If you thought your back pain would last forever, think again. About four in 10 people will recover within a year, according to a study published in the online edition of medical journal BMJ, reports HealthDay News.

For the study, 400 patients who sought treatment for acute low back pain (defined as discomfort persisting for more than 24 hours but less than two weeks) participated in the Australian investigation.

In follow-up surveys evaluating patients’ pain and disability levels and work status nine to 12 months later, 35 percent of participants experienced total recovery within nine months and 41 percent within a year.

“The findings show that the rate of recovery from chronic low back pain is higher than previously reported and that the prognosis for these patients isn’t uniformly poor,” said lead author Luciola Menezes Costa, PhD, of the University of Sydney.

But before those suffering can truly rejoice, longer follow-up must be done on patients with chronic back pain.

Find four exercises that will send your back pain packing here.