Why You Should Use Offloading Back Supports First

spinal stenosis

The medical indications or reasons why a doctor prescribes my supports for their patients are as follows: severe low back pain, also known as lumbago, or lumbalgia. Herniated or bulging discs, also called HNP lumbar, which stands for Herniated Nucleus Propulsus, when the center of the disc bulges out and makes contact with the Sciatic nerve, this condition also is called sciatica. Sciatica refers to the pain caused when the disc protrudes and makes contact with the sciatic nerve and the pain runs through the buttock(s), down the leg(s) and radiates down into the foot. This is also known as radiculopathy. Many patients who present radiculopathy may also experience burning, tingling, numbness. or aching in their feet. Other causes of low back pain are spinal stenosis commonly referred to as spinal arthritis. Stenosis is basically an arthritic deterioration of the vertebrae in the lumbar spine which basically causes the vertebrae to weld together accompanied by a deteriorative narrowing of the spinal canal. Degenerative disc disease occurs to many people for a variety of reasons: as we age our normal healthy intervertebral disc space diminishes, this is compounded by gravity, poor postural habits, an improper hydration (we do not drink enough water), which in turn leads to disc space dessication and deterioration. Many adults over forty experience a degree of degenerative disc disease. This condition may cause the effected vertebrae to ultimately fuse, in which case their pain normally diminishes, but it may be quite painful in the interim.

Other causes are spondylolisthesis, which is a condition cased by vertebral slippage, normally at the fourth or fifth lumbar vertebrae, or between the fifth lumbar vertebrae and the first sacral vertebrae. These are commonly referred to as L4, L5, and S1. Spondylolisthesis is often the result of a previous, unattended to injury, many athletes will injure themselves and the Spondylolisthesis does not fully manifest itself or present for several years. It is graded as type I, or type II, depending on the severity of the slippage. There can also be certain genetic predispositions which may present as spondylolisthesis.

Spondylosis, is another cause of low back pain. Spondylosis basically refers to a sick vertebral body. This often leads to lumbar instability, which is also caused by other metabolic and disease conditions. Another common cause of low back, or lumbar pain is known as lumbar sprain or strain, and it may be either chronic or more long term, or acute which normally means sharp or sudden.

The medical and clinical benefits of an offloading lumbar support orthotic are as follows: the orthotic itself, by virtue of its application gently stretches the lumbar spine in an attempt to re-establish the normal, healthy intervertebral disc space. This action in and of itself will provide many back pain sufferers with relief. For many patients, this gentle stretching of the spine is enough to enable the protruding, or herniated disc to re-seat itself in the disc space. This will relieve the symptoms relating to the pain caused by the disc coming into contact with the sciatic nerve, thereby relieving the pain, tingling and numbness that many patients experience with the sciatica and radiculopathy. With continued intermittent and repeated application of the spinal orthotic the patients' conditions improve over time, giving them ultimate freedom from the use of their lumbar support orthotic. Patients suffering with stenosis experience great relief with the use of my Lumbar Support Orthotic. Because of the degenerative and deteriorative processes that lead to stenosis, those patients will improve over time. As their spine is gently stretched the arthritic welding may be reversed.

Those patients who present degenerative disc disease normally do very well with the use of my offloading lumbar support orthotic. As the orthotic works to re-establish the normal, healthy, intervertebral disc space, the structure of the support itself encourages the patients to use and engage the postural musculature of their lumbar spine. This lends itself, once again to the rehabilitaional quality of the support, encourages the patients to be independent of the support. It structurally encourages patients to improve their posture and use the muscles in their low back.

Patients with spondylolisthesis also normally do very well with the use of this support. It isolates and stabilizes the lumbar spine as well as providing the offloading lift and re-establishment of the normal healthy intervertebral disc space. In combination with the encouragement of the use of the musces and musculature of the lumbar spine and low back, it is truly a win-win situation for the patients.

Patients with lumbar sprain and spondylosis also benefit greatly from the comfortable offloading support, the re-establishment of the normal, healthy intervertebral disc space, and the benefit of the encouragement and use of the muscles of the low back.

The use and prescription of an offloading lumbar support orthotic should be in the first line of consideration for physician treating patients with low back pain. It is harmless, non-invasive, non-narcotic, and can only benefit the patients. It is not a brace, it's an orthotic support. A brace is like a cast, used to hold a structure or bone in place and immobilized so the healing process can take place. An orthotic is a rigid, or semi-rigid structure or device that applies a gentle force to a specific area to mitigate, correct or promote the healing of a diseased, malformed or injured area of the anatomy.