Have you been diagnosed with a curvature of the spine, also known as Scoliosis? Are you at a point in this progressive condition where you are still considered to be in the mild to moderate stages? Then it may be very likely that you are at a point when your Doctor might consider prescribing bracing for you. Bracing is simply the use of a soft elastic or plastic brace that would be worn around the trunk of the body to correct/reverse the curve of the spine back towards its natural state. Braces come in two types, either plastic, which is a rigid brace, or elastic, which is a dynamic brace. Depending on what your doctor deems necessary, you will be fitted for a brace that is custom designed to your body. Truthfully, wearing a brace is not the most comfortable item to don and it is going to be challenging as it requires a daily commitment that must be followed quite religiously.
The subject of making the brace more tolerable to wear throughout the day has been brought up by many new and seasoned wearers alike. Many people step up to ask for advice for preventing rubbing and sores that may develop with extended wear. From those questions, fellow brace wearers have offered their guidance on what has worked well for them. The main pointer was to wear a shirt under the brace so that rubbing against the actual skin could be lessened. Make sure it is a shirt that is fitted with no side seams so that is doesn’t bunch up under the brace which, obviously, creates its own form of rubbing and irritation. The use of sheepskin padding placed along the brace’s pressure points and at points of rawness was suggested.
A few others provided hints directed more towards focusing on the skin itself. They suggested the avoidance of using anything that would soften the skin at the points where the brace was rubbing like lotions or creams. Keeping your skin clean with bathing and if you are prone to sweating under the brace which might be causing the creation of sores, the use of cornstarch could be helpful. Toughening the skin with daily applications of rubbing alcohol was mentioned by a few folks. They said that this method did take a few weeks to toughen the skin in the necessary areas but it drastically reduced the appearance of their sores.
Lastly, it was mentioned that anyone experiencing rubbing issues should do a quick check to make sure that the brace was tight enough because if it wasn’t, the looseness of the brace would move around quite a bit and induce sores. Also, checking in with your doctor was recommended if skin conditions persisted.
Hopefully, the above hints from others who have gone or are going through bracing, like yourself, will provide you with a much more pleasant brace wearing experience. Get comfortable with your brace and know that the commitment you make to bracing, in the long run, will benefit your life in so many other ways.
We wish to remind you that all of the above suggestions are for health purposes only. Please know you should consult your physician for any and all medical advice.