Dr. G’s Back Buster! | Do Back Braces Help?

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So what is the bottom line about the use of a back brace for pain?

If you have a broken back, a back brace can help prevent excessive movement that will increase your pain. But these braces are very rigid, and sometimes need to be made custom fit for your body type. Depending on the type of break, back brace can be very useful for your pain control and recovery.

If you have a back pain from a pulled muscle, or tendon, it is not so clear that a back brace would be beneficial.

Despite various scientific studies on the use of back braces and corsets for chronic back pain, few studies have identified long term benefits from use.

One study looked at the long term effects of exercise, with and without back bracing and found no difference.

Another study compared exercise vs the use of a back brace for chronic pain, found no clear advantage to either approach.

So what is the answer?

It depends. Many people do feel some comfort associated with the use of a back corset. The feeling of compression, along with the reminder to be deliberate in movement may provide some transient benefit.