ibcrhealth org

When one hears the word “brace” most people would think that is has something to do with the dental tool installed in a person’s teeth to correct the alignment of the teeth. However in, orthotics, brace is the term used to aid or to treat the recovery of a musculoskeletal injury. Whenever people experience a bad fall, a break or a smash which affects the bones and the muscles that particular body part is damaged and will hence need care so that the body can recover from the injury. The installation of the orthotic brace to the body of an injured person requires a lot more than just putting it in place. An injured muscle or bones is so fragile that it cannot be bumped or needs to be held in place so that it will come back to its healthy state. A doctor will have to consider various sciences such as pathophysiology, anatomy, mathematics and engineering in order to come up with a brace that could correct and treat the injury.

This orthotic brace will be the one to guide and control the joints while the muscle or bone is still injured and cannot function on its own. It assists in the movement and in aligning the shape of the injured body part so that movements will not be as painful as expected. Orthotic devices vary depending on the part of the body which was injured.

According to physiatrist Dr. Mary Kneiser, there are two types of braces that can be used for the upper body. Static orthoses is the brace that do not allow movement and gives sturdy supports for fractures and inflamed tendons. For weak muscle correction, the functional or dynamic orthoses is used for a free or limited motion. Braces are made from plastic or composite materials which can be easily molded according to the injury of the patient. Dr. Mary Kneiser says that it is required that if a person is inquired, he or she must only consult with a doctor for the type of brace that he will need. There are a lotof sizes, shapes and types of braces which are determined by the body part or type of injury that was encountered. Body parts which need braces when fractured are spine, legs, hands, arms, knees, wrists, and feet. As one will notice, there are the body parts which have joints that need to be corrected so the joint can recover and function regularly.

Dr. Mary Kneiser is a physiatrist specializing in musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory and neurological functions through physical medicine and rehabilitation. She has over twenty years of experience in helping patients recover from accidents that leads to temporary or permanent industry in getting back with their old lives despite the injury or incapacity.