What Is A Back Brace?

Do you think that good posture is only a cosmetic issue?

Well, if yes then you are completely ignoring the relevance and importance of it.

When you stand straight with good posture (or if you are running for that matter), you will not only look thinner and taller but confident too. If you look at the pictures of one person, and find him standing tall in one and slouching in another, he would probably appear like two different persons and you would also have a different impression of him altogether.

Back Brace From MMAR

Back Brace From MMAR

Secondly, while you are slouching and not standing upright, your body does not get sufficient oxygen.

As a result you might gain extra pounds and become exhausted. By using back braces for correct posture, you can start building those muscles in a way that it allows you to stand upright. But what is a back brace and how it benefits your body is important to understand.

A back brace is basically a wrap around or a back support which goes around the body to support the bony structure and muscles of the lower back. The basic purpose of this corset or belt is to curb the movement of the spine. It helps to reattain your musculature in order to uphold your back in an upright position without much effort and also improve back posture and lower back pain. Painful back conditions like slipped disc, Sciatica, sarco iliac joint pain, spinal stenosis, facet syndrome, degenerative disc disease can all benefit from wearing a back brace. A recent study has shown that wearing such a brace slows the advancement of the most common form of scoliosis in adolescents, helping them escape painful spine injury. It has also proved very helpful in cases of post operative fusions or fracture. It is also used as a preventive measure in case of some progressive conditions.

Posture Brace From BraceAbility.

Posture Brace From BraceAbility.

There are two basic kinds of back braces, that is, rigid ones and soft ones.

Rigid Back Brace

Rigid braces are made up of materials like fiberglass, nylon and velcro, thereby allowing greater comfort, better adaptability and fit.

In some cases wearing such a belt is not only helpful but important too, such as, when the trunk musculature has been exhausted to the level where it is impossible to support the weight of the upper body and even normal movement is harmful to the healing tissue. In such a case restricting the spine becomes essential until the muscles can recapture enough power and strength to restart their normal role.

Rigid braces are also recommended for people with degenerative discs, herniated discs and spinal stenosis.

Soft Back Brace

On the other hand, soft braces are made up of neoprene or elastic. These provide muscular support and also serve the purpose of a reminder to not move beyond a convenient range.

Soft Brace From Posture Now.

Soft Brace From Posture Now.

These have been recommended for people with mild disequilibrium of the lower back and arthritis.

Although braces may require you to curb some activities but it is an indispensable component to the fruitful treatment of your spinal disorder.

The support of the braces provide not only speedy healing and recovery but also prevent any further injuries at the same time.

Ref.

  1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22744524
  2. http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/spine/getting-treatment/conditions-treatments/bracing.cfm