Yard Work and Back Pain

Q: I have a tendency to strain my back when resuming yard work this time of year. I’ve recently purchased a low back brace, but I’ve heard that wearing it too much may actually do more harm than good. Should I be using the brace for this kind of activity? 

A: For those not familiar with the term, the “low back brace” referred to here is a rather wide elastic belt often worn by manual laborers, and otherwise known as a lumbar support, lumbar belt or lumbosacral support. While it is commonly associated with those performing heavy activity, it is also used to help recover from a low back injury.

In brief, the low back (lumbar spine) is supported by what is referred to as “core musculature,” a group of muscles including the abdominals, obliques, and muscles of the back and pelvis. Muscles within the arm or leg are not considered core. Core muscles largely provide a compressive force that keeps the spine from shifting around during activity. You can feel the action of these muscles just before you let out a cough; passing a bowel movement is similar in this way.

The low back brace is designed to mimic this muscular action by applying a compressive force to the lumbar spine. Most of us are not routinely hunting and gathering these days, so keeping our core muscles fit requires a conscious effort to train them. The brace is useful to a worker when the task at hand is going to be too strenuous for that person’s core musculature. This may be the case if that person’s core is not well trained; the person has injured his or her back, or the task itself is exceptionally strenuous. The brace truly does provide a significant compressive force, and this allows the core muscles to achieve the proper support with less effort. If the brace is worn frequently enough, these muscles begin to “ride the bench,” so to speak, and may not be up to par if the brace suddenly isn’t being used.

If engaging in yard work is a more strenuous activity than what you do normally, it is probably wise to wear the brace for it. Try to minimize its use for the lighter tasks, and begin to think about incorporating some strengthening exercise for your core musculature.