Wearing a Back Brace in the Workplace

In general, having more safety gear at work is better than having less. There’s a real struggle among safety advocates and others to promote the use of personal protective equipment at companies, and that and that extends to items like back braces. In some cases, a back brace can help a worker to avoid serious injury. Here are some of the reasons why people may advocate for wearing a back brace in the workplace.

Restricting Range of Motion

Many back injuries happen because the person extended their range of motion beyond what was comfortable or safe. When the body is off-balance, it’s more prone to injury. Joints and tissues that are stretched beyond a comfortable point are also more vulnerable to injury. So restricting range of motion decreases the chances that a worker will get hurt when lifting heavy objects or doing other heavy work.

Supporting the Spine

Chiropractors and other experts understand that supporting the spine is a vital part of protecting the body from injury. In healthy individuals, a variety of core muscles in the torso support the spine naturally. However, for some people who have less developed muscle tissues, a back brace provides supplementary support that also acts physically to keep the torso upright and in a safer position, putting a lot less pressure on the spine. This can make a big difference for those with different kinds of spinal problems.

A Helpful Reminder

Other people promote the use of back braces based on the psychological effect that they may have. Like other kinds of personal protective equipment, a back brace is a reminder that there’s hard work being done. They might lead a worker to take time, be careful with heavy items, and use a safe range of motion. Just like a pair of goggles would naturally remind someone to protect their eyes from safety hazards, a back brace will serve as a reminder to lift correctly and avoid the kind of balance problems that can cause things like herniated discs and other spinal problems.

Making the Choice

The key word here is “consider”. Although many people believe that back braces work to protect their backs, CDC-NIOSH scientists looking at the issue have not come out for or against back braces based on the science that’s been collected. In other words, some scientists would contend that there’s no proven therapeutic use for back braces. The choice to wear a back brace or not to wear one has to be made on a personal and individual basis. However, it’s still a good idea to think about the issue, and decide if you should be wearing one of these supportive accessories to work, especially if you deal with heavy lifting or heavy equipment.

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