Please note that I have no relationship with the products or services I describe here. I developed this site partly to encourage me to put more effort into fixing my own back, but also to inspire others to go take control of their own back care.

Hopefully you may find some of the ideas here useful, and maybe can discuss them with your doctor.

If you find mylowerbackpain.com useful, please add a link to it from your website or blog.

Thanks, Steve.

Springzback. See it in action at www.Springzback.com

by Mike Babcock
(Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Do you have a job or activity that overworks your lower back? Ever find yourself needing to lean onto something to relieve your back strain? As a former mechanic, I related to both. I often dreamt of a device that I could strap-on that could provide a spring-loading support for my upper body when I bent or leaned forward.

Decades later, I eventually manifested this dream into a unique lightweight device that straps to the front of the hips to assist, even completely relieve, the lower back muscles while bending forward. I've named it the Springzback.

The Springzback is a unique spring-loading device that is strapped against the front of the hips for the purpose of relieving the lower back muscles while bending forward. This patent-pending device can allow extended bending or leaning forward without causing any back strain.

Unlike back belts, that mainly do what your stomach muscles should do (if properly conditioned), the Springzback provides a propping effect to actually support your upper body. This is accomplished through an interaction between its chest plate, main-body mechanism, pelvic harness and leg engagements.

Together they form a lightweight, adjustable, close fitting orthopedic device that can effectively transfer the user's upper-body weight to the front of the legs while bending forward.

The effect experienced is similar to that of placing ones hands above the knees and locking elbows to prop the upper body while bending over. This would be fine by itself if you didn't need your hands or arms to perform other tasks.


The Springzback keeps your hands and arms free for other uses while allowing total mobility. It is not hot or uncomfortable to wear and weights about 3 lbs. It has no grossly protruding parts and closely follows the contour of the body. Its harness features a quick-release means providing for easy attachment and removal of the device.

Hidden within the main-body lies the heart of this device providing the following two functions:

1. As a load is routed through the mechanism, it is equally divided to each of the leg engagements. This dividing/differential action allows the force to remain constant regardless of the leg's positions thus allowing for walking. From any leg stance, including kneeling, as soon as the upper body bends forward, each leg receives one half of the transferred load.

2. Also within this mechanism is an adjustable compression means that increases in tension as bending advances. This is necessary to compensate for the progressive gravity effect on the upper-body as its lean-angle increases. An external twist knob is conveniently located to provide a quick and easy adjustment of this tension.

This product is the result of my personal need and quest for such a device. Anyone with back issues or back-intensive activities needs to check out the Springzback at www.springzback.com. I welcome the opportunity to help you with your back problem.