Cochrane Systematic Review

Title: Assistive technologies (lumbar supports and other devices) for treating chronic low back pain

Good to know: Lumbar supports used alone may make little to no difference to pain and disability after three months compared with no treatment (low-certainty evidence). Added to pain medication, they may slightly reduce pain after three to four weeks. The effects of adding supports to exercise and education or to physiotherapy remain uncertain (very low-certainty evidence).

Limitations: All included studies examined lumbar supports; none examined other mobility aids. Adverse events were not reported. Limited reporting and lack of blinding reduce confidence in the findings.

Evidence: Cochrane Review (published in September 2026); eight randomised trials involving 501 adults with chronic low back pain; lumbar supports alone or added to other treatments compared with no treatment or the same treatment without lumbar supports.