McHenry Chiropractic Incorporates Abdominal Bracing and Back Brace Wearing for Patients to Protect Their Spines
Daily laborer or weekend warrior…how to do prepare for spine-demanding chores? What do you do when you have to move a weighty box? Reach for the back brace or brace yourself? The “brace yourself” alternative may be the better approach! OrthoIllinois Chiropractic proposes back braces for back pain patients who may be helped by their support. We also suggest self-controlled activities to McHenry back pain sufferers to safeguard the spine when its use is required (hefting 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 found no consistent evidence for back brace use to stop low back pain or occupational back pain in workers. Absenteeism was not decreased with back belt utilization either. (1) Mind you, this review was of back brace wearing by asymptomatic workers. In this situation, the back belt is not for everyone. Now for McHenry back pain sufferers, the back belt has 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 McHenry back pain specialist at OrthoIllinois Chiropractic comes in to figure out what is best for each back pain sufferer. Each McHenry back pain sufferer – office worker, factory worker, family manager, etc. - is distinctive and must be addressed individually. Having all workers wear a back brace in an attempt to decrease back pain for a few doesn’t work as this paper demonstrates that a back brace may benefit some but not all.
ABDOMINAL BRACING MAY WORK BETTER
Abdominal bracing is a self-controlled, pre-activity motion, a voluntary way of enhancing spine stiffness to restrict spine displacement ahead of a spine-demanding task. It seems to work according to researchers! Abdominal bracing is personally controlled. In a new study, abdominal bracing significantly reduced sagittal plane motion from the lower thoracic spine (T12) throughout 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 the majority of lumbar spine levels when sudden trunk flexion demands are encountered with abdominal bracing. (2) It is worth knowing how to do! OrthoIllinois Chiropractic is ready to demonstrate you how to do this worthy step as part of your McHenry chiropractic treatment plan!
SPINAL MANIPULATION WORKS FOR BACK PAIN
OrthoIllinois Chiropractic presents a comprehensive chiropractic treatment plan for those occasions when the back pain just won’t stop. When work duties or chores leave your spine - cervical, thoracic or lumbar - hurting, The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management combines gentle, relieving spinal manipulation with specific exercise and nutritional advice to return you back to life.
CONTACT OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Jenna Kloor on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she describes the value of helping a patient be able to do something like walking to help herself as she recovered from her back pain episode with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management and even enable her to shovel snow!
Schedule your McHenry chiropractic appointment soon. We help our McHenry workers and weekend warriors avert and recover from spine pain.
