Wearing a brace

When the choice of treatment is for you to wear a brace, it is to ensure the vertebrae (bones) in your spine have time to heal and to avoid them collapsing. It will also help to reduce pain. The expected time you need to wear the brace is a minimum of three months. This may be longer depending on your imaging results. In the beginning you will need to wear the brace at all times except at night. We encourage you to walk as much as pain allows. You will also be given some very simple exercises from the physiotherapist to ensure that you still activate the muscles in your trunk, legs, buttocks and arms. This is to avoid your muscles getting too weak while in the brace. The brace is fitted by the orthotists and they will explain how to put in on, take it off and how to look after the brace.

When the doctors can see that your bones are getting more stable, you will start to reduce how much you wear the brace. Your doctor, nurse or physiotherapist will advise you.

Depending on how long you have worn the brace for, you may need an exercise programme to strengthen up again, which the physiotherapist will help you with.

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