Fix Your Back, Protect Your Body: What New Research Shows

Most people think of low back pain as something that affects only one area of the body. But new research shows that how you treat your back today can influence the health of your hips, knees, and ankles in the future. This might sound surprising, but when you understand how the body works as a connected system, it makes perfect sense.

A new study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation showed that people who received therapeutic exercise for low back pain were far less likely to develop future hip, knee, or ankle injuries. Even a single physical therapy session lowered the risk, and continued sessions reduced it even further. What this means is that addressing back pain with the right exercises doesn’t just help your spine, it supports healthier movement throughout your entire lower body.

Your back is the center of your movement system. It stabilizes you when you walk, run, climb stairs, lift, twist, and even when you’re sitting or standing still. When your back is painful, stiff, or weak, your body naturally compensates. You might shift your weight to one side, avoid bending a certain way, or move more cautiously, often without even noticing. These subtle changes can create extra stress on your hips, knees, or ankles, eventually making them more vulnerable to injury. If you’ve ever noticed knee pain after a period of back discomfort, or hip tightness during a flare-up of low back pain, that’s the same idea at work. The body doesn’t isolate movement - everything is connected. Therapeutic exercise helps restore strength, mobility, and control to the spine and the muscles that support it. When the back moves better, the rest of the body can move better. Your legs don’t have to compensate, your gait becomes more natural, and your overall mechanics improve.

When you come to us for low back pain, we’re not just treating your back. We’re looking at your whole body - how you move, how you load your joints, and how everything works together. Your treatment is fully individualized, with exercises selected specifically for your unique movement patterns and the way your spine and lower extremities function as a connected system.

Our goal isn’t only to help your back feel better today. It’s to help you move with confidence, reduce your risk of future injury, and support long-term mobility and independence. Part of that process involves identifying and correcting the compensations your body develops during painful periods, so that once the pain resolves, you’re not left moving in patterns that can create new problems down the line.

As movement specialist, this new study confirmed what we've known for a very long time: addressing back pain early and thoroughly can have a ripple effect on your entire lower body, helping you walk, move, and live with more strength and less risk.

If you’re experiencing back pain or want a plan to prevent chronic issues, we’re here to help you move better now and for the long term.

Feel free to give us a call (212) 604-1316 or email us with any questions: info@tula.nyc

Reference:
Clifton DR, et al. Does treating low back pain with therapeutic exercise reduce the risk of subsequent lower extremity injury? A population-level cohort analysis. Phys Ther. Published online November 15, 2025: pzaf122. doi:10.1093/ptj/pzaf122