It doesn’t matter what has caused your back pain, the injury can be as a result of degenerative wear or an unfortunate injury, what is for certain is that a back brace can go a long way in helping support your lower back as you heal. Some of you may have heard about back braces but don’t know what they really are. Well, a back brace is a support that can be used to give your lower back with some extra support. In a few cases, this support device can significantly improve or fully eliminate back pain altogether. No matter whether your pain is caused by old age, injury or bad posture, a brace may be the best way to offer you with some relief present and in the future.
In this post we will take an in-depth look into how a back brace really works and if it can effectively help you heal from a back injury. A back brace is known to give support to the muscles and bones in the lower back and eliminate or minimize back pain. Your back is an important area of your body that’s why it needs extra care and a back brace can offer additional support and help your body relax and start healing from the strain or stress that caused the discomfort. These specially designed braces also limit the motion of the spine, which also helps in eliminating pain and discomfort.
How Does a Back Brace Work?
As stated earlier a back brace can remove or minimize back pain by giving support to the muscles and bones in your lower back. By giving your back support, it consequently aids this area to heal and recover its strength. There are two main types of back braces used to support the back:
- Corset braces
- Rigid braces
Corset Braces
In most cases if not all, medical practitioners often advise patients to wear a corset brace after a lumbar infusion. This specially designed brace gives support in two different ways:
- It restricts motion.
- It inhibits the patient’s back and forward movements.
The makes corset brace quite amazing is that it serves as a reminder to use proper body posture when sitting for an extended period of time or lifting heavy stuffs. When lifting heavy stuffs, the brace forces you to use your legs to do the lifting while keeping your back straight.
Rigid Braces
As the name suggests, rigid braces are form-fitting. If the brace is fitted correctly, it can half the total movement of your body. Furthermore, to lower back pain, fractures and broken bones can also be healed using a rigid one.
While rigid braces are exceedingly effective, they can be really hot and heavy. Numerous patients find them uncomfortable. Moreover, they must be removed when you are resting, making them an inconvenient option. If you’re physician advises you to get a rigid brace, ensure to discuss how you should wear it and what are the existing options that could help you minimize the discomfort some individual endure. The latest braces offer the support you require without being too laborious.
The Advantages of Using a Back Brace
There are quite a few benefits of using a back brace:
- Lumbar support braces can aid minimize pain at first after a lower back injury. These braces are easily available and can be bought from a local pharmacy or sporting goods store. Much like the two braces mentioned earlier in this post, these limit movement in the spine and the lower back part. This offers the back a chance to heal and also gives pain relief.
- They can assist improve spine stabilization especially when they are used immediately after a back surgery.
- They can make the transition from standing to sitting painless and more comfortable for users.
- If your job is labor-intensive then that places a great deal of stress on your lower back, it may enable you to return to work earlier than you expected.
- Numerous patients that have used a lumber brace before claim that it assists support their abdomen and enable them have a good posture.
The Disadvantages of Using a Brace
Although the advantages of using a back brace quite outweigh its unfortunate disadvantages, we cannot ignore them thus we are going to discuss a couple of them here:
- Prolong and continued use of the brace may cause your supportive muscles to weaken and. This is because these muscles are no longer in use, they start to weaken and cause you to become over dependent on the brace for the foreseeable future. Sooner or later, the brace may not be able to offer your weak muscles with the support it needs and an injury may arise.
- The spine becomes exposed. As the back and abdominal muscles continue to weaken, the spine becomes exposed and at greater risk for injury.
A back brace can be used to give you the support you require to recover from an injury with nominal pain. It can also assist correct poor posture and prevent an injury when lifting heavy things. Nevertheless, it’s imperative not to become over dependent on the device and only use it when needed. Or else, you may wind up at greater risk for injury than before you used one.
Is It Covered by Insurance?
Always discuss the merits and demits of using a support system before you agree to use a therapy. When your personal physician thinks a brace can aid your recovery, it is considered as a medical requirement and is generally covered by most insurance and Medicare. The main thing is knowing when the benefits outweigh the disadvantages of using the brace. Current technology gives numerous comfortable and practical back support systems. It is necessary to discuss your worries with your physician.