To Brace or Not To Brace

Should I be wearing a back brace?

A lot of people that suffer from chronic lower back pain consider (or even wear) a lower back support brace on a regular basis.  One thing you should consider is “what does that brace really do to help you”?  In most cases, a lower back support brace is great for new injuries.  It helps maintain your posture and helps keep the pressure off of your spinal nerves that would typically cause the pain. 
However, know that in most cases wearing a lower back brace should only be done on a short term basis.  A good comparison is wearing a cast after breaking a bone.  If you’ve ever broken a bone and been in a cast (or know someone that has) what do you/they typically notice immediately after getting the cast removed?   Some of you probably answered “wow, I need to shave that leg/arm!”  Others probably thought that your muscles seem to be smaller and weaker compared to the other side.  Wearing a cast is often necessary for a broken bone to properly heal.  This is not the case for most causes of lower back pain such as a strain/sprain injury.  If you continue to wear that brace for weeks or even months, what do you think is happening to all those core muscles?  They are likely to get weak just as if you were wearing that cast.  This can present a big problem...   If you don’t have soild core muscles then there is a good chance you will make your lower back worse long term.   Most healthcare providers and fitness experts agree that core strength training is very important to a healthy back!  If you don’t have a good core, you can predispose yourself to more injuries.
In general, lower back braces are good for new injuries, but should not be worn long term. If you suffer from acute or chronic lower back pain, give us a call.  Chiropractic is well known to get great results with lower back pain.

Yours in health,

Dr. Bryan

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