For years physiotherapists have been suggesting that people with chronic lower back pain should try swimming. In theory it should be the perfect exercise for people with limited mobility due to its non-load bearing nature and the scope for gently supported mobility. There has however, until now, been no evidence that swimming really gives any benefit. So what is the truth about swimming and back pain?
Now physios specialising in low back pain have demonstrated in a randomized controlled clinical trial, that swimming (even the doggy paddle) as little as once a week, as long as they keep going helps people chronic lower back pain improve their confidence that they can safely exercise and lower their disability scores by 50%.
Adults with back pain between 18 and 80 were invited to swim for free for two months and their disability scores were compared to people with back pain who got education on pain management. A few months later the swimmers were feeling better about their ability to move and had lower disability scores than the control group.
Read the original paper here
Wareham DM, Fuller JT, Graham PL, et al. Effectiveness of an individualised swimming and education programme for chronic low back pain (EduSwim): a randomised controlled trial. Br J Sports Med. Published online July 21, 2026. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2026-111730
