About eighty percent of the North American population experience back pain at one moment or the other, so the idea of a back brace is not strange to most people. A back brace aids you, especially if you are experiencing discomfort in your lower back area. It provides additional support for your muscles and spine by holding your body in the correct posture. Therefore, it takes the strain off your spinal nerves and muscles, which automatically reduces your discomfort.

But you must understand that a back brace is a health product, and I believe that you should not start using one unless it is prescribed to you by qualified medical personnel. A back brace restricts your spine and limits your motion, which may not be the cure you need. I’ll take you through some of the benefits of a back brace, but I’ll also show you why using a back brace can be detrimental.

Benefits Of Using A Back Brace

Immobilization: As I said earlier, a back brace restricts your spine and, by so doing, helps your injury to heal faster.

Posture Improvement: Your spine should always be upright with your shoulders back, but some of us have bad postures, and if you haven’t started experiencing back pain, it is only a matter of time. The back brace, in this case, can either be preventive or curative.

Aside from the primary reason for using a back brace to ease back pain, it is also easy to wear and supports your core and back. But here are some reasons I feel that you should talk to a doctor first before deciding to use a back brace.

The Potential Harm of A Back Brace

Quite a few doctors believe that using a back brace for a long time can result in the atrophy of some muscles, which become weak after you stop using them. The ligaments and muscles responsible for supporting your back weaken, and your body automatically becomes more reliant on the brace. Since a machine cannot substitute for the real thing, it will eventually result in an injury.

When you decide to use a lumbar support brace, the workload you are trying to relieve from one part of your back may be transferred to another region, resulting in injury or severe back pain.

When the spine is too dependent on a back brace, it loses its strength and becomes more vulnerable to accidents or falls that will initially not have affected it.

Statistics are recorded for teenagers with scoliosis who need back braces to halt the growth of their spinal curvature. It was discovered that a few of these young adults who use back braces just for a short period don’t have problems with their backs in the future, but those that use back braces for elongated periods often need back surgery at the end of the day.

I’m sure that your schedule is quite busy but trust me, seeing a physician before using a back brace is ultimately better for your health.

For More tips on Back braces and back pain see Revive Chiropractic and their articles titled: Best Back Brace For Lower Back Pain.