Researchers Create A Smart Underwear That Can Prevent Lower Back Pain

An estimated 80 percent of the population is set to experience a lower back pain at some point in their lives. While there have been several devices and solutions that have been devised for back pains, most of them are either unreliable in the long run or are just plain unattractive.

The good news is that engineers in the US have designed a smart, mechanised undergarment that may help prevent lower back pain by reducing muscle fatigue.

“People are often trying to capitalise on a huge societal problem with devices that are unproven or unviable,” said co-investigator Aaron Yang from Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee, US.

“This smart clothing concept is different. I see a lot of health care workers or other professionals with jobs that require standing or leaning for long periods. Smart clothing may help offload some of those forces and reduce muscle fatigue,” Yang said.

The device, unveiled at the Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics in Brisbane, Australia, consists of two fabric sections, made of nylon canvas, Lycra, polyester and other materials, for the chest and legs.

The sections are connected by sturdy straps across the middle back, with natural rubber pieces at the lower back and glutes.

The device is designed so that users engage it only when they need it. A simple double tap to the shirt engages the straps. When the task is done, another double tap releases the straps so the user can sit down, and the device feels and behaves like normal clothes.

The device also can be controlled by an app that the team created. Users tap their phones to engage the smart clothing wirelessly via Bluetooth. In experiments, the participants tested the device leaning forward and lifting 11-kg and 25-kg weights while holding their position at 30, 60 and 90 degrees.

Using motion capture, force plates and electromyography, the team demonstrated that the device reduced activity in the lower back extensor muscles by an average of 15 to 45 percent for each task.

The focus of this new technology is not for treating those with existing back pain but focuses on prevention by reducing stress and fatigue on the low back muscles, Yang said.