Tip Tuesday!
- backtalkssg
- Jun 8, 2021
- 3 min read
Hello everyone! Today I am starting a series called 'tip Tuesday' where every Tuesday I will be posting tips and tricks to living life with scoliosis. These are tips that I have learned over the years and that have personally worked for myself. Today I will be addressing tips for wearing a brace.
For a little bit of background info, I was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 9 and wore a Milwaukee brace for about a year and a half to help slow the progression of my curves. This brace fit my entire torso and also had two metal bars around my neck because my head was slightly off centered. The metal bars were there so my head did not go too far off centered due to my scoliosis. The picture below is similar to what mine looked like, I will try to find a picture of my exact brace.
I quickly learned how awkward and uncomfortable this brace was and how long it took to get used to it. It took some time to get used to the brace but I did learn a few tips to make it more comfortable. I have created a little PDF handout of my tips that is attached below but I have described them below!
Wear a tight, seamless tank top or shirt underneath the brace. This helps prevent the brace from rubbing directly on the skin by providing a layer between your skin and the brace. The brace may also rub on any seams on the sides of the tank/shirt which can cause extra irritation.
In addition, make sure the layer between the skin and the brace is a breathable material to avoid excess moisture buildup underneath the brace. Shirts made of cotton are a good option or even polyester which is typically used more in workout wear.
Make sure the shirt underneath the brace lies just below the brace. You do not want it to end right where the brace ends or above the brace because that can cause extra friction on the skin.
Wear loose, flowy shirts on top of the brace to help hide it. This can include loose tank tops and shirts, cardigans, dresses, and sweaters.
Depending on the type of brace, and how you like your clothes to fit, you may need to go up a size in tops to fit over your brace. If your brace is a little bulky like mine was, you may need to go one size up in tops so it fits over the brace. This will also make the shirts more flowy over the brace which I think helps to conceal it. However, if you are comfortable showing your brace and with your shirt being tight on your brace then go for it!
Wear the brace when shopping so you can see how clothes will look and fit over your brace. Again, you may need to size up in certain style shirts so having it while you're shopping can help to know which size to get.
Avoid wearing many layers on top of your brace. I did this because I wanted to hide it as much as possible but now that I look back at pictures I think it makes me look even more bulky. Wearing multiple layers under and over the brace can also be hot in the summer so wearing one flowy shirt overtop might feel and look better.
Wear bottoms with a thinner waistband such as leggings, athletic pants, or skirts (when possible). This can be more comfortable underneath the brace rather than having a bulky waistband right underneath the brace. You could also try wearing high waisted pants over the brace if they fit. Again, make sure the top of your pants do not lie right at the bottom of your brace as this can cause friction.
Make sure to check your skin daily for redness or sores. Redness should not last more than 30 min after removing your brace. If redness persists, you may need to see your orthotist for adjustments as it could be rubbing.
Bathe daily or every other day to keep the skin underneath the brace clean, especially in the summer when you may sweat more underneath the brace. Also make sure your skin is completely dry before putting the brace back on.
These are 10 things I learned from wearing a brace for a year and a half. If you have any other tips please share them below in the comments! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself directly, ask below in the comments, or ask on the community forum page.
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