Many people feel that they need to have a firearm on them at any given time given the security risks. It may truly be necessary in certain cases, for instance while traveling through a dangerous neighborhood or perhaps if someone lives in a risky area. If you are a policeman by profession, then you don’t have a choice but to have a gun fastened around your waist anyways. At the same time, concealing that firearm is necessary for being a responsible citizen and may even be required by the law. While there are several ways to carry a concealed firearm, the most preferred and also convenient method is to wear a belly band holster or a waistband holster. Brands like Comfort Tac provide several other options too, like an ankle holster or a fanny pack holster.
However, most gun owners find that it is easier to wear the concealed weapon around the waist. This inevitably leads to back pain over time. Even if the firearm is light and small, continued addition of the gun’s weight on the back is bound to cause pain and discomfort eventually. Sometimes, it may also be the result of an accidental injury such as falling or bumping into a wall while wearing the holster around your back. However, there are some easy remedies to deal with concealed carry back pain.
Dealing with Concealed Carry Back Pain
#1. Try Choosing a Small Weapon
If the back pain is resulting simply from the heavy weight of the gun of your choice, perhaps it would be better to choose a smaller gun instead to keep on your person all the time. An average gun weighs approximately 2 pounds which means that this is the least amount of extra pressure you are putting on your back all the time you are wearing the holster. ‘Policeman’s heel’ is a common condition that results with insufficient heel support and carrying heavy gear on the duty belt, by straining hips and lower back. While it may not be possible for officers of the law to choose the weapon of their choice, a regular citizen has the option of favoring a smaller and lighter weapon to reduce its impact on the back muscles.
#2. Getter a Better Holster or a Better Gun Belt
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, some brands offering the concealed weapon gear such as Comfort Tac already have these issues in their mind while producing their products. Choosing your gun holster from such a trustworthy brand would automatically improve the holster’s ability to divide the weight and exert less pressure on your body, thereby lessening the risk of back pain as well. The same goes for the manufacturing stuff for these belts. It is not just the technology that is important but also whether the belt is strong enough to hold the weapon without adding too much weight on the carrier’s body. Most people neglect the importance of choosing the appropriate belt for the concealed carry, which ends up causing them a lot of muscle damage.
#3. Maintain a Healthy Weight
While this may sound irrelevant to the back pain resulting from carrying a weapon, the truth is that like any other activity that requires muscular and core strength, keeping a weapon on your person also needs better muscle health and general wellbeing. If there are already some extra pounds of weight around your back, the addition of a gun is likely to aggravate the pain much faster and much worse than if you had an optimum body weight.
#4. Add Some Lower Back and Core Workout to Your Lifestyle
Even if you have the right weight for your age and height, if your muscles are not used to working out or you are not used to carry weight often, chances are that even a small weapon would make your muscles sore and give you pain. Muscles require proper movement and exercise to maintain tone and strength. With regular exercise you can make your muscles strong enough to maintain mass and also bear the extra few pounds of weight of the gun without giving you back pain. The overall health benefits of such a routine are simply cherry on top.
#5. Get Medical Assistance
All the above mentioned factors are not supposed to be alternatives to medical advice. While muscles are known to regenerate and recuperate on their own, given enough time and exercise, if the concealed carry back pain that you feel is too strong or it is bad enough to hinder your regular functioning, it is advised that you seek help from a licensed medical professional. This is especially important if your back pain persists, even after taking off your firearm, because that may hint at other underlying causes unrelated to gun weight. There are several causes of back pain and it is better to check with a doctor if the pain is persistent or unbearable.
Hope these remedies help you manage your concealed carry back ache. However it would be best to prevent back strain from carrying concealed weapon by choosing a holster that is most comfortable for you and your body type.
