Contrary to popular belief: No, lumbar belts do not reduce muscle strength

Contrary to widespread belief, wearing a lumbar belt does not lead to muscular deconditioning. Here's a look at some old-fashioned misconceptions about the treatment of lower back pain, which are still around today.

What are the benefits of wearing a lumbar belt?

There are many preconceived ideas about lumbar belts. Yet they have a number of advantages, and are recommended by experts in the treatment of lower back pain. In fact, lumbar belts :

• Relieve pain
• Support the natural movements of the back
• Reduce wide movements and intradiscal pressure
• Provide good support by correcting posture
• Increase patient comfort
• Helps reduce the tension and pressure exerted on the spine when carrying heavy loads.
• Proven effectiveness in various clinical studies

Dissanguan's systematic review in 2019 ⁽¹⁾ concludes, on the basis of eight clinical studies, that the lumbar belt is effective as a complement to standard care for patients suffering from non-specific low back pain. Wearing a lumbar support belt reduces low-back pain and increases patients' functional capacity.

Wearing a lumbar belt does not reduce muscle strength 

Whether old or very recent, successive studies have failed to establish a clear link between wearing a lumbar belt and a reduction in muscle strength. Some of these studies even conclude that the strength of the trunk flexor or extensor muscles increases with the use of a belt.

The scientific data shows that the lumbar support belt merely modifies the distribution of the activity of the various muscles of the trunk. In concrete terms, the pressure resulting from the stretching of the belt fibres varies the abdominal pressure, limiting extreme range-of-motion movements and correcting posture.

Wearing the belt is recommended by recognised health authorities

The WHO and medical practitioners give priority to the least invasive treatments, of which the lumbar belt is one. Wearing a lumbar belt to help with a return to activity is also one of the new HAS recommendations dating from 2019.