Proper Back Brace Use

Back braces are an important part of physical labor or physical rehabilitation. They help support the back and avoid injuries that come from chronic lifting. They also help support a back that is recovering from injury. Understanding how to properly use the different variety of back braces is vital to keeping your back healthy and fit.

Soft Lumbar Corset

• The soft lumbar corset back brace is used for muscular support. Medical uses of this brace include support for arthritis or minor instability of the lumbar spine. This extra support will help relieve some of the pain in the back. These are also the braces used by people who do heavy lifting. It is also used during physical therapy after lumbar spine surgeries, to help avoid fatiguing the muscles and to help remind the patient that his activities are necessarily limited after their surgery. They give the back muscles extra support and help avoid injury due to repetitive lifting.

  The soft lumbar corset should not be worn continually. Continued use will take the strain off the lumbar muscles, which can cause them to atrophy. As a result, the back will end up much weaker than it was before using the soft lumbar corset. Use the soft lumbar corset only intermittently and only at times when you fear some strain on your back. Remove the brace when the activity causing the strain is over. Wearing it only when necessary will give your back protection yet keep it strong.

Rigid Lumbar Brace

• The rigid lumbar brace is used to keep the back completely inert and straight. This type of brace is most often used before spinal surgery is completed or whenever there is damage to the back that requires complete motionlessness. This brace will keep the back from getting further injured while it heals. It should be worn whenever the patient is out of bed for more than 10 minutes or less, depending on the severity of the injury or surgery.

  These braces are also used to correct scoliosis in children and must be worn 18 hours a day. They will be adjusted by the doctor often to complete the correction successfully. These braces are never used as back protection for people doing heavy lifting. They would actually be harmful to the back if worn under these circumstances, as they would keep the muscles rigid when they should be allowed to flex. Only wear these braces if your back must be completely mobilized for medical reasons.