Daily laborer or weekend warrior…how to do get ready
for spine-demanding tasks? What do you do when you have to relocate a heavy box? Reach
for the back brace or brace yourself? The “brace yourself” alternative
may be the better approach! Manahawkin Chiropractic Center recommends
back braces for back pain patients who may be helped by
their support. We also propose self-controlled actions
to Manahawkin 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 directed
to wear back belts at work with the aim of lessening
low back pain or injury. 1380 published medical studies were reviewed.
Reviewers found 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 utilization either. (1) Mind you, this review was of back
brace use by asymptomatic workers. In this situation,
the back belt is not for everyone. Now for Manahawkin back pain sufferers, the back belt has
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 Manahawkin back pain specialist at Manahawkin Chiropractic Center comes in to figure
out what is optimal for each back pain sufferer. Each Manahawkin
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 reduce back pain for a few does not
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 increasing
spine stiffness to limit spine displacement before
doing a spine-demanding task. It appears to
work according to researchers! Abdominal bracing is individually
controlled. In a new 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 challenging trunk flexion
demands are met with abdominal bracing. (2) It’s
worth knowing how to do! Manahawkin Chiropractic Center is prepared to demonstrate
you how to do this worthy movement as part of your Manahawkin
chiropractic treatment plan!
SPINAL MANIPULATION WORKS FOR BACK
PAIN
Manahawkin Chiropractic Center presents
a comprehensive chiropractic treatment plan for those times
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 return
you back to life.
CONTACT Manahawkin Chiropractic Center
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
recuperated from her back pain episode with The Cox®
Technic System of Spinal Pain Management and even enable her to
shovel snow!
Schedule your Manahawkin chiropractic
appointment soon. We help our Manahawkin workers and
weekend warriors prevent and recover from spine
pain.