Most people have experienced back pain sometime in their
life. The causes of back pain are numerous; some are self-inflicted due to a
lifetime of bad habits. Other back pain causes include accidents, muscle
strains, and sports injuries. Although the causes may be different, most often
they share the same symptoms.
The symptoms for back pain are:
Persistent aching or stiffness anywhere along your spine,
from the base of the neck to the hips;
Sharp, localized pain in the neck, upper back, or lower
back -- especially after lifting heavy objects or engaging in other strenuous
activity;
Chronic ache in the middle or lower back, especially after
sitting or standing for extended periods.
Back supports or back braces do not usually alleviate back
pain alone. Wearing a lumbar support assists in learning proper lower back
posture. Posture supports in conjunction with proper back posture assists
significantly in learning how to not overload your lower back, therefore
reducing the chance of a lower back injury and lower back pain. Even the
mere usage of a lower back cushion can a have significant effect on keeping the
back aligned and assisting in learning proper posture.
Back strain is also referred to as pulled back
muscles:
Simple strains are the most common cause of back pain,
especially lower back pain. Muscle strain is often caused by overuse of a muscle
or overloading a muscle. When a muscle is stressed beyond its limits, injury
occurs. Strains usually occur without wearing a back brace or lumbar support and
not having a proper back posture. The lower back muscles are therefore
overstretched or torn due to being overloaded. Poor lifting techniques as
well as lifting objects that are too heavy can overload the back and can cause a
strained lower back leading to lower back pain. Using a back brace while
lifting objects significantly assists keeping proper back alignment, proper
alignment distributes the weight lifted properly therefore reducing the chance
of lower back injury.
Weak muscles are more easily overloaded and injured than
strong muscles, but any muscle can be overloaded.
Back Muscle Strain may be Caused by Overuse:
Back pain often occurs when a muscle contraction is held
too long especially when poor posture is used. When one position is held too
long, the back muscles get fatigued and strained. Slouching while sitting is
very good example, the simple use of a lower back cushion while sitting or
driving can assist in alleviating the slouching. Simply switching
positions shift the workload to another group of muscles, therefore stressing
one muscle group for another.
Doing too many repetitive movements can also cause muscle
strain from overuse. Increasing back exercises too quickly can also cause back
pain due to overuse injuries.
Poor posture causes the muscles to have to work harder to
support the spine, which leads to fatigue, strain, and lower back pain.
The lower back is most commonly strained, as the lower back must support the
weight of the upper body, whether standing or sitting.
The use of a back brace and or a lumbar support that can
be tightened to pull in lumbar and abdominal muscles to prevent low back pain by
forcing the back to stay in proper alignment. Since using back braces and
lumbar supports lowers back injuries among workers many companies have back
support programs also have training and ergonomic awareness
programs.
The use of a lumbar support and/or a lower back cushion to
learn proper posture in conjunction with lower back exercises can significantly
reduce chance of lower back injury.
Exercise helps prevent acute low back pain:
As a general rule, people who are active and
well-conditioned are much less likely to suffer from low back pain due to muscle
strain, as regular exercise stretches the muscles so they are less likely to
strain, tear or spasm. There are three types of muscles that support the
spine:
Extensors (back muscles and gluteal
muscles)
Flexors (abdominal muscles and iliopsoas
muscles)
Obliques or Rotators (side muscles)
While some of these muscles are used in everyday life,
most do not get adequate exercise from daily activities and tend to weaken with
age unless they are specifically exercised.
A complete exercise program for the low back should
consist of a combination of :
Stretching
Strengthening
Aerobic conditioning.
In summary, lumbar supports are used in the treatment of
low-back pain patients, to prevent the onset of low-back pain (primary
prevention) or to prevent recurrences of a low-back pain episode (secondary
prevention) by assisting in learning proper back posture. Having proper
back posture, a good exercise program can greatly reduce the chance of lower
back injury.