Waist support is also called waist brace and lumbar support. People with low back pain will not be unfamiliar with it. However, improper use of waist support will not only prevent the waist, but may also aggravate the condition.
Wearing a waist protector for a long time, the psoas will take the opportunity to “lazy”, and the less you use it, the weaker it will become. Once the waist protection is lifted, the waist muscles cannot adapt to the activities without the protection of the waist protection, which may cause new injuries. Therefore, it is very important to learn to use the waist support correctly.
The role of waist protection
Protect the waist muscles and relax them. Wearing a waist protector can help the lower back muscles to maintain the body’s posture, improve the stress status of the lower back muscles, relax the muscles, and relieve the symptoms of low back pain.
Fix the waist to prevent the symptoms from getting worse. The lumbar support will limit the range of lumbar movement, reduce the injury caused by the lumbar movement, and to a certain extent can prevent the aggravation of the lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.
Four principles of using waist protection
1 Wear in the acute phase:
In the acute stage of lumbar spine disease, when the lumbar symptoms are severe, it should be worn frequently, do not take it off at any time, and can be used in conjunction with rehabilitation physiotherapy. After the waist protector is worn, activities such as lumbar flexion are restricted, but gravity cannot be reduced. Therefore, you should still pay attention to avoiding excessive weight on the waist when wearing the waist. Generally, it is to complete daily life and work.
2 Take it off while lying down
You need to take off the waist protector when you lie down to sleep and rest. When the symptoms are severe, you should wear it strictly (wear it when you get up and stand) and don’t take it off at will.
3 cannot be relied upon
The lumbar support has a significant limitation on the forward flexion of the lumbar spine. By limiting the amount and range of motion of the lumbar spine, the local damaged tissue can be rested, and a favorable environment is created for the recovery of blood supply and the repair of the damaged tissue. However, long-term inactivity of the waist may lead to disuse atrophy of the muscles, reduced flexibility of the lumbar spine joints, dependence on the waist circumference, and even new injuries and strains.
Therefore, during the use of lumbar support, patients should gradually increase the back muscle exercise under the guidance of the doctor to prevent and reduce the atrophy of the psoas muscle. After the symptoms gradually subsided, the waist support should be removed. It can be worn when going out, standing for a long time, or sitting in a position. For patients after lumbar disc herniation surgery, the wearing time is more suitable for 3-6 weeks, not more than 3 months, and the time should be adjusted appropriately according to the condition.
Choice of waist support
1 size:
The waist support should be selected based on the circumference and length of the waist. The upper edge must reach the upper edge of the rib, and the lower edge should be below the gluteal cleft. The back of the waist support should preferably be flat or slightly convex forward. Do not use too narrow waist support to avoid excessive lordosis of the lumbar spine, and do not use too short waist support to avoid tight abdomen.
2 Comfort:
Wearing a suitable waist protector has a feeling of “standing up” at the waist, but this restraint is comfortable. Generally, you can try it on for half an hour first to avoid discomfort.
3 Hardness:
Curative waist support, such as the waist support worn after lumbar spine surgery or when the lumbar spine is instability or spondylolisthesis, must have a certain degree of hardness to support the waist and disperse the force on the waist. This kind of waist support has Metal strip for support.
The requirements for protection and treatment are not very high, such as lumbar muscle strain or lumbar degeneration caused by lumbago, you can choose some elastic, breathable waist.
Post time: Aug-14-2021