|  | Conditions Treatments | Back Pain

What is Lumbar Support?

Your back carries the load of your body. Backs get a lot of abuse from everyday life, from sports to bending and just sitting and driving a car. Backs are strong muscles and bones able to carry the weight of your body, but because your back takes so much abuse, sometimes it gets out of whack. Your back can ache and hurt, and sometimes muscles get pulled and put you out of commission for a while.

  1. Identification

    • The spine's lumbar region typically refers to its abdominal area. This means that the lumbar is directly behind the stomach. There are five vertebrae in the lumbar region and they are considered the most flexible and movable of the vertebrae. The largest nerve root, known as the sciatic nerve, sits behind these vertebrae. The sciatic nerve runs down the back, behind each leg and into the feet.

    Function

    • The back's lumbar region has to be the strongest area because it carries the weight of your body. It also supports the body's entire upper torso. The lumbar section of the back is the reason why people are able to stand erect. Without it people would walk hunched over and not be able to stand up straight and tall. The lumbar region is also responsible for people being able to bend and provides support when they stand up again.

    Significance

    • Lumbar support is simply supporting the back muscles and skeletal region of the lower back. Lumbar support means keeping the lumbar region from getting weak and stressed, keeping the lumbar vertebrae straight and not curving too much, and holding the lumbar region and its vertebrae in place.

    Considerations

    • Everyone needs lumbar support, but some people need it more than others. People who work in jobs that require a lot of driving, like truck drivers, need added lumbar support. Sitting in a car or truck for long hours can be hard on the lumbar region. People who lift a lot, such as warehouse workers or construction workers, also need to provide additional support for their lumbar region. Some athletes also need lumbar support, such as body builders who pick up heavy weights.

    Types

    • The most popular type of lumbar support is wearing a lumbar support brace, which is a belt that wraps around the lower back and across the front of the stomach. This type of brace is usually a Velcro belt that fits snugly to support the lumbar and keep it from bending too easily or not staying straight. Another way to help support the lumbar is to get lumbar support chairs, which are great for people with office jobs that require a lot of sitting. Lumbar support devices for the car fit over the seat and have added padding in the area of the back's lumbar region. These can be beneficial for people who drive for long periods of time, such as long-distance truck drivers.

Back Pain - Related Articles