The other day, I drove past a man doing yard work, and the first thing that caught my eye was that he was wearing a back brace. It was one of those black, stretchy bands that went around his waist with straps over his shoulders. Being a PT, I of course wondered what type of injury he may have had in the past or if he was wearing it as a preventative measure, a sort of reminder to keep his back safe and use good lifting techniques.

Well, with much concern I watched as he bent over, lifted a huge bag of mulch, and twisted at the waist as he moved it over. He might as well have never bothered with the brace. It won’t prevent any trauma or injury to the spine, but provides some warmth and gentle compression/comfort for the spine, and can often times be a reminder to use good body mechanics on order to avoid back injuries.

So, for those of you out there wearing back braces, allow them to be a tool for increasing your awareness of your posture and how you use and move your body. Don’t rely on them as a means of external support and protection, or you may be disappointed.