The use of back belts on lumbar paraspinal muscles

Journal/Book: Phys Rehab Kur Med 9 (1999) M45 / Rehab in Review Vol. 7 Nr. 1 1999.. 1999;

Abstract: Majkowski GR et al.: The Effect of Back Belt Use on Isometric Lifting Force and Fatigue of the Lumbar Paraspinal Muscles. Spine 1998; 23 (19): 2104 - 2109 The use of lumbar back belts has been promoted by belt manufactures to reduce fatigue of the lumbar back muscles and therefore injury. However little scientific evidence has supported these claims. This study sought to determine the efficacy of lumbar back belts in minimizing the loss of isometric force and the fatigue of lumbar paraspinal muscles. Thirteen men and 11 women recruited from an active duty military population performed two lifting trials one with and one without a lumbar back belt. After determining the initial maximum isometric lifting force (ILF) for each subject a dynamic lifting task of 20% of this ILF was performed at a rate of 10 lifts per minute. Lumbar paraspinal muscular fatigue was then determined during dynamic lifting using an EMG median power spectral frequency (MPSF). Multivariate and univariate analyses were used to compare the ILF and MPSF values of those wearing versus not wearing a back belt. The results revealed no significant effect on fatigue through back belt use. Conclusion: This study suggests that the use of a lumbar back belt provides no significant benefit in reducing lumbar paraspinal muscle fatigue during dynamic lifting. ___MH

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