Closer Look At Wearing and Caring for Your Back Brace

A doctor helping a patient who is suffering from scoliosis with how to wear a back brace.

Minimally invasive surgery isn’t always the best choice for patients with scoliosis. Many patients with mild degrees of abnormal spine curvatures may only need to wear a custom-fitted back brace while their bodies are still growing. Compliance is important to get the most benefit out of your back brace. Before leaving your fitting appointment, be sure to discuss with the spine doctor exactly how you should wear and care for your back brace.

Wearing Schedule

It can be helpful to begin wearing the brace in short increments to become accustomed to it. For example, on the first day, you might wear the brace for two hours. Increase your wearing time each day by increments of two hours until you are wearing the brace for the full amount of time prescribed by your spine doctor.

Comfort Level

The brace can feel awkward at first, but you’ll quickly get used to it. You may need to purchase looser-fitting clothing to wear over the brace. Inform your doctor if the brace continues to be uncomfortable; adjustments may be needed.

Brace Care

Store diluted rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Once daily, spray the inner surfaces of the brace evenly. Wipe off any excess liquid with a clean cloth. The rubbing alcohol should dry very quickly. You can wipe the hard shell with a damp cloth and mild soap, but do not saturate the brace.

Skin Care

Bathe and check your skin every day. It’s normal for some reddened areas to develop on your skin, but these should dissipate within 30 minutes of removing the brace. Check with your doctor if the redness lingers and report any areas of skin irritation or sores. Initially, avoid applying lotions and creams to your torso because this can encourage skin breakdown. During hot weather, you can apply a light dusting of cornstarch to the skin. Additionally, your doctor will likely recommend that you wear a tight-fitting, 100% cotton undershirt under the brace. The undershirt should not have seams along the sides, only in the back where the brace is open.

Scoliosis is just one of the spinal deformities we can treat here at the Spine Institute of Nevada. Our spine doctors serving Las Vegas take a patient-centered approach to care and they pride themselves on offering extensive patient education. To discuss solutions for your spine problems, give us a call today at 702-239-3787.