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On the left is my first brace from
when I was 8 years old, if you look at the back view of the brace
you can see three straps these are made from Velcro, and go through the metal loop
to the right and are pulled really tight.
When I go and see Mike, he checks out how my brace is fitting and how I am
doing. When I first got the brace, I had to go a few times to get everything
adjusted.
The larger Brace is about my fourth brace to be made so this shows you how much
I grown.
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| Does the
brace hurt?
No, not really. But
sometimes I get hot and itchy. I wear a Tee shirt /vest under it to keep it from
rubbing against my skin. But sometimes wearing a Tee shirt/vest, my brace, and
then regular shirt, it gets hot! |
| Are there
activities you are not allowed to do?
"Yes"
gymnastics, because I twist and turn too much. |
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Goal:
To wear the brace 20/23 hours a day by 8 to 10 weeks. This will require help
from a loved one.
1. Your brace must be put on correctly.
2. Skin
must be looked after to stop it from getting red and sore.
3. Your brace must be kept clean.
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Having the
Brace put on:
To put the brace
on proper really takes two people, the wearer and the helper. Always wear an
undershirt under the brace with your underpants going over the brace.
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Some simple
steps for you to follow:
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Wearer stands up and your helper stands
behind you while holding the brace in their left hand.
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Your helper then puts the brace in front of the wearer
with opening at the back.
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Your helper then reaches around the wearer and spreads
the brace wide enough so that wearer can then step into the brace.
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Please make sure you have all the straps outside the
plastic module.
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The opening should be in the middle of the back so that
the bumps down the spine and the crease between the buttocks are halfway
between each edge.
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Bend your hips and knees by about 45 degrees. The brace
will not fit properly if you don’t. The wearer then holds hands on hips and
with hands on “hips” of the brace, push down on the brace, so that the
sausage-shaped pads on the inside of the brace fit above the hip bone.
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Very important make sure there are no
wrinkles in the undershirt. Wrinkles can cause sores on your
body as well as being very uncomfortable.
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The straps must be pulled tightly as possible by your
helper, then the helper threads the straps through the buckles to fasten.
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Skin care:
The skin under
the brace needs to be toughened. The skin can become very red, and raw.
Following these steps may help prevent that.
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Bath or
shower daily.
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Rub surgical
spirit to all parts of the skin the brace covers; this will help toughen your skin.
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Always wear a
cotton undershirt (without seams), it’s good idea to turn the shirt inside out so you don’t have the seams pressing on your skin.
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Observe the
skin.
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Never wear
brace loosely, this will only cause more skin problems for you by rubbing on the skin.
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| STAGE 1: Try To wear the brace for 6 hours.
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Apply the brace properly and wear
it for around 2 hours. Take it off and check your skin, give your body some skin care by
putting the surgical spirit on to your skin.
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If the skin is pink, put the brace back on for 2 more
hours then check the skin again. Do this again for half hour then put on
again.
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If your skin is looking red or sore, the brace must be
left off for about an hour and then put on again.
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If you are still at school like me you can easily do
this after school.
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Do this for the next 2/3 weeks.
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| STAGE 2: Lets try and keep it on for 10 hours.
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If you have managed stage one then you are ready to move
on to next stage. This can be a little difficult to accomplish during a school
day so try doing this over the weekend.
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Start by putting brace on for 4 hours. Then check
the skin and give some skin care. Put brace back on and in 2 hours check the
skin. Repeat this every 2 hours until you have worn the brace for 10 hours.
This stage can last a few days. Move on to stage 3 when you are comfortable to
do so.
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