Low back pain prevention

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Low back pain prevention

30 Oct, 2026

RECRUITMENT The Walk-IT trial is calling for physiotherapists to explore implementation strategies for the WalkBack program, helping to make prevention part of routine care for recurrent low back pain.

Low back pain is one of the most common conditions seen by physiotherapists.

While many patients recover from an acute episode, recurrence remains a significant challenge; around 70 per cent of people experience another episode within the following year.

As clinicians, we are frequently successful at helping patients manage their current episode but preventing future episodes often receives little attention within routine practice.

WalkBack was developed to provide physiotherapists with an accessible and evidence-based approach to low back pain recurrence prevention.

It combines an individualised progressive walking program with education and is supported by six physiotherapy sessions (three standard consultations and three brief check-ins), delivered either face-to-face or via telehealth.

The WalkBack randomised controlled trial, published in The Lancet in 2024, demonstrated that the intervention reduced the risk of low back pain recurrence by 28 per cent and reduced care-seeking associated with recurrent low back pain by 43 per cent.

It was also shown to be cost-effective and highly acceptable to participants.

An effective, large-scale rollout of the already proven WalkBack intervention would significantly reduce the burden of low back pain for the millions experiencing it across Australia.

Aims of the Walk-IT trial

Walk-IT is an implementation trial designed to answer a very practical question: what is the best way to support clinics and clinicians to adopt and maintain delivery of the WalkBack program within routine care?

Specifically, Walk-IT will compare three implementation strategies to understand what increases patient uptake and clinician offering of WalkBack:

traditional evidence dissemination – clinicians are given access to the WalkBack trial publication but receive no additional support or training to encourage implementation during the trial period
comprehensive online training – clinicians receive structured online training and practical resources to assist with delivery and implementation of the WalkBack intervention in clinical practice
comprehensive online training plus financial subsidy – clinicians receive the same training and implementation support as the comprehensive online training group, plus a financial subsidy that reduces patient costs if engaging in the WalkBack intervention.

What’s involved for participating physiotherapists and clinics?

If you choose to participate, your clinic will be randomly assigned to one of the three implementation strategies.

Depending on allocation, involvement may include complete comprehensive online training (self-paced modules, expected to be around five hours), followed by a 30-minute online meeting with a trainer.

Participants will deliver the WalkBack program in clinical practice for 12–18 months, enter a small amount of de-identified patient data into an online portal throughout this period and engage in a one-off clinic audit over a one-to-two-month window (de-identified counts only).

Some clinicians may be invited to join a 60-minute Zoom focus group to discuss barriers, facilitators and recommendations for scale-up.

Clinics will receive $75 per month to cover administrative effort and clinicians will be reimbursed for focus group participation if selected.

Potential benefits of participation

Clinics and clinicians may benefit through:

contributing to evidence that can make low back pain prevention more scalable and sustainable across Australia
becoming familiar with a structured pathway to deliver prevention-focused care that fits routine practice
upskilling in an evidence-based prevention program, accompanied by health coaching and behaviour change skills (depending on group application).

How physiotherapists can get involved

If you are a physiotherapist who regularly treats people with low back pain and can enter a small amount of de-identified data, you may be eligible to participate.

Participation is voluntary and you can withdraw at any time.

>> Click here for more information and to register your expression of interest.

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