From this article you will learn: how to choose a posture corrector for a child and an adult, what is the principle of operation of the corrector and what are the rules for its use.
Poor posture occurs in a person when his own muscle corset is weakened and does not function properly. Posture correctors and reclinators are special orthopedic products that help accustom the spine to a physiologically correct position, as well as correct existing deformations and curvatures.
How does a posture corrector work?
The design of the corrector consists of rings or belts - straps that cover the shoulder joints in front, and are crossed in a figure eight at the back at the level of the shoulder blades. From the back, they can cover only the thoracic spine or the entire back. Corrector models are made of elastic fabric. To enhance the intensity of the impact, rigid inserts (polyurethane or metal ribs) are used, which exert pressure on the curved areas of the back.
Orthopedic lumbosacral corsets
Man is a mobile creature; in order to maintain the necessary energy balance and maintain health and good physical shape, he needs to move actively.
But, unfortunately, the modern lifestyle often contradicts the achievement of the desired results. Most professions require you to spend a lot of time in an office chair, standing on your feet, or driving a car. Technological progress has led to the automation of work, and consequently to the rapid growth in the number of sedentary jobs and sedentary pastimes, such as watching TV, online games and viewing social networks.
Physical inactivity
– this is an insufficient amount of physical activity relative to the recommended level.
What can physical inactivity lead to?
With a long stay in a static position, whether sitting, lying or standing, the shock-absorbing properties of the spine noticeably deteriorate, muscle tissue atrophies and loses its former elasticity.
Such changes inevitably lead to muscle spasms, frequent muscle inflammation, salt and calcium accumulation in the intermuscular spaces, and swelling. Consequently, blood microcirculation is disrupted. Lack of normal blood circulation is the main cause of pain and discomfort in various parts of the spine.
If you look at it, it turns out that it is not so much the fact of sedentary work that is harmful, but rather a long stay in an incorrect position.
Difficult physical work
Lifting heavy objects, standing for long periods of time, and chronic stress can also lead to deterioration of the muscle tissue in the lumbosacral spine.
Often these circumstances lead to a “block” of the intervertebral joints. In this condition, the back muscles are in a state of painful spasm, which greatly reduces motor activity, and sometimes completely immobilizes.
How to help your back?
A properly selected orthopedic corset can be a salvation in situations where it is not possible to radically change your lifestyle, and chronic pain and discomfort interfere with normal life.
The corset fixes and supports the spine in the correct physiological position, reduces the load on the back and tones the muscles.
What is a lumbar corset?
All corsets are an orthopedic device for fixing the lower back, made of breathable, elastic fabric with special stiffening ribs and tightening straps. The main difference between a bandage and an orthosis is the degree of rigidity and fixation: the bandage is elastic and gently fixes and supports the back during routine activities and work. Orthoses block mobility and are most often worn for serious back injuries.
What functions does the corset perform?
- fixes the lumbar spine
- used for the purpose of complex treatment and prevention in the postoperative and post-traumatic period
- relieves pain in the lumbosacral spine
- minimizes discomfort, pain and stress during myositis, osteochondrosis, osteoarthrosis
- used as a hernia bandage
- reduces the load on the lumbar spine
- used after manual therapy and therapeutic exercises
- supports the spine during physical and sports activities
- increases muscle tone
- relieves the spine from performing the function of support by reducing loads
- eliminates back muscle dysfunction
- stabilizes the position of the vertebrae during movement
How to choose the right orthopedic corset?
Choose the desired degree of rigidity and support
The rigidity of the corset and the degree of fixation directly depends on the severity of the problem to be solved.
A rigid orthopedic corset is necessary for:
- severe pain
- muscle spasms
- stiffness in movements
- diagnosed intervertebral hernia
- postoperative and post-traumatic rehabilitation
- acute, shooting pain in the lumbosacral region (lumbago) facet syndrome
The required size and type of orthosis is selected exclusively by a traumatologist, taking into account the results of radiography and medical history.
It is strictly not recommended to select such a device yourself; this can not only reduce the effectiveness of the product, but also cause harm!
A semi-rigid orthopedic corset is necessary for:
- Acute and chronic pain in the lumbosacral spine due to:
- severe radiculitis, radicular syndrome
- osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine
- hernias and protrusions of intervertebral discs
- vertebral displacements (spondylolisthesis)
- sacroiliitis
- rehabilitation after injuries and surgeries on the lumbar spine
An orthopedic corset gently supports the spinal column in a physiologically correct position, evenly distributing the load and relieving tension.
Effective as an auxiliary support device during prolonged and intense physical activity, during sports, and during prolonged stay in a static position. An orthopedic corset with suspenders is necessary for:
- regular and prolonged physical activity on the back
- having to bend over frequently
- when lifting heavy weights
Such a corset can be used as needed; it can be easily unfastened during rest and quickly fixed before starting the load.
Women's orthopedic corset
Designed taking into account the anatomical features and lines of the female body. Women's corsets perform all the functions of semi-rigid orthopedic corsets, carefully protect the health of the female back and support during physical activity, such as:
- work in the garden
- activities and games with children
- active cleaning
- and so on.
A warming corset belt is necessary for:
- due to exacerbation of radiculitis
- osteochondrosis
- rheumatism
- minor back muscle strain
The warming belt is designed to warm the lumbar part of the human body in conditions of high humidity, drafts and low temperatures.
It has many medicinal properties: helps reduce pain in rheumatism and radiculitis, ensures normal body heat exchange, regulates humidity, and is very wear-resistant.
Neoprene belt is used for:
- increasing the intensity of sweating during physical activity in order to reduce the volume of the waist and abdomen
This is a wide strip of neoprene, a material used to make diving suits, car seat covers and orthopedic braces. This type of belt should be worn during physical exercise to ensure that you sweat profusely in the desired area.
How to choose the size of an orthopedic corset?
The support corset must be selected in accordance with the anatomical characteristics of the person.
Before you start choosing a model, you should familiarize yourself with the manufacturer's size tables. To avoid mistakes, you should measure your waist and hip circumference before choosing your size. Measurements should be taken on a naked body and immediately before purchase.
To select the correct orthopedic bandage, it is also important to take into account your height. The lower part of the corset should be fixed on the pelvic bones, and the upper part should go over the ribs. The corset must fit correctly, the ends of the corset must be difficult to fix when under tension.
Contraindications to the use of an orthopedic corset:
It has no absolute contraindications. Relative contraindications (consultation with a specialist or doctor is required):
- complicated spinal injuries with spinal cord damage
- the need for customized spinal orthosis
- the presence of contact dermatitis, trophic ulcers and bedsores in the area of application of the orthopedic corset;
- allergic reaction to the materials from which the product is made;
- individual intolerance, pustular infection, open skin lesions, local dermatitis of various natures
It is not recommended to wear a corset after applying warming ointments and creams to the skin.
Operating principle (how the corrector works)
The posture corrector straightens your back, pulls your shoulders back and brings your shoulder blades together. Thus, correct posture is formed or restored; the corrector helps to develop it. The load on the spine is reduced, and back pain is reduced. You feel your posture straighten out and the feeling of stooping disappears. This muscle memory stereotype remains even after the corset is removed. In the future, you will want to remain in a position with a straight back even without a corrector. This pose persists and becomes familiar.
How to wear a corset correctly?
Depending on the type of supporting device, the scheme of its use differs. Thus, support corsets are worn for 2 hours a day during the first week. In the future, every week the time of wearing the corset is increased by one hour. The maximum time you can use the corset per day is 6 hours. This therapy lasts for 2-4 months. Then the time of its use begins to be gradually reduced: by one hour, every 10 days. After which they refuse to use the support device altogether. If the patient’s posture begins to deteriorate again, the next course of treatment lasts 2 months. In this case, the corset is worn for 4 hours a day.
If a corrective corset was chosen for the treatment of scoliosis, the process of adaptation to the device takes 21 days. They wear it for two hours, then take a break for two hours, after which they put it on again. This pattern continues throughout the day. The time of wearing the device is gradually increased, bringing it up to a day. If your doctor allows it, you can remove the corset for several hours a day to give your body a rest. At this time, a person can relax, visit a massage therapist or perform hygiene measures.
Basic rules for wearing corsets for scoliosis, regardless of the type of device:
- The corset cannot be worn on a naked body. There should always be either a shirt or a tight-fitting T-shirt underneath.
- While wearing the structure, lifting heavy objects is prohibited.
- You should get used to the corset gradually.
- While wearing the device, you should regularly visit your doctor to monitor the therapy.
- You should stop wearing a corset gradually.
What types of posture correctors are there?
Posture correctors are divided according to the degree of fixation: medium and strong. Models with a medium degree of fixation are needed for moderate curvatures, juvenile osteochondropathy, “flaccid” posture with poorly developed muscles, and pain syndrome due to osteochondrosis. Strong fixation models are prescribed in severe cases of spinal deformities, with rapidly progressing forms of scoliosis/kyphosis.
Supportive correctors and recliners without rigid inserts are suitable for getting rid of mild stoop. Serve to maintain correct physiological posture and prevent scoliosis. Corrective reclinators are used for the treatment and correction of diagnosed (established) spinal pathology.
Correctors are also divided according to the patient’s age – into adults and children.
Need for use
If you start using a corset, the load on your back muscles is reduced. With its help, muscle tissue tries to independently regulate the position of the back. When wearing a corset, a person experiences discomfort if he begins to slouch. Therefore, he tries to automatically keep his back straight.
The use of a corset cannot be the only method of therapy. An integrated approach to treatment is used. This could be medications, various sports, swimming, massage.
It is especially important to start using a corset in childhood, since it is at this time that correct posture is formed. Parents need to know how to choose the right posture corrector
.
Many children, when they come to school, begin to slouch due to constant sitting at a desk, carrying a heavy backpack or bag over one shoulder. The back condition gradually worsens, reaching a peak in adolescence. An orthopedist will tell you how to choose a posture corrector for a teenager. The brace will help them keep their back aligned throughout the school day.
Types of Posture Corsets
There are three types of devices that can be used to improve posture.
- Chest bandage
. Designed for children from 4 years old and adults. Used to correct posture in the thoracic area. Helps eliminate asymmetry. The maximum width of the device is from 4 to 11 vertebrae. If necessary, stiffeners can be added. If additional adjustments are required to the shoulders, add top straps. The bandage is selected depending on the circumference of the chest. If it sits weakly, the disease cannot be corrected; if it sits too tightly, the curvature will develop faster.
- Reclinator
. Used to prevent spinal curvature or its initial stage. Suitable for adults and children. Using it, you can achieve shoulder separation. The device is made in the shape of a figure eight. Its middle part is located on the spine, and the edges of the eights capture the shoulders. Depending on the degree of stoop, soft or hard loops can be used. The service life of the device is 3-4 months, after this time the loops weaken.
- Thoracolumbar fixator
. This is a device that combines a chest bandage and a reclinator. It is long, so it covers part of the lower back. The device corrects uneven shoulder blades, scoliosis, kyphosis or lordosis of 1st and 2nd degree. It includes a semi-rigid corset and a shoulder recliner. The corset is fixed on the stomach using Velcro. Therefore, you can choose the most suitable diameter.
Each corset has its own areas of application. Therefore, before purchasing, you should consult your doctor to find out which posture corrector to choose.
Functions of posture corsets
If you use the corset throughout the therapy, the following effects will appear:
- shoulder tightening;
- elimination of spinal asymmetry;
- fixing the shoulder blades in the desired position;
- muscle girdle support;
- elimination of kyphosis and lordosis to moderate severity;
- prevention and treatment of spinal curvature.
A corset may not help with all diseases, for example, with a high degree of scoliosis. In this case, they will find out what kind of corset is possible for scoliosis, what the degree of the disease should be.
Selection rules
When choosing a device, you must follow some rules on how to choose the right posture corset in order to prevent or correct curvature.
- A preliminary consultation with a doctor who will help you choose a model depending on the diagnosis and will tell you how to choose a posture corset for an adult or child.
- Reclinators are more suitable for prevention, and for treatment – chest bandage
or thoracolumbar brace.
- If the patient has a serious degree of spinal damage or is in the rehabilitation period after surgery, it is recommended to add stiffeners.
- To make the corset fit better on the back, shoulder straps are added. This way it won't slide off.
- Selection of quality fabric. The main component should be cotton. Elastic components are added to it so that the corset can stretch. When using it, no allergic reactions should occur, the skin should breathe. The use of high-quality materials is one of the important points in how to choose a posture corrector for an adult or child.
- Before going to the store, you should measure all the parameters of your torso so as not to choose a corset that is too large or small. A person will know which posture corrector to buy.
A corset is an orthopedic device that helps correct spinal curvature. It is used in complex therapy with other treatment methods. You need to know how to choose a corset for posture so that a person does not experience allergic reactions, chafing on the skin, or deterioration in well-being during its use.
Is it possible to buy a posture corrector yourself?
The question “Do I need a posture corrector, and which one should I choose?” — address to an orthopedist or vertebrologist. You cannot make such decisions on your own. Wearing concealer without a good reason can have the opposite effect and cause harm to yourself. The back will get used to the support, the muscle “corset” will weaken, the muscles will stop working as expected and will begin to atrophy. In the future, you simply will not be able to do without a corrector; you will suffer from chronic back pain.
Important! Children use a posture corrector STRICTLY as prescribed by a doctor! Do not use a posture corrector for preventive purposes!
The benefits of wearing a corset
Thanks to the use of a corset for scoliosis, the following positive aspects can be achieved:
- Stop further development of the disease.
- Develop a strong skill of holding the spine in the correct position.
- Stretch your spine if necessary.
- Improve the functioning of internal organs, in particular the lungs and heart.
- Relieve back muscles that are hypertonic.
Despite the fact that corsets for scoliosis can have a pronounced therapeutic effect, their use may be contraindicated for some patients. For example, they cannot be worn for diseases of a dermatological nature, when the skin requires regular care and treatment. Friction of the corset can lead to aggravation of the existing pathology. Therefore, before you decide to purchase a corset to correct your posture and treat scoliosis, you should consult your doctor.
Features of scoliosis 1 degree in children and adolescents
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that is localized in the lumbar, thoracic or cervical region and can be directed either to the left or to the right.
• It has been noted that grade 1 scoliosis in children and adolescents most often occurs with curvature of the spine to the right side. • Scoliosis of the 1st degree with curvature of the spine to the right side in children most often occurs in the thoracic region, it is less painful than the lumbar region.
Exercise therapy
Physical exercise plays a major role in the treatment of first-degree scoliosis. They help strengthen muscles and stabilize the development of the spinal column. But it is worth keeping in mind that overloads can have a negative effect; they increase the instability of the motion segments and lead to progression of the deformity.
The principles of physical therapy are based on an individual approach to each patient. The greatest effect of exercise therapy is observed at the initial stage of scoliosis.
Exercises are selected by a physical therapy doctor; the purpose of the exercises is to strengthen muscles and correct curvature. Physical rehabilitation techniques in a large percentage of cases lead to an improvement in the configuration of the spine. In addition, it is recommended to perform respiratory exercises, swim and go for a massage.
Is grade 1 scoliosis dangerous in children and does it need to be treated?
Scoliosis of the 1st degree can be dangerous for the child’s health in the future - with the progression of this disease. That is why the first symptoms of scoliosis, which the parents themselves noticed in their child, or were discovered by a doctor during a medical examination, should not be ignored.
How often should I take my child to an orthopedic doctor?
Due to the fact that the child is growing rapidly, pathological changes in the spine can also increase rapidly. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a doctor 2-3 times a year. This will help the specialist assess the dynamics of scoliosis development and take timely measures to diagnose and correct the treatment of the disease.
Parents should not forget to monitor the child’s correct posture during games, activities, while sitting and standing, and also to properly organize the sleeping area, with an even and fairly hard mattress and a low pillow.
Signs and symptoms of grade 1 scoliosis in children and adolescents
During a clinical examination by a doctor and an X-ray of the spine, the deviation of the spine from the normal axis can be measured - with scoliosis of the 1st degree, this deviation will be no more than 10 degrees. This degree of scoliosis is also characterized by initial degree torsion.
What signs and symptoms indicate the presence of grade 1 scoliosis in a child?
1. Noticeable asymmetry of the child’s shoulders, a little less often – asymmetry of the pelvis. 2. The child’s stoop, incorrect posture. 3. Lumbar scoliosis can manifest as asymmetry around the child’s waist. 4. Increased lordosis. 5. When lying on the stomach, the curvature and asymmetry disappear; when the child gets up, they appear again.