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Back Belts

• DoD Ergonomics Working Group NEWS: Back Belts - No "Support" from the Surgeon General or DoD (PDF)
  http://www.lni.wa.gov/WISHA/ergo/39DoDBackBeltJAN05.pdf (DOD)
  >  Manufacturers often claim that back belts reduce injury risk by increasing pressure inside the abdomen, which stabilizes the back by stiffening the torso. However, recent studies reveal that the increased intra-abdominal pressure is associated with abdominal muscle contraction that, in turn, increases compressive force on the lower spine.1, 2 Furthermore, it appears that back belt usage diminishes the amount of work produced by the back extensor muscles.

• OSH Answers: Back Belts
  http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/back_blt.html (CCOHS)

• Back Belts: Do They Prevent Injury?
  http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/backbelt.html (NIOSH)

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