Why You Should Use Offloading Back Supports First

The medical indications or reasons why a doctorback pain sufferers with relief. For many patients,
prescribes my supports for their patients are asthis gentle stretching of the spine is enough to
follows: severe low back pain, also known asenable the protruding, or herniated disc to re-seat
lumbago, or lumbalgia. Herniated or bulging discs,itself in the disc space. This will relieve the
also called HNP lumbar, which stands for Herniatedsymptoms relating to the pain caused by the disc
Nucleus Propulsus, when the center of the disccoming into contact with the sciatic nerve,
bulges out and makes contact with the Sciaticthereby relieving the pain, tingling and numbness
nerve, this condition also is called sciatica. Sciaticathat many patients experience with the sciatica
refers to the pain caused when the discand radiculopathy. With continued intermittent and
protrudes and makes contact with the sciaticrepeated application of the spinal orthotic the
nerve and the pain runs through the buttock(s),patients' conditions improve over time, giving
down the leg(s) and radiates down into the foot.them ultimate freedom from the use of their
This is also known as radiculopathy. Many patientslumbar support orthotic. Patients suffering with
who present radiculopathy may also experiencestenosis experience great relief with the use of
burning, tingling, numbness. or aching in their feet.my Lumbar Support Orthotic. Because of the
Other causes of low back pain are spinal stenosisdegenerative and deteriorative processes that
commonly referred to as spinal arthritis. Stenosislead to stenosis, those patients will improve over
is basically an arthritic deterioration of thetime. As their spine is gently stretched the
vertebrae in the lumbar spine which basicallyarthritic welding may be reversed.
causes the vertebrae to weld togetherThose patients who present degenerative disc
accompanied by a deteriorative narrowing of thedisease normally do very well with the use of my
spinal canal. Degenerative disc disease occurs tooffloading lumbar support orthotic. As the orthotic
many people for a variety of reasons: as we ageworks to re-establish the normal, healthy,
our normal healthy intervertebral disc spaceintervertebral disc space, the structure of the
diminishes, this is compounded by gravity, poorsupport itself encourages the patients to use and
postural habits, an improper hydration (we do notengage the postural musculature of their lumbar
drink enough water), which in turn leads to discspine. This lends itself, once again to the
space dessication and deterioration. Many adultsrehabilitaional quality of the support, encourages
over forty experience a degree of degenerativethe patients to be independent of the support. It
disc disease. This condition may cause thestructurally encourages patients to improve their
effected vertebrae to ultimately fuse, in whichposture and use the muscles in their low back.
case their pain normally diminishes, but it may bePatients with spondylolisthesis also normally do
quite painful in the interim.very well with the use of this support. It isolates
Other causes are spondylolisthesis, which is aand stabilizes the lumbar spine as well as providing
condition cased by vertebral slippage, normally atthe offloading lift and re-establishment of the
the fourth or fifth lumbar vertebrae, or betweennormal healthy intervertebral disc space. In
the fifth lumbar vertebrae and the first sacralcombination with the encouragement of the use
vertebrae. These are commonly referred to asof the musces and musculature of the lumbar
L4, L5, and S1. Spondylolisthesis is often the resultspine and low back, it is truly a win-win situation
of a previous, unattended to injury, many athletesfor the patients.
will injure themselves and the SpondylolisthesisPatients with lumbar sprain and spondylosis also
does not fully manifest itself or present forbenefit greatly from the comfortable offloading
several years. It is graded as type I, or type II,support, the re-establishment of the normal,
depending on the severity of the slippage. Therehealthy intervertebral disc space, and the benefit
can also be certain genetic predispositions whichof the encouragement and use of the muscles of
may present as spondylolisthesis.the low back.
Spondylosis, is another cause of low back pain.The use and prescription of an offloading lumbar
Spondylosis basically refers to a sick vertebralsupport orthotic should be in the first line of
body. This often leads to lumbar instability, whichconsideration for physician treating patients with
is also caused by other metabolic and diseaselow back pain. It is harmless, non-invasive,
conditions. Another common cause of low back,non-narcotic, and can only benefit the patients. It
or lumbar pain is known as lumbar sprain or strain,is not a brace, it's an orthotic support. A brace is
and it may be either chronic or more long term,like a cast, used to hold a structure or bone in
or acute which normally means sharp or sudden.place and immobilized so the healing process can
The medical and clinical benefits of an offloadingtake place. An orthotic is a rigid, or semi-rigid
lumbar support orthotic are as follows: thestructure or device that applies a gentle force to
orthotic itself, by virtue of its application gentlya specific area to mitigate, correct or promote
stretches the lumbar spine in an attempt tothe healing of a diseased, malformed or injured
re-establish the normal, healthy intervertebral discarea of the anatomy.
space. This action in and of itself will provide many