I am frequently asked by patients about the use of backbelts for spinal injury prevention. The short answer is that we’ve know for quite some time that these strappy supports rarely do anything to prevent low back injuries and a recent Cochrane review supports this practice.
To top things off, they may actually allow back and abdominal muscles to weaken as they become dependent on the additional artificial external support.
We do occasionally recommend a support belt for patients in acute pain as a temoporary pain relieving measure. We will also on occasion have patients wear a belt for short periods during tasks that may require additional support but longterm, all day use should be avoided.
I agree, a
lumbar back brace should not be worn for a long period of time, as they can cause dependency by lumbar muscles and weakness. If you know you have a back problem or were recently involved in an injury, and are going to wear the brace for a short period of time for protection- than a back brace can be helpful. I recommend using it in conjunction with chiropractic treatment, PT, exercises and other forms of rehab for short periods of time.
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Posted by Dr. Brett K.
I am frequently asked by patients about the use of backbelts for spinal injury prevention. The short answer is that we’ve know for quite some time that these strappy supports rarely do anything to prevent low back injuries and a recent Cochrane review supports this practice.
To top things off, they may actually allow back and abdominal muscles to weaken as they become dependent on the additional artificial external support.
We do occasionally recommend a support belt for patients in acute pain as a temoporary pain relieving measure. We will also on occasion have patients wear a belt for short periods during tasks that may require additional support but longterm, all day use should be avoided.