Best Brace For Back Pain
A back brace for the lower back is an option worth considering if you’re looking for some assistance in your back pain recovery.
Back braces are of multiple types: Rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible. The rigid ones are employed in severe cases where even a minor instability can aggravate the pain further, and semi-rigid and flexible ones are used post muscle strain or other injuries which fall in the mild to moderate category.
The flexible back braces such as lumbar belts, sacroiliac belts, and corsets are composed of softer material (neoprene or cotton) compared to rigid and semi-rigid braces.
Flexible corsets and belts can greatly assist in managing pain by shifting the weight from the backbone by employing mild pressure on the torso area. This extra support provides relief to the damaged muscles and spine and makes available, time for healing.
While wearing a flexible back brace, your range of motion is reduced to a certain degree and might allow for some forward bending. Since the brace is worn tightly around the torso, the heat generated by the brace can provide a relaxing effect on the injured area.
However, always consult your physician before buying a brace to avoid wearing a wrongly fitting brace. If the brace is not your size it might not be able to cease micro-movements in the spine, leading to reduced stability.
Rigid and semi-rigid braces are used in moderate to severe cases and help in keeping the spine in a correct posture, while also distributing weight from the spine. They relieve the weak muscles and joints of pain by lifting pressure from them and shifting it towards the torso.
The range of motion is almost completely reduced and you will not be able to bend either on your sides or forward and backward. This ensures the reduction of micro motion in the bones of the spine to reduce pain while promoting healing.
It also provides some extra relief by keeping the injured area warm and has a very high success rate in improving the condition of the spine and reducing pain.
Conditions That Can Benefit from Bracing:
A back brace is a very common treatment method in non-surgical procedures for healing in the most non-invasive manner. However, healing from many other conditions can also be speed up by using the right brace for your body.
Spondylolysis: In case of a fractured bone of the spine or damage incurred due to age-related degeneration, a semi-rigid or rigid back brace such as a lumbar brace, can be prescribed. This will help in providing stability to the spine by reducing the pressure from weak bones and muscles.
Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition of the spine that can cause immense chronic pain. By using the appropriate back brace, you can greatly impact the healing process by limiting harmful motion while also allowing yourself the required range to perform daily tasks.
The use and result of a back brace are however limited and depend on the extent of injury and use of the correctly sized brace. Muscle strain can greatly benefit from braces and a flexible back brace will do the job just fine. The extra support of a brace will not only make healing possible, but also assist in sitting, standing, and walking, which are necessary activities in our day-to-day lives.
