How to Wear a Back Brace for Lower Back Pain

How to wear a back brace for lower back pain has become a hot topic of search on Google.

According to a WHO report, around 619 million people suffered from lower back pain in 2020, and the number is estimated to climb to 843 million by 2050 ^[1].

People of all age groups can develop lower back pain, and most will experience it at least once in their lifetime. Therefore, this article will discuss in full length how a back brace helps address lower back pain and exactly how to wear a back brace for lower back pain.

Understanding Lower Back Pain: Causes and Types

We must first develop a basic understanding of this symptom to learn how to wear a back brace for lower back pain. So, what causes lower back pain? Is pain in the lower back all the same?

Lower Back Anatomic Structure

The lower back is right above your hips. Five bones stack together, forming the “backbone” of this area, along with many muscles and tendons.

The lower back carries the most weight of your upper body while supporting various movements such as twisting, bending, and lifting, rendering it susceptible to sprain and damage.

There is a natural inward curvature in your lower back. It plays a pivotal role in:

1. Balance the weight of your head atop your spine
2. Distribute upper body weight
3. Alleviate stress in the lower back

What are the Common Causes of Lower Back Pain?

As we search “how to wear a back brace for lower back pain," we often wonder how to pinpoint the location and maximize back brace efficiency. In this section, we will analyze the common causes of lower back pain and how to manage and prevent this discomfort effectively with a back brace.

1. Muscle Strain and Sprain

Back pain often results from strains and sprains, which can occur as muscles, tendons, or ligaments are stretched beyond their limits. This can happen due to improper lifting techniques, sudden movements like sneezing or bending, or overexertion.

2. Degenerative Conditions

Our bodies age with time, causing degenerative changes in the spine and muscles. Osteoarthritis, disc degeneration, and spinal stenosis are common conditions in this circumstance.

3. Injuries and Accidents

Accidents such as falls, car accidents, or sports injuries can lead to fractures in the spine. Certain conditions like spondylolysis or osteoporosis increase the risk of spinal fractures by weakening the bones.

4. Poor Posture and Biomechanics

Poor postures, like sway-back, hunched-back, and flat-back postures, can distribute excessive mechanical stress on the lower back, leading to lower back pain. Postures like sway-back, hunched-back, and flat-back are all potential triggers for lower back pain as the muscles and spine take the pressure unevenly and degenerate gradually.

For a comprehensive understanding on postures, you can read 5 Types of Posture: How to Improve Posture and Prevent Chronic Injuries.

5. Lifestyle and Occupational Factors

Prolonged sitting weakens the muscles that support the spine due to lack of exercise and increase the risk of developing lower back pain. Certain jobs that require heavy lifting, prolonged sitting, or awkward postures can also increase the risk of lower back pain.

Find tips and cautions on lifting weights, please read How to Avoid Back Pain from Lifting Weights: 7 Techniques and Cautions to Know

What are the Functions of Back Braces for Lower Back Pain?

Understanding how a back brace works is essential for effectively addressing lower back pain. Here are four key functions that illustrate how a back brace helps alleviate discomfort:

• Support: Back braces provide additional support to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the back, helping to reduce strain and pressure on these structures during activities like lifting or bending.
• Alignment: Back braces can help maintain the correct spinal alignment, especially for individuals with conditions like scoliosis or spinal stenosis, by gently guiding the spine into a more correct position.
• Stabilization: Back braces can stabilize the back and waist, which can prevent secondary injury from excessive twisting, bending, or rotation. This is especially true for people with back injuries because it limits excessive movement and prevents further damage.
• Compression: Some back braces apply gentle compression to the back, which can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Therefore, when choosing a back brace for easing lower back pain, it is important to ensure it has the right compression.

How to Choose the Right Back Brace for Your Lower Back Pain?

There are 4 factors you should consider in choosing the right back braces.

1. Severity of Pain

Before selecting a back brace, it's important to understand the nature and intensity of your pain. Is it acute or mild? The soft and lightweight back braces are enough for mild back pain.

A more supportive brace with a bracket or reinforced strap may be better for moderate back pain. Patients suffering from severe lower back pain should seek professional advice before deciding on how to address the pain.

You should also analyze the causes. Is it about injury, a specific condition, or poor posture? There is a back brace for bad posture and a back brace for pain. Evaluate options in relation to your goals before purchasing, as braces can address different root causes and function differently.

2. Activity Requirements

Consider your daily activities and choose a back brace that accommodates your needs. If you need to do a lot of activities, opt for a flexible yet supportive brace that allows freedom of movement.

• A brace with greater stability may be preferable for more passive activities or during rest periods.
• For athletes, a back brace with sweat-wicking materials and a flexible and shock-resistance design specifically designed for sports activities is beneficial. However, they should learn how to wear a back brace to avoid interruption.
• Heavy-duty workers could select comprehensive back support for primary heavy lifting duties when considering how to wear a back brace for lower back pain.

3. Body Type and Size

Select the appropriate size for your body type to ensure the back brace fits comfortably and securely. Measure your waist or hip circumference as the manufacturer recommends to determine the correct size.

Additionally, consider adjustable features such as straps or closures to customize the fit for your unique body shape. It is also important to learn how to correctly wear a back brace for lower back pain.

Popular Back Braces for Lower Back Pain from FIVALI

FIVALI, a professional provider of fitness wear, offers various kinds of back braces for different demands. We also offer customer service on how to select and wear a back brace for lower back pain to help you find the right one and use it correctly.

• Rigid Back Brace for Lower Back Pain

The rigid back brace has 7 reinforced support bars, each carefully engineered to withstand pressure and provide reliable stability. The changeable heating and soft pads provide additional warmth and comfort to soothe back muscles.

• Semi-Rigid Back Brace for Lower Back Pain

This semi-rigid back brace has inner PVC reinforcement, which ensures the support's stability. By aligning the spine and providing support for the lower back, it helps reduce hunching and prevent the development of bad posture habits.

• Flexible Back Brace for Lower Back Pain

For people requiring flexibility, our flexible back brace is your go-to choice.

The firm yet flexible design helps compress and stabilize the lower back. Advanced ventilation technology allows skin to breathe. Its personalized feature can enable fine-tuning the level of support and compression needs.

How to Wear a Back Brace for Lower Back Pain? A Practical Guide

Do you know how to wear a back brace for lower back pain when doing heavy lifting or professional sports?

Here is a step-by-step guide for wearing back braces for lower back pain:

1. Choose a brace that's specifically designed for lower back pain
2. Use official size chart for reference of matchness with your circumstances.
3. Position the brace around your back, ensuring the wings are aligned against each side of your torso for optimal coverage.
4. Adjust the fasteners and straps and fine-tune the tightness to secure a snug fit.

How To Wear a Back Brace for Lower Back Pain Comfortably and Effectively?

If you're experiencing discomfort like numbness, tingling, or even pain around the area, it may be too tight. But if you feel the brace moving during activities or just failing to provide the needed support, maybe it’s too loose.

To comfortably wear the back brace while restraining pain, you must listen to your body and change the wearing duration, frequency, and tightness dynamically.

How Long and Frequent Should You Wear Back Braces for Lower Back Pain?

Lower back pain varies among individuals, and determining the optimal wearing duration and frequency is crucial for achieving the best results while ensuring safety.

If you're wearing a back brace for the first time, it's advisable not to wear it for extended periods initially. Instead, gradually increase the duration of wear once you've become accustomed to it.

How to Complement Back Brace with Exercise and Therapy?

A back brace should just be a makeshift solution for recovering from back pain. In the end, we need our muscles and bones to get stronger, flexibility better, and posture improved. Exercise and physical therapies are crucial in this sense.

Common exercises and therapies for lower back pain include:

• Core Strengthening Exercises: planks, bridges, and abdominal curls
• Flexibility Exercises: Hamstring and calf stretch, and Cat-cow stretches
• Aerobic Activities: Walking and cycling 

Conclusion

Back pain have widespread impacts on our lifes and work.  But luckily, back braces are there to help. If you're searching for an appropriate back brace, consider visiting Fivali. We offer a diverse range of high-quality back braces designed to cater to various back support needs and situations.

Explore our selection to find the perfect brace that aligns with your specific requirements, ensuring comfort and effectiveness in managing your lower back pain!

Reference

[1] World Health Organization/2023. Low Back Pain. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/low-back-pain. (Accessed on March 28, 202)