Well, that was ... bracing?

[cimorene]

One of the first things several people said to me was that acute lower back pain means I should not lift things without a back brace on. Now, to be clear, I was holding something when the stabby pain happened, but I was bending only slightly, at the hips and not the waist, and the thing I was holding wasn't heavy enough to even register with me, and I am not strong. It was a little plastic tray with about six small flowerpots in it, like the size of soup bowls I guess? So like, sure, there was SOME bending and there was SOME lifting, but at the same time, I'm pretty sure it was neither the weight nor the angle of that particular tray of flowers at fault. There was probably an injured or cramped muscle or something that was at the end of its rope before it decided to spasm.

I was looking at my Call Ikea icon (I love the style of Ikea instruction guy illos, but also, it's just so hilarious how happy this guy is to be on the phone to Ikea) the other day and felt inspired to illustrate, in Ikea instructions style, this directive:''



Also then the other day Pinterest showed me this hilarious historical print of a Mr. Ellar who performed the role of Harlequin in a harlequinade play... apparently the play itself called Mother Shipton, although Mother Shipton was herself a harlequinade character as well as subgenre of harlequinades. Going by this drawing, though, the outfit looks rather like a ballet costume. It probably isn't a ballet though? At least it's quite some time before George Barbier's iconic drawings of Nijinsky as Harlequin.



...and somehow the two collided in my brain and I drew this as well. This drawing is just also relevant to the pictures, not to the point of this post.



So anyway, I DID buy a back brace to try... but it lasted less than 2 hours. I even put a merino singlet on under it because I had read that they were probably sweaty, but like... my hips are so much wider than my ribcage that it just slides up all the time? And also it was so hot I was starting to feel queasy, but all that and it wouldn't even firmly support the part of my back that was sore... well. Nope.

I googled them again, and it seems like there are different sort of lower braces that go around the hips and they are intended for sacroiliac joints I guess? And the others seem like... some of them just are so wide that I guess they're thinking it can't ride up at all, but overall, most of them have the same basic concept. And I guess if it's wrapped firmly around the narrow part of the waist it will get the lumbar spine. But like... the belt thingy was significantly less snug over the part of my back that was sore and there didn't seem to be any way to tighten it so it would be, because it was just too wide but it's more or less just a long tapered stripe? I guess there are some more high tech solutions that do follow the curves of the waist and they start to more and more closely resemble, well, corsets. And cost a lot more. IDK.

Comments

[bonibaru]

I threw out my lower back picking up a single sheet of paper off the floor.

For me it has little to do with the weight of an object and everything to do with the bending/angle (I have degenerative disc disease eating away at L4-L6, so that has a lot to do with my issues tbf).

I tried those corset style back braces and they gave me even more pain and issues than not having a brace :( the pressure/support hurt me more than not wearing it did.

I hope something works for you - I know it's awful!

[cimorene]

Oh wow, I REALLY hope I don't have an underlying issue like that to cope with. The initial abatement of symptoms was in the predicted period at least, but it will be tough for me to remember no twisting or bending or lifting for two months or whatever the recommendation was without anything to remind me... but I definitely can't cope with the one I tried already! I may try another soon, I guess.

[harpers_child]

I like your little harlequin ikea guy.

I have no advice on back braces because I just got a really good underbust corset at ye olde Ren Faire.

edit for clarity: When I say just got I mean when I started with back problems I got a corset rather than trying conventional back braces. I've had said corset for almost a decade now.

[cimorene]

Those are probably pretty warm too, but I bet not as bad as the brace I tried today...

[harpers_child]

My corset is made of cashmere wool and breathes like a natural fiber does. It's warmer than not wearing it, but I've worn it outside in the summer in New Orleans without becoming dangerously hot. I actually forgot it was wool until talking to someone at Flying Cloud when buying my second corset.

[princessofgeeks]

I am not an expert on this at all but you are right that there are SO MANY back braces.

I would not worry about wearing a back brace. I would gently and gradually starting doing situps. Not full situps, just tiny crunches. Strengthening your abdominal muscles helps take the strain off the lower back.

Also the back can spasm for weird reasons regardless of how much weight you are lifting.

But I'm just a random person on your internet.

Good luck whatever you do!

[cimorene]

I've known that I SHOULD work on strengthening my core muscles since childhood but I never seem to stick with it because it's unpleasant. But maybe this time will be the time I manage to stick with it! It's certainly not as unpleasant as lumbago.