Daily laborer or weekend warrior…how to do get ready
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 superior approach! Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn recommends
back braces for back pain patients who may benefit from
their support. We also propose self-controlled actions
to Ashburn back pain sufferers to protect the spine
when its use is required (hefting boxes, digging
holes, raking, etc.)
BACK BRACES FOR BACK PAIN PREVENTION:
Not All It Seems
Asymptomatic workers were directed
to wear back belts at work with the intention of decreasing
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 wasn’t decreased with back
belt use either. (1) Mind you, this review was of back
brace wearing by asymptomatic workers. In this circumstance,
the back belt is not for everyone. Now for Ashburn back pain sufferers, the back belt offers
benefits. 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 Ashburn back pain specialist at Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn comes in to determine what is optimal for each back pain sufferer. Each Ashburn
back pain sufferer – office worker, factory worker, family manager, etc. - is distinctive
and must be addressed individually. Putting a back brace on all workers to try
to reduce back pain for a few does not
work as this paper shows 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 increasing
spine stiffness to constrain spine displacement ahead of a spine-demanding job. It seems to
work according to researchers! Abdominal bracing is individually
controlled. In a recent 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 initiated all abdominal and back
muscles. Flexion motion was limited 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! Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn is prepared to demonstrate
you how to do this worthy move as part of your Ashburn
chiropractic treatment plan!
SPINAL MANIPULATION WORKS FOR BACK
PAIN
Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn offers
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 combines gentle, relieving spinal
manipulation with specific exercise and nutritional advice to get
you back to life.
CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn
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 Ashburn chiropractic
visit soon. We help our Ashburn workers and
weekend warriors prevent and recover from spine
pain.