Low back pain is more than a nuisance — it's one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, affecting more than 600 million people.

For many, the pain has an emotional cost that adds to its physical toll. This can be from the fear of moving, the loss of physical confidence or the creeping belief that life must shrink to accommodate the discomfort. But new research suggests a simple way for back pain suffers to move away from this cycle.

Researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) tested a 12-week movement program called Motum that was designed and delivered by physiotherapists (or physical therapists as they are known outside Australia). The pilot study was of adults with chronic, non-specific lower back pain.

Avoiding pain, unfortunately, runs the risk of turning temporary pain into a long-term problem; but slow, deliberate basic motions can be enough to bring relief.

Motum involves early life movements that are based on the ground instead of traditional strength or endurance exercises. The movements include rolling, crawling, kneeling and squatting. Think of a baby's early locomotion. The goal is to create safety, stability and a renewed trust in the body.

People with long-term back pain often change the way they move because they're afraid of triggering symptoms. “Lower back pain does not discriminate. It affects all people of all ages, from all backgrounds. But the common response is the same: people start avoiding certain movements because they fear making things worse,” lead researcher Alice Farmer, a UniSA PhD candidate, said in a news release.

Avoiding pain, unfortunately, runs the risk of turning temporary pain into a long-term problem. “We often see people change how they move, or stop moving altogether, which can compound the problem and increase the risk of long-term disability,” Farmer added.

The Motum program was created to break that cycle. “While exercise is one of the safest and most cost-effective treatments, many people find traditional programs intimidating or not suited to their needs. Motum was designed to change that,” Farmer explained. It's gentle and easy to do well.

During the first four weeks of the study, participants performed floor-based movements which involved simple rolling, crawling and gently transitioning from kneeling to standing. These motions, reminiscent of early child development, helped to rebuild fundamental motor patterns and heighten body awareness. As the weeks progressed, the sequence became more complex. Throughout the program, physiotherapists offered real-time guidance to ensure every participant felt safe and capable.

Think of a baby's early locomotion.The goal is to create safety, stability and a renewed trust in the body.

Co-researcher, Dr. Jacinta Brinsley, an exercise physiologist at UniSA, believes Motum's early success points to a critical shift in how chronic pain is understood and treated. “For people with persistent back pain, programs that focus on fundamental movement and motor control, not just strength or endurance, may offer a genuinely promising pathway out of pain,” she said.

The challenge for those recovering from back pain is staying engaged in the process of recovery. “Chronic pain is complex, but engagement is everything,” Brinsley noted. “If people don't enjoy or trust a program, they simply won't do it. Motum achieved the opposite. People showed up, felt safe, and noticed meaningful changes in how they moved.”

The Motum program is a reminder that movement doesn't need to be strenuous in order to be transformative. Slow, deliberate and basic motions can be enough to bring relief. For those living with chronic back pain, this may be the most encouraging move of all.

The study is published in Musculoskeletal Science and Practice.