at an average of 66 to one of three different groups. One-third lifted heavy weights three times a week for a year, while another third performed moderate intensity training with body weight or resistance bands thrice weekly. The remaining third were encouraged to maintain their usual level of physical activity. Bone, muscle strength and body fat were measured at the start of the clinical trial, then again after one, two and four years. Leg strength was preserved at the same level in the heavy weights group after four years, but not in the other two groups. Meanwhile, fat levels remained the same in the exercise groups but not in the control group, results show. All three groups experienced similar decreases in handgrip strength, lean leg mass and leg extensor power — the ability to kick a pedal as hard and as fast as possible. The…  read on >  read on >

Nearly 1 in every 6 U.S. adults have engaged in the ancient practice of yoga over the past year, new government data shows. In fact, as Americans increasingly turn to alternative or complementary health approaches, “the largest increases [have been] in the practice of yoga,” noted researchers Nazik Elgaddal and Julie Weeks. They’re with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their new report is based on 2022 data from the ongoing National Health Interview Survey. According to the data, yoga remains more popular among women (23.3% reporting past-year use) than men (10.3%). It’s also more popular among the young (ages 18 to 44), with 21.3% in that age group saying they practiced yoga, than the middle-aged (14.1%) or those aged 65 or older (8%). The well-off are also more likely to engage in yoga than less affluent folks. Overall, 23% of people in the survey’s highest income bracket said they practiced yoga versus 10.4% of those at the lowest income level. As to why Americans are engaging in the ages-old Indian practice, about 80% of yoga practitioners cited “restoring overall health,” the CDC team found. That was especially true for folks ages 45 to 64. Meditation is often being performed in conjunction with yoga: Just over 57% of all practitioners said they…  read on >  read on >

Drug-resistant fungal infections are appearing in the United States, resulting in highly contagious and tough-to-treat cases of ringworm, also known as jock itch or athlete’s foot, experts warn in a pair of reports. The two fungi reported are among a group that cause skin rashes of the face, limbs, groin and feet, researchers said. Unfortunately, the rashes can look very different from the neat, regular circles seen in most forms of ringworm, researchers said. They might be confused with eczema, and go for months without proper treatment. A man in his 30s developed such a rash on his penis, buttocks and limbs after returning home to New York City from a trip to England, Greece and California, according to a report published June 5 in the journal JAMA Dermatology. Genetic tests revealed the infection was caused by a sexually transmitted form of ringworm called Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII. The man told doctors he’d had sex with multiple male partners during his travels, none of whom reported similar skin issues. “Healthcare providers should be aware that Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII is the latest in a group of severe skin infections to have now reached the United States,” said lead author Dr. Avrom Caplan, an assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. Infections caused by that fungus are difficult to…  read on >  read on >