Thirty-one million Americans will experience back pain at any given time, according to the American Chiropractic Association, with disc bulges and herniations among the most common causes of low-back pain. There IS a reason why wearing a brace will help to reduce the low-back pain in these situations. You do NOT need to stretch your low back, nor “roll it out” with a foam roller.

In his research on low-back rehab, Dr. Stuart McGill, Professor Emeritus of Spine Biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, has demonstrated that enhancing endurance, not strength, helps people avoid awkward postures that can lead to back pain. In other words: maintaining proper movement over the day requires endurance.

Endurance movements form the backbone of Dr. McGill’s recommended core and low-back exercises. Endurance exercises promote spine stability. “True spine stability is achieved with a ‘balanced’ stiffening from the entire musculature including the rectus abdominis and the abdominal wall, quadratus lumborum, latissimus dorsi and the back extensors of longissimus, iliocostalis and multifidus,” explains McGill. His “Big Three” exercises create a stiffness that enhances stability in a spine-sparing way and have been shown to create stiffness and stability that lasts after each session.

How do you stiffen the core to achieve spinal stability? “The abdominal brace enhances stability,” explains McGill, as it engages all of the important muscles. To properly brace, relax the abdominals and then push fingers into the oblique muscles about 5 to 12 cm lateral to the navel. Gently stiffen the abs—you will feel your fingers being pushed out. You can also adjust the brace to fit the level of activity being performed. For heaving lifting, for example, you would stiffen more, while for activities that require spine posture control (e.g., sit to stand) you would stiffen less.