Orthopedic Supplies & Supports - Support Belts, Braces, Wraps & Compression

Discover the Benefits of Orthopedic Supports

When you have arthritis, muscle strains, ligament or tendon tears, or other problems with your muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and bones, every aspect of your life suffers. You may have trouble doing simple things around the house, such as bending to tie your shoes or reaching to get an item off a high shelf. Orthopedics is an area of medicine that aims to provide relief from these issues.

Orthopedic supports are products that help you achieve and maintain proper body posture and positioning in order to prevent problems or prevent the problem you already have from getting worse. Read on to learn about orthopedics and how orthopedic products can help you get back to all the activities you want and need to do.

Defining Orthopedics

Orthopedics is a medical specialty that involves the health, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of muscle and skeletal disorders, conditions, and injuries. An orthopedics physician typically helps patients who have a wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, or ankle problems.

Orthopedics also involves several sub-specialties, such as hand and sports medicine. When you have a problem with your musculoskeletal system, you'll experience pain, stiffness, loss of range of motion, and difficulty with movement. Orthopedics also includes the devices used to support your body and reduce the discomfort you experience.

Benefits of Orthopedic Supports

Orthopedic supports take some pressure off your inflamed, stiff, swollen, irritated, or damaged soft tissues, joints and bones. They keep the affected area in a safe, protected position in order to reduce the risk of worsening the problem. Orthopedic supports also help you maintain proper posture, which reduces excess stress and force on sore and painful areas of your body.

Orthopedic support doesn't cause any side effects and won't interfere with other medications or treatments you receive. You can use it alone or as part of conservative treatment for an injury, arthritis, or other problem in your musculoskeletal system. The supports can also be used along with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium. Your physician or physical therapist may recommend orthopedic supports between therapy sessions or exercise sessions.

If your musculoskeletal problem is aggravated by doing certain activities, wearing an orthopedic support device while you do those activities could prevent a worsening of the inflammation and pain. Your doctor may recommend the use of orthopedic supports while you sleep. If your problem has interfered with your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep or wake up feeling well-rested, the orthopedic support may help.

Types of Orthopedic Supports

There are many types of orthopedic supports that could help relieve your pain and protect you against worse inflammation and injury to your musculoskeletal system. It's important to get properly fitted for a brace or support. Wearing the wrong size or wrong type may not provide the relief you need.

Cushions are popular orthopedic support options. There are specialty cushions for different parts of the body. A coccyx cushion relieves pain and pressure on your tailbone. If your neck and shoulders ache, a stomach sleeper orthopedic pillow allows you to sleep face-down without irritating your neck or straining your shoulders.

Braces are among the most commonly used orthopedic support devices. They're available in men's and women's sizes. They're designed for specific parts of the body, such as the wrist, elbow, back, knee, or ankle. They can be made of rigid plastics or soft materials.

The rigid braces keep your skeletal system in proper alignment. The soft braces offer protection and cushioning. Both types limit your range of motion, much like a cast. However, they're easier to remove when you need to bathe or go to physical therapy.

Braces reduce stress on particular joints. They also prevent joints from slipping out of place. For example, they prevent ankle inversion when you're walking on an unstable joint. Knee braces redistribute the stress and weight on the joint with each step you take.