You can lower the risk of back injury by lifting heavy objects safely.
Q. Would wearing a back brace prevent injury?
A. Experts do not know for sure. Wearing a back brace is not a substitute for proper lifting technique. If you wear a brace, you still need to use safe technique. The brace can be a reminder to practice safe and proper lifting techniques.
Call your doctor if you have severe back pain that does not get better.
Some mistakes to watch out for are:
If you think you are having an emergency, call for medical help right away.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
http://www.ccohs.ca
The Canadian Orthopaedic Association
http://www.coa-aco.org
Fritz JM, Kim M, Magel JS, Asche CV. Cost effectiveness of primary care management with or without early physical therapy for acute low back pain: Economic evaluation of a randomized clinical trial. Spine. 2017;42(5):285-90.
Heat and cold therapy: understanding rationale for use. EBSCO Nursing Reference Center website. Available at: https://www.ebscohost.com/nursing/products/nursing-reference-center. Accessed September 28, 2020.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Ergonomic guidelines for manual material handling. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-131/pdfs/2007-131.pdf. Accessed October 7, 2020.
Ngo BPT, Yazdani A, et al. Lifting Height as the Dominant Risk Factor for Low-Back Pain and Loading During Manual Materials Handling: A Scoping Review, IISE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors. 2017;5(3-4):158-171.
Last reviewed September 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Laura Lei-Rivera, PT, DPT, GCS