Hey El Paso!

This is Dr. David Middaugh here from El Paso Manual Physical Therapy.

I wanted to answer a question that I’d got from Facebook today about back braces, support braces for the low back.

Somebody asked, “Is it bad for me to use a back brace all the time?”

And the answer I gave is, “It depends.”

In the SHORT-TERM, it’s okay.

It’s actually good.

I love using a back brace in the short term for my clients because it allows them to substitute using over-the-counter pain medication like Ibuprofen or something like that.

That support from the back brace will take pressure off the discs and the joints and make the muscles calm down a little bit.

This can be a great alternative to using pain medication.

Typically, it gets people to move a lot better, feel more comfortable throughout the day.

And they’ll feel like they don’t have to take as much pain medication.

But the problem is when you’re using that back brace for the LONG-TERM, when it’s been more than a few days.

“A week or more is definitely too long.”

That’s when you can cause some problems.

What happens at that point -> LONG-TERM use of a back brace causes the muscles in the core to get weaker.

The thing is, muscles are very smart.

They feel that pressure and support from the outside.

So they start to shut down and not work.

And if that happens several days in a row…a week or more in a row….then those muscles get weaker and weaker, and over time, that’s a problem because you need those muscles to support your back appropriately.

So, is it wrong or is it bad to use a back brace?

The answer is it depends.

In the SHORT TERM, good, go for it.

In the LONG TERM, no.

Have a plan to fix the back problem, so that you’re not having to rely on a back brace.

It might require you talking to an expert to tell you exactly what to do to make sure that that back problem is gradually getting better, so that you don’t get to the point where you’re having to think about using a back brace or taking pain medications.

And even worse, you can avoid surgery by making sure you take care of your back for the long term.

So guys, I hope this helps you as well.

And if you have any questions, reach out to us here.

You can message us on Facebook, and we love to answer questions like this for you guys online.

Thanks, have a great day!