PHYSIO ROOM
GUIDE TO BRACES AND
SUPPORTS
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WHAT ARE BRACES AND SUPPORTS? A Brief History.
Braces and supports are one of the most vital aspects of sports injury treatment and rehabilitation. Being able to run, turn, stop and start again is absolutely crucial to being successful in your chosen sport.
That’s why braces and supports can make all the difference when it comes to preventing injury. There’s also no coincidence that, when recovering from injury, be it short or long, you’ll find sports men and women across the world taking advantage of the latest in brace and support technology. That hasn’t always been the case, however. Using braces for the treatment or prevention of injury is a relatively new phenomenon. The first known example of a brace being used in the sporting world was back in 1967, when Dr. Robert F. McDavid Jr. invented a lateral knee brace with the intention of preventing injury or more specifically the relapse of previous injury. During the 1967-68 NFL season, including the grand finale, the Superbowl. One of the sport’s most famous faces, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath famously
wore a knee brace designed by Jack Castiglia and noted physician Dr. James Nicholas. The brace afforded Namath enough comfort to play, despite being constantly hit with knee injuries. Such is the fame of the knee brace, it is now on display in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This effort was continued by McDavid as by 1969 he had developed the first widely used protective knee brace for American Football. NFL players continued to blaze the trail in the 1970’s and in 1978, it was an NFL player, Mark Nordquist that went away with two colleagues to explore the possibility of using neoprene for braces. Neoprene went on to become, and still is one of the most widely used components in braces and supports. Neoprene may be a far cry from his earlier method of wrapping an old inner tube around his knee for support, but as times change so do methods and thinking. One thing that remains the same however, is the desire of the athlete to use braces and supports to aid their day-to-day activities.
Things to remember when buying a brace or support: • What type do I need? Braces come in different shapes and sizes, but can usually be categorised in to four types, sleeves, supports, stabilisers and hinges. Sleeves easily slip over the arm while supports are adjustable and usually wrap around the elbow or arm. Stabilisers offer advanced support by featuring steel springs either side of the joint. While hinged braces allow the joint to move in a natural motion while offering the most support. • What style do I want? There are two standard styles of braces, the slip on or the wraparound. Slip-ons are used by putting your arm through the brace and pulling upwards. While wraparound braces, of course, wrap around and can usually be adjusted by straps made of material such as Velcro. • What size do I need? This all depends on which brace or support you choose. Typically, each will feature a size guide, but may require some DIY measuring for products such as knee braces. If you are between sizes, it’s often recommended you go for the larger size, but this may vary from product to product.
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BACK BRACE What you need to know. • This PhysioRoom.com Elite Back Brace has an extended back panel design which gives excellent support to the spine and offers the option of removing the metal stays to use the brace as an abdominal binder. A combination of elastic loops and hooks, plus two removable side panels, allows you to adjust the level of support and compression to your liking. • You can use this type of support to help relieve symptoms of lumbago, herniated discs, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, facet syndrome and spinal stenosis among others. • Ideal for any situation life might throw at you, you can wear the PhysioRoom. com Elite Back Brace support to work, during sporting activity or just for everyday wear. This softto-the-touch back support features a 3-dimensional multi-filament construction, and 6 metal stays, which provide comfortable support, compression, heat retention and back pain relief.
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SHOULDER SUPPORT What you need to know. • This PhysioRoom.com Shoulder Support Strap is a custom fit shoulder strap that helps injuries such as bursitis, myositis and tendonitis. It can be worn by either men or women over long periods without causing irritation or cutting in to the skin. Fitting either shoulder, it offers a combination of compression and heat therapy to the affected area. • You can use this brace to improve the healing process of the shoulder joint from conditions like torn muscles or ligaments, rotator cuff injuries or impingement syndrome. • By retaining heat, this support helps ease shoulder pain while reducing stiffness in the muscles. It is designed to apply pressure where it is most needed, to the deltoid and rotator, which is around the ‘ball’ of the shoulder.
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ELBOW SUPPORT
What you need to know. • This PhysioRoom.com Elite Knitted Snug Series Elbow Support with gel pad has been specially designed to provide equal and targeted compression of the elbow to help relieve a variety of painful elbow conditions. • You can use this support following elbow surgery or a fracture of the elbow. It is also effective with such conditions as elbow arthritis and can relieve the symptoms of tennis elbow.
• Covering a range of elbow conditions, the Snug Elbow Support with gel pad works by stabilising and preventing elbow overuse as well as retrogression of the elbow joint. An advanced German knitting technique creates a three-dimensional shape which provides equal compression. It also features a four way stretch to ensure a comfortable fit around the contours of the elbow. While the gel pad provides protection, and creates a massage effect that promotes blood circulation to help relieve pain.
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WRIST BRACE EXAMPLE What you need to know. • This PhysioRoom.com Wrist Brace with Thumb Splint is an adjustable, lightweight and removable brace that can also be used as a protective cast. It protects the wrist and thumb following fractures and sprains while permitting full finger function. • You can use this brace following a broken or sprained wrist or following a broken or sprained thumb. It is ideal for the healing stage of any wrist or thumb ligament injury or following surgery. Perfect for those with injuries who don’t want a heavy plaster cast. • The Wrist Brace with Thumb Splint has a strong but lightweight plastic shell and splint that protects and immobilises the wrist and thumb just as well as an old-fashioned plaster cast. The difference is the wrist brace is easier to wear and can be removed to allow the user to wash it or carry out supervised exercises. It also has two dual stabilisers above and below the wrist, that are designed to support the wrist and prevent movement. Adjustable Velcro straps ensure a personalised fit.
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EXAMPLE of how to apply back support • To apply the Neo G stabilised back brace, firstly place the back brace around your waist with the straps facing forward. • Once the brace is around your body, fasten the back brace with the two-part system that features an elasticated lacing mechanism which cinches around the lumbar area with power straps. • Finally, use the elasticated lacing mechanism to select the desired level of compression and support.
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EXAMPLE of how to apply shoulder support: • To use the Neo G shoulder support place the support over your shoulder and wrap the strap under your opposite arm. Attach the end to the metal clip on the other side of the support. • Once the support is in place, attach the adjustable straps on the affected shoulder on the bicep area. • Finally, adjust the straps for the desired level of compression and support.
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EXAMPLE of how to use elbow support: • To use this Mueller Adjustable Elbow Support, firstly open the straps and to expose the inside of the support. • Next, simply slide your injured elbow in to the brace until it sits evenly over the area. • Finally use the adjustable straps to find your optimum compression level, every arm is different, so it’s important to find what’s right for yours.
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Common injuries Pain in your back? It could be this common injury: Herniated Disc A herniated disc, or ‘slipped disc’ occurs most commonly in the lumbar spine, or lower back and is one of the most common causes of back pain or problems. Repeated overuse during bending, lifting, and sporting activities can lead to degeneration of the outer layer of the disc, which allows the gel-like centre of the disc to prolapse out. This presses against structures in the back that can cause back pain and even Sciatica (pain down back of the legs). The acute back pain normally lasts for a few days after which normal activities should be encouraged as much as possible, and a supervised rehabilitation programme normally allows a return to sport after 6 to 12 months.
Pain in your shoulder? It could be this common injury: Dislocated Shoulder A dislocated shoulder is a common shoulder injury in contact sports such as rugby and martial arts. It is characterised by severe shoulder pain and hospital treatment is required to restore normal shoulder function. Active physical therapy rehabilitation is usually started after two to three weeks immobilisation in a sling. The goals of physiotherapy treatment for a dislocated shoulder are to restore shoulder stability by strengthening the rotator cuff muscles, before increasing range of movement. Common dislocated shoulder symptoms can include pain, loss of movement, needing to hold the arm to the chest or the normal rounded appearance of the shoulder may appear more ‘squared-off’.
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Common injuries Most common knee injuries/’The Usual suspects’: Pain in your elbow? It could be this common injury: Golfer’s Elbow Golfer’s elbow (also known as medial epicondylitis) is characterised by inner elbow pain which can radiate down the forearm. There is also elbow pain if the elbow is straight and the hand is moved forward and back at the wrist. Golfer’s Elbow tends to be caused by prolonged gripping activities and, despite the name, this common cause of elbow pain doesn’t just affect golfers. Treating golfers elbow usually requires a course of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) prescribed by a GP and a period of rest from activities that may aggravate the injury. Ice therapy is excellent for relieving the pain of golfer’s elbow. Once the initial elbow pain has settled, supervised strengthening exercises for golfer’s elbow can completely clear up the problem.
Pain in your wrist? It could be this common injury: Broken Wrist A broken wrist commonly occurs following a fall on an outstretched hand. A scaphoid fracture is the most common fracture of the wrist region (a colles fracture is the other common type of wrist fracture). The scaphoid is one of the eight small carpal bones that make up the wrist. A fractured scaphoid will be painful, but the wrist may not be swollen. If a wrist fracture is suspected the patient should be taken to an accident and emergency department without delay. Rehabilitation begins by maintaining the range of movement in the shoulder, fingers and thumb on the side of the broken wrist while it is in plaster or brace. This prevents secondary stiffness in these areas and helps to resolve swelling in the wrist.
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