Effectiveness of Braces for Back Pain

Whether a person tried to lift too much or has a degenerative disease, back pain is a miserable sensation that greatly can reduce mobility. Sometimes the solution to back pain is simple rest, while other instances of back pain can be remedied only with surgery. The decision on whether to use a back brace to manage the pain unfortunately relies on a body of conflicting data on back brace effectiveness.

Debate

• Manufacturers of back braces often conduct studies that look at very specific brace models in very specific uses (e.g., for wear during horseback riding or lifting). This means that it is difficult to assess the overall effectiveness of back braces and wraps because the same braces are not evaluated across the board for all types of back pain. Reports such as those by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which indicate that back braces are neutral in effectiveness, have been criticized, and other institutions have reached different conclusions after reviewing the same material that the NIOSH did.

Types

• There are many different types of braces available to help with back pain. The effectiveness of a brace depends in part on whether the right type of brace is being used. For example, a brace designed to improve posture may not relief pain from a herniated disc if the brace still allows a person to twist and bend the injured area of the spine.

Pain Source

• Back braces may not be effective for cases of referred back pain. Referred pain means that a problem elsewhere in the body (e.g., in the leg) is being transferred to another part of the body by the brain. In these cases, the back brace probably won't help because the source of the pain isn't in the back where the pain is felt.

Timing

• Effectiveness of a back brace may be impacted by how long a person waits to use the brace after the pain begins. For instance, if a person is doing a repetitive movement that is wearing away the tissue between the spinal vertebrae, then a back brace used right away may stop the repetitive movement and prevent the pain from getting worse even if it doesn't make the pain go away completely.

Individuality

• Even if a study could evaluate braces across the board, a positive outcome doesn't mean that an individual is guaranteed to find relief from a brace, just as a negative outcome doesn't mean that an individual can't find a brace helpful. A person's individual posture, activity habits, weight and overall health all impact whether or not a person can manage their pain effectively with a brace.