Braces speed recovery after surgery or an injury, relieve pain, allow you to return to your favourite sport or activity, and help prevent future injury.
At CuttingEdge, braces are recommended for a number of reasons. They can help speed recovery after surgery or an injury, relieve pain, allow you to return to your favourite sport or activity, and help prevent future injury.
Braces can also be used for multiple parts of the body, and can be ordered pre-fabricated (non-custom) or custom, depending on your specific needs. Non-custom braces are considerably less expensive and may be sufficient for your therapeutic needs. Your physiotherapist can help you decide which brace is best for you.
Most braces (custom and non-custom) are covered under Extended Health Insurance Benefits. However, they can also be purchased out of pocket. If you are curious about whether you have coverage, call your insurance provider. Some insurance companies require a prescription from your family doctor.
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is usually defined as an overuse condition that causes pain on the outside of your elbow. Although it frequently occurs in tennis players (hence its name), tennis elbow can affect anyone that repeatedly uses their forearm muscles. Certain activities like computer work or carpentry can put one at a higher risk for developing this painful condition.
As with any injury, it is best to consult with your physiotherapist regarding the best way to manage your symptoms. Combined with a strengthening and stretching program, a tennis elbow brace may offer some pain relief by offering support to the tendon.
There are a number of circumstances in which your physiotherapist or medical doctor might recommend a brace. Sometimes braces are recommended immediately after an injury (such as an ankle sprain) or after surgery (such as an ACL repair) to help stabilize and support the joint while it heals. In these
circumstances, the brace is usually worn temporarily and discontinued once appropriate healing has been achieved.
Other times, a brace may be recommended during performance of high contact sports or activities that may provide undesired stress to a joint. Your physiotherapist can help you decide which brace is necessary and the length of time you should wear it.
An unloading knee brace is designed to take the pressure off or “unload” one side of the knee joint and transfer it to the other side. For example, if you suffer from osteoarthritis on one side of your knee joint (medial or lateral), an unloading knee brace can help take some of the pressure off of the painful side. This can improve stability and provide pain relief, allowing you to perform activities you may not otherwise be able to perform. While it does not cure or reverse osteoarthritis, it may help delay surgical intervention.
Generally, no. Knee braces are designed to be worn over your skin. When worn over pants, movement may cause the brace to move down, reducing its effectiveness. However, if you find you must wear the knee brace over your pants, it is important to choose pants that are thin and tight fitting with a lot of
elastic so they are able to stretch and move with the knee joint and brace.
Back braces can be used for a number of reasons. Some of the most common
reasons include:
Back braces are categorized as either rigid, semi-rigid or flexible.
Rigid back braces are made of a rigid material such as plastic or metal that may cover your back, front and sides. A rigid back brace is typically custom made to hold your spine in a healthy posture. Rigid braces provide significant support to injured or weakened muscles, joints, and discs, by preventing most spinal movement. Rigid braces are usually recommended post surgically and for fracture management.
Semi-rigid back braces are usually made of a combination of rigid and soft materials. These braces help by stabilizing the back preventing small micro-movements in the spine but allowing for a little more motion than a rigid back brace. These are usually recommended for spinal stenosis or herniated discs.
Flexible back braces are usually made of a soft material and include corsets, lumbar belts and sacroiliac belts. These work by providing support to sore or tired muscles and joints, while allowing close to normal movement. A corset or belt is usually recommended for a strain/sprain and for postural support.
At CuttingEdge, our physiotherapists can help you select a flexible back brace. If you require a rigid or semi-rigid custom back brace, we typically recommend you see a healthcare provider that specializes in these types of braces.
Depending on the type of back injury or condition you suffer from, you may need to wear your back brace to bed. For example, if you suffer from scoliosis, a back brace is usually worn 24 hours a day to help correct the position of the spine. If you find you frequently wake up at night due to back pain then a brace may be suggested to allow for improved support while you sleep. It is important to wear light breathable
clothing if you are wearing your back brace to bed to prevent over-heating and skin irritation.
A bulging or herniated disc is generally caused by an injury/trauma, excessive strain, or the bodies natural degeneration process (aging).The discs in your spine are like a jelly-filled donut with a soft centre and more firm outer ring. They provide cushioning between your vertebrae and act as natural shock absorbers. Injury, degeneration, repetitive motion and weakened stabilizer muscles (your core) can cause the inner liquid to push into the outer layer causing a “bulge” to form. If the outer layer has torn or broken and the inner liquid seeps out, a herniation has occurred. A disc herniation may have more potential side effects than a disc “bulge”.
A back brace designed specifically to support a bulging or herniated disc may help reduce pain by stabilizing and reducing micro-movement at the effected level of the spine. A back brace can also help limit aggravating movement such as bending and twisting, reducing irritation and pain.
Sciatica is an umbrella term that is used to describe pain, numbness, tingling and weakness down the leg, following the path of the sciatic nerve from the back to the toes. Sometimes the symptoms can follow a consistently straight path, other times it can be sporadic and you may feel it in the thigh and then again in the bottom of the foot. Sciatica is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic
nerve.
A back brace can help the sciatica by limiting certain movements that tend to increase sciatic symptoms. It can also help support weak and tired core muscles. A back brace should not be used as a long-term pain management strategy, but when combined with an appropriate rehabilitation program a back brace may help you recover more quickly from sciatica.
Scoliosis refers to an abnormal or sideways curvature of the spine. It often shows up during a growth spurt when you are a child or adolescent. The cause is usually unknown, although may be more prevalent in people with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. The size of the curve can vary from very minimal and severe.
When looking at back braces for scoliosis it is important to know the difference between a non-custom and custom back brace. Generic (non-custom) back braces may help reduce some pain in people with scoliosis, however they will do nothing to help correct the spinal curve and are typically not recommended.
Custom, 3-Dimensional back braces are specifically designed to fit the size, shape and curvature of your body. Research has shown that these braces can help stall the progression of the spine curvature and when worn in the appropriate age range can help realign the spine as you grow. If you are interested in a custom back brace, consult your medical doctor who can refer you to an individual that specializes in
custom back braces.
Unfortunately, a back brace on its own is not enough to completely cure scoliosis. Incorporating proper sleep hygiene, strengthening, stretching and physiotherapy care can help improve your results.
