Backstory (pun intended!). As a child I sustained trauma to my lower spine - possibly simply from having a chair pulled out from behind while sitting - which led to severe disc degeneration in my L5 disc (the lowest one) by the time I was 30 years old. I also have a severe spinal scoliosis which may or may not be related. Since the age of 30 I have suffered almost continuous back pain. Over the years I tried many different 'support' devices such as back belts, elastic bands, etc. As I've aged the pain became chronic. The degenerated disc and scoliosis have caused a moderate degree of mobility issues as well.
A couple weeks ago my wife and I stopped by a local drug store near where we live. Although it is virtually 'next door' we had never visited so decided to check it out. They had a very wide assortment of orthopedic 'hardware/software'. One item caught my eye simply because it was different from all the other back support devices. It was a Serola sacroiliac support belt. It's designed to compress and support the pelvic tendons that control movement of the sacroiliac joint. It is positioned around the hips, not the waist or lower back.
A few days later I mentioned this to one of my colleagues at Walmart and she said her husband used one and was very happy with it. So I decided to give it try. Unfortunately, I was unable to return to that particular drug store due to my work schedule. Fortunately, as it turns out, while tidying up a closet my wife found an old elastic Fuelbelt. The Fuelbelt was about the same size as the Serola belt, although a lot more elastic. But I decided to use it as a substitute to see what would happen.
To my astonishment! the chronic pain in my back subsided and after about 2-3 days of virtually continuous use disappeared completely. For the first time in about 40 years my back did not hurt. I've been wearing my Fuelbelt 24/7 for about a week - yes while sleeping - and loving my painfree life again. I'll discuss the mechanism by which hip compression addresses back pain later, at least as I've investigated the issue thus far.
So I'm wondering if anyone else with chronic back pain has tried either a Serola belt or something similar. If so, what was/is your experience.
A couple weeks ago my wife and I stopped by a local drug store near where we live. Although it is virtually 'next door' we had never visited so decided to check it out. They had a very wide assortment of orthopedic 'hardware/software'. One item caught my eye simply because it was different from all the other back support devices. It was a Serola sacroiliac support belt. It's designed to compress and support the pelvic tendons that control movement of the sacroiliac joint. It is positioned around the hips, not the waist or lower back.
A few days later I mentioned this to one of my colleagues at Walmart and she said her husband used one and was very happy with it. So I decided to give it try. Unfortunately, I was unable to return to that particular drug store due to my work schedule. Fortunately, as it turns out, while tidying up a closet my wife found an old elastic Fuelbelt. The Fuelbelt was about the same size as the Serola belt, although a lot more elastic. But I decided to use it as a substitute to see what would happen.
To my astonishment! the chronic pain in my back subsided and after about 2-3 days of virtually continuous use disappeared completely. For the first time in about 40 years my back did not hurt. I've been wearing my Fuelbelt 24/7 for about a week - yes while sleeping - and loving my painfree life again. I'll discuss the mechanism by which hip compression addresses back pain later, at least as I've investigated the issue thus far.
So I'm wondering if anyone else with chronic back pain has tried either a Serola belt or something similar. If so, what was/is your experience.