Daily laborer or weekend warrior…how to do get ready
for spine-demanding chores? What do you do when you need
to move a heavy box? Get the back brace or brace yourself? The “brace yourself” alternative
may be the better approach! New Roads Chiropractic Center recommends
back braces for back pain patients who may be helped by
their support. We also propose self-controlled actions
to New Roads back pain sufferers to protect the spine
when its use is demanded (moving boxes, digging
holes, vacuuming, etc.)
BACK BRACES FOR BACK PAIN PREVENTION:
Not All It Seems
Asymptomatic workers were told to wear back belts at work with the intention of reducing
low back pain or injury. 1380 published medical studies were reviewed.
Reviewers uncovered no consistent evidence for back belt
use to stop low back pain or occupational back pain in
workers. Absenteeism was not reduced with back
belt use either. (1) Mind you, this review was of back
brace use by asymptomatic workers. In this circumstance,
the back belt is not for everyone. Now for New Roads back pain sufferers, the back belt offers
advantages. Non-rigid lumbar support belts are reported to help
non-specific low back pain sufferers with their pain and disability. (3)
The decision of belt use is where
your New Roads back pain specialist at New Roads Chiropractic Center comes in to determine what is optimal for each back pain sufferer. Each New Roads
back pain sufferer – office worker, factory worker, family manager, etc. - is unique
and must be considered individually. Having all workers wear
a back brace to try
to decrease back pain for a few does not
work as this paper shows that a back brace may work
for some but not all.
ABDOMINAL BRACING MAY WORK BETTER
Abdominal bracing is a self-monitored,
pre-activity motion, a deliberate way of enhancing
spine stiffness to constrain spine displacement before
doing a spine-demanding job. It seems to
work according to researchers! Abdominal bracing is individually
controlled. In a recent study, abdominal bracing significantly lessened
sagittal plane motion from the lower thoracic spine (T12) through
the lower lumbar spine (L4L5): by 45% at L4L5, by 94% at L1L2, and 50% at L5S1.
Such self-bracing stimulated all abdominal and back
muscles. Flexion motion was restricted at most
of lumbar spine levels when sudden trunk flexion
demands are met with abdominal bracing. (2) It is
worth knowing how to do! New Roads Chiropractic Center is eager to demonstrate
you how to do this worthy movement as part of your New Roads
chiropractic treatment plan!
SPINAL MANIPULATION WORKS FOR BACK
PAIN
New Roads Chiropractic Center uses
a comprehensive chiropractic treatment plan for those occasions
when the back pain just won’t go away. When work duties
or chores leave your spine - cervical, thoracic or lumbar -
hurting, The Cox® Technic System of
Spinal Pain Management mixes gentle, relieving spinal
manipulation with specific exercise and nutritional advice to get
you back to life.
CONTACT New Roads Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Jenna Kloor on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she describes the importance
of helping a patient be able to do something like walking to help herself as she
recuperated from her back pain episode with The Cox®
Technic System of Spinal Pain Management and even enable her to
shovel snow!
Schedule your New Roads chiropractic
visit soon. We help our New Roads workers and
weekend warriors prevent and recuperate from spine
pain.