Frequently Asked Questions

About Trekke®

1. What is Trekke®?
2. How does Trekke® work?
3. Is Trekke® safe?
4. What are the benefits of using Trekke®?
5. Who uses Trekke®?
6. Who should not use Trekke®?

The Science Behind Trekke®

7. What is “spinal unloading”?
8. How is spinal unloading different than traction?
9. Is spinal unloading the same as spinal decompression treatment?
10. How is Trekke® different than a back brace?
11. What does “lumbar” mean?

Using Your Trekke® Lumbar Lift

12. What size Trekke® should I purchase?
13. How do I custom fit Trekke® to my body?
14. Can I wear Trekke® over my clothes?
15. How much should I inflate Trekke®?
16. How often should I wear my Trekke®?
17. How long should I wear my Trekke®?
18. When can I wear my Trekke®?
19. Will Trekke® restrict my movement?

Caring for Your Trekke® Lumbar Lift

20. How much does Trekke® weigh?
21. How do I care for my Trekke®?

About Trekke®

1. What is Trekke®?
Trekke is a unique and innovative medical device, the only one in the world to provide low back pain relief through mobile, spinal unloading. It is made entirely of soft, flexible materials and uses pressurized air to redistribute upper body weight from your spinal vertebrae to your hips, thereby reducing compression and relieving low back pain.

2. How does Trekke® work?
Trekke wraps around your waist and is inflated, stretching vertically as it lifts and “unloads” upper torso weight from the lumbar vertebrae and disks. This spinal unloading reduces compression and low back pain. More on how Trekke works.

3. Is Trekke® safe?
Trekke is a safe non-invasive and all natural solution to low back pain. It can be comfortably worn for as long and as often as you like without side effects. And, as your pain diminishes, so does your need for pain medication and other costly treatments. Movement is part of healing.

4. What are the benefits of using Trekke®?
Because Trekke safely provides pain relief while also allowing full mobility, you can go about your daily activities as you are being treated. In addition to reducing pain, wearing your Trekke also reduces the degenerative cycle of spine compression that begins the moment we get up in the morning. You get the benefit of spinal unloading, combined with the restorative benefits of movement.

With the dual benefit of decreased pain and increased mobility, Trekke provides a longer regenerative cycle – one we usually only get from lying down – thereby reducing the recovery period. Using Trekke also reduces stress on damaged or strained spinal muscles of the lower back, allowing them to relax, realign and heal.

5. Who uses Trekke®?
Anyone can experience low back pain and most find Trekke Lumbar Lift offers relief. For many back pain sufferers, the only relief comes with lying down or taking increasing amounts of pain medication. As soon as they begin to move around or stop using medication, the pain returns. Often normal tasks or activities such as sitting, walking, lifting and bending aggravate their pain. Trekke alleviates pain from a variety of sources. View a list of medical conditions.

Many low back problems are work related with some industries being at particularly high risk for low back injuries. Find out more.

6. Who should not use Trekke®?
Trekke is designed to provide pain relief in the lower or lumbar area of the back. If you experience pain in your upper back only, or have certain medical conditions, Trekke may not be for you. To view a list of medical conditions that indicate you should not use Trekke, click here.

The Science Behind Trekke®

7. What is “spinal unloading”?
Our spines carry the weight of our upper body whenever we stand, sit, or walk. Through injury, aging, or degenerative diseases, over 80% of people will experience low back pain at some time in their lives. Spinal unloading works by transferring a substantial portion of upper torso weight from the spine to the hips which decreases pressure on the lumbar discs, relieving pain in the low back.

8. How is spinal unloading different than traction?
Spinal unloading simply means that the amount of loading, or weight bearing, on the spine is decreased. Traction, however, is the active pulling of bone, muscle or connective tissue “to an influence beyond zero (i.e. negative) loading,” that is, a position beyond neutral.⁴¹

9. Is spinal unloading the same as spinal decompression treatment?
No, spinal unloading and spinal decompression are not the same. Spinal decompression treatments require that you lay immobile on a specially designed table, available in a clinic or treatment centre. Multiple treatments are required, typically costing $3,000+ US for an initial course of treatment, and treatment duration is limited to the length of time you are lying on the table. Trekke’s spinal unloading, on the other hand, offers mobile treatment and can be worn for extended periods as you move through your daily routine. Trekke’s ability to provide mobile, long duration treatment for low back pain greatly reduces healing time.

10. How is Trekke® different than a back brace?
Back braces work to support and inhibit movement of your low back allowing very limited flexibility or use of low back muscles and provide no spinal unloading, A key element of relieving low back pain is allowing pain-free movement. Trekke provides pain relief through comfortable spinal unloading, and its soft, supple construction allows near normal spine flexibility so back muscles can function in a normal manner while they regain strength.

11. What does “lumbar” mean?
“Lumbar” refers to the lumbar vertebrae, which are the spinal bones of the low back. These five robust vertebrae (L1 to L5) sit immediately above the hips, carry all the weight of the upper body, and are anchor points for the large muscles of the low back. The lumbar vertebrae are also chiefly responsible for the body’s flexibility.⁴²

Using Your Trekke® Lumbar Lift

12. What size Trekke® should I purchase?
Proper measurement and placement of Trekke is critical to ensuring you receive optimal pain relief. Using the Trekke Sizing Guide, follow the directions to measure your ribs and hips. Next, locate your measurements on the appropriate size chart. Finally, select the device size that aligns with your body measurements. Order now.

13. How do I custom fit Trekke® to my body?
In order to work effectively Trekke must be adjusted to your body; getting a custom fit is easy. Following the instructions in the User Guide, adjust the upper and lower belt lengths according to your hip and rib measurements. For optimal results, be sure to position the device on your body as directed. With a little use you will be able to tell if the belts need to be tightened or loosened to provide the perfect combination of pain relieving unloading and comfort for you.

14. Can I wear Trekke® over my clothes?
Trekke must be worn under upper body clothing (i.e. shirt or blouse) directly against the skin, and over lower clothing (i.e. pants, skirt). See the User Guide for complete instructions.

15. How much should I inflate Trekke®?
Trekke’s manual inflation allows you to determine the level of unloading needed to achieve maximum pain relief and comfort. There is no prescribed inflation level or duration of use, both are determined by you. An inflation level of 2 or 3 is a good place to begin and should allow Trekke to be comfortably worn all day. Testing higher and lower inflation levels and duration of wear will help you determine what works best for you. Review the User Guide for complete instructions.

16. How often should I wear my Trekke®?
You can wear your Trekke as often and for as long as you need to achieve optimal pain relief and comfort. Some long term users of Trekke tell us the frequency of their low back pain decreases and they need to use their Trekke less often as time goes on.

If you find your Trekke becomes uncomfortable after extended use, try reducing the amount of air pressure. Lower pressure allows for longer periods of comfortable use and even a low inflation level will provide spinal unloading and pain relief. See How much should I inflate Trekke®? above.

17. How long should I wear my Trekke®?
Trekke is completely safe and comfortable and can be worn for extended periods of time, as often as you need. In fact, it was specifically designed using only soft, supple material to ensure comfort and flexibility. Wear yours for as long as you need to, in order to alleviate low back pain.

18. When can I wear my Trekke®?
You can wear your Trekke at any time to provide relief for your low back pain, during almost any activity. Whatever the activity we recommend you exercise caution and care to protect your Trekke from being punctured.

19. Will Trekke® restrict my movement?
No, Trekke’s unique soft, supple, flexible construction allows near normal body motion that is not available with any other treatment option including back braces, traction devices or spinal decompression tables. In fact, movement is part of healing.

Caring for Your Trekke® Lumbar Lift

20. How much does Trekke® weigh?
Trekke is made from soft, supple materials and is very lightweight (1¼ lbs/600 grams). It can be deflated and rolled snuggly to fit in its custom carry bag for storage or travel.

21. How do I care for my Trekke®?
Trekke can be hand washed and rinsed in warm water, or machine washed on the gentle cycle in warm water. Trekke must be air dried only. Do not expose your Trekke to extreme heat or cold, and protect it from puncture at all times.