The Effect of Rigid Spinal Orthosis on the Muscular Capacity of Patients With Low Back Pain - A 3-Month Follow-up Study

ABSTRACT Introduction In chronic low back pain, the use of lumbar orthosis treatment is not part of general recommendations due to a lack of supporting evidence. However, interest in segmental immobilization at the mechanical and postural level is still current in practice, with, however, the belief of negative effects on muscular capacity. The objective of our study was to assess the evolution of muscle capacity after wearing custom-made rigid corset in patients with chronic low back pain. Materials and Methods This is a multicenter study in patients with chronic low back pain, for which the wearing of a rigid postural immobilization corset for 3 months was prescribed. Twenty-two patients completed all follow-up assessments at baseline, 45 days, and 3 months. Evaluations included Biering-Sørensen test, Shirado test, chair test, hand/ground test, lateral inclination test, Quebec scale, and visual analog scale. Results The results revealed a significant improvement of Biering-Sørensen test after 3 months (37.0 ± 53.6 seconds at D0, 41.3 ± 51.7 seconds at D45, and 53.2 ± 60.5 seconds at D90; P < 0.05), in hand/ground distance (21.8 ± 28.5 cm at D0, 15.5 ± 17.8 cm at D45, and 12.2 ± 15.5 cm at D90; P < 0.05), in disability based on the Quebec questionnaire (0.52 ± 0.21 at D0, 0.45 ± 0.19 at D45, and 0.39 ± 0.19 at D90; P < 0.05), and significant reductions in visual analog scale measures of pain (6.0 ± 1.7 at D0, 3.7 ± 1.7 at D45, and 2.7 ± 1.9 at D90; P < 0.05). Conclusions This study shows that the wearing of a rigid orthosis does not alter the muscular endurance capacities of the trunk muscles. In view of the results, wearing a rigid orthosis may be an alternative to treating chronic low back pain. It does not induce muscle loss and may even contribute to motor disinhibition, resulting in improved spinal mobility and functional abilities. Clinical Relevance The common belief that wearing a spinal orthosis leads to muscle loss should no longer be an obstacle to its prescription since it helps to maintain muscle capacity and reduces pain.