23 hours ago
6
A lot of people assume that if their back hurts, they need more support. That’s why back braces have become so popular, and to be fair, they absolutely have their place. If you’ve recently strained your back, had surgery, or suffered an acute injury, a brace can temporarily reduce the stress on irritated tissues and allow healing to begin. The problem is when that temporary solution becomes permanent.
Your spine was never designed to be held upright by a brace. It was designed to be supported by your own muscles, connective tissue, breathing mechanics, and your nervous system. The longer you rely on an external brace, the less your body has to do the work itself. It’s a lot like putting a cast on your arm. The cast protects the arm while it heals, but after several weeks, the muscles underneath become noticeably weaker. We call that atrophy. The same thing can happen when your trunk depends on outside support instead of rebuilding its own stability.
These five wall-based moves, including a bonus self-massage technique, can help you rebuild real, lasting stability instead of leaning on a brace to do the work for you.
English (US) ·