THE EFFECT OF LUMBAR BELTS ON ISOLATED LUMBAR MUSCLE - STRENGTH AND DYNAMIC CAPACITY

Study Design. This study analyzed the effect of lumbar support belts o n functional performance. Objective. To compare lumbar muscle strength and lifting capacity with and without a lumbar belt. Summary of Backg round Data. Industrialized settings have begun to encourage the use of lumbar support belts for their employees. It is believed that the bel ts may decrease the risk of injury and enhance the functional performa nce of the individual. Methods. Twenty-two subjects (average age, 27.5 years) were tested on four separate days to evaluate the effect of a commercially available belt on isolated lumbar isometric strength and functional dynamic lifting capacity. All subjects had no history of lo w back problems. The order of testing with and without a belt was rand omized for both conditions. On the first 2 days, subjects performed a seven-angle isometric lumbar extension strength test, 1 day with and 1 day without a lumbar belt. On the following 2 days, subjects were tes ted to evaluate functional capacity with and without a lumbar belt. Th e functional capacity evaluation was performed by progressively liftin g weighted canisters from various levels. Heart rates were monitored t o ensure that a maximum effort was achieved over the different days. R esults. T tests revealed that isometric lumbar strength and functional lifting capacity was not significantly affected by the belt. Conclusi on. The use of a lumbar belt does not enhance isometric lumbar muscle strength or dynamic lifting capacity.