Back Braces for Low Back Pain Lack Strong Evidence Either Way, Review Finds

Lumbar support braces, widely used to support the spine and relieve chronic low back pain, are recommended on the basis of low-quality evidence, according to a systematic review from the Cochrane Library. Milan-based researchers analyzed eight randomized controlled trials involving more than 500 participants aged 25 to 78, comparing back braces used alone or alongside other treatments such as physical activity or medication.

The review's results were inconclusive. Some evidence supported braces helping certain people manage pain short-term, including alongside common over-the-counter pain medication, but the researchers found no meaningful evidence that the braces work reliably enough across enough people to be recommended as a treatment. The evidence also does not suggest braces make low back pain worse.

"Lumbar supports are widely used in clinical practice despite the fact we know virtually nothing about their effectiveness," said Dr. Chiara Arienti of Humanitas University, the review's lead author. "Drawing from a very thin research base, we still don't have enough evidence to make broad recommendations for or against their use."

The researchers noted that most existing studies on lumbar supports come from places where access to other treatments is limited, where the inexpensive braces may be an important and affordable pain-management option. "We have to ask ourselves whether we are looking at this problem only through the lens of the Global North," said senior author Professor Stefano Negrini of the University of Milan, adding that more research is needed in populations where access to healthcare and wealth shape treatment choices.