August 2021 CME Activity: Lumbar Bracing for Chronic Low Back Pain-Lumbar Bracing for Chronic Low Back Pain

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This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a back brace in treating chronic low back pain (CLBP). The study included 61 adults with uncomplicated CLBP and degenerative spondylosis. The participants were divided into two groups: one group received back school instruction only, while the other group received back school instruction and a lumbar orthosis. Pain intensity, pain disability, patient-reported function, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months after the intervention.<br /><br />The interim analysis at the halfway point of the study revealed that the treatment group had worse pain disability, patient-reported function, and quality of life scores compared to the control group. However, there were no significant differences in pain intensity between the two groups. The study was halted because it was unlikely to produce significant changes in the results with continued enrollment.<br /><br />The results of this study suggest that adding a back brace to education and exercise instruction did not provide any pain relief for patients with uncomplicated CLBP. In fact, the use of a back brace may worsen pain-related functioning and quality of life over time. The study highlights the need for more high-quality research on the role of back braces in the treatment of CLBP.<br /><br />It is important to note that this study had some limitations, including a wide age range of participants, potential confounding factors, high dropout rate, self-reported adherence data, and lack of exploration of patient attitudes and expectations toward back brace usage. Overall, the study contributes to the existing literature by providing evidence that back braces may not be beneficial in the treatment of CLBP.

Asset Subtitle

A Randomized Controlled Trial

Keywords

back brace

chronic low back pain

CLBP

effectiveness

treatment

degenerative spondylosis

pain intensity

pain disability

patient-reported function

quality of life