This is probably one of the most commonly used scoliosis braces throughout the United States, it had been invented in the seventy's by two doctors associated with the Boston Children Hospital. The word term TLSO means Thoraco-Lumbo-Sacral-Orthosis but it was also commonly called as the Boston Brace. Initially the purpose of these braces were to completely eliminate the usage of metallic structures and to make it more comfortable and less visible through clothing. TLSO Braces are typically made form a hard and sturdy plastic material called polyethylene, they are made to be worn around the rib cage, lower back and the hips so the pressure is applied at three points along the spinal cord to give optimum support. It works by flexing the lumbar area which flattens the posterior curve and the strategically placed pads press against the curve to relieve pain.
One of the most common braces for treating thoracic problems of the mid back, the Milwaukee Brace extends all the way from the neck to the pelvis. This braces has been made from specially molded plastic, it consists of a pelvic girdle at the lower and a neck ring at the upper side which is connected with metal bars at both the front and back. It effectively extends the entire length of the torso while keeping the neck and head centered perfectly over the pelvis with the help of the metal bars. Further, the doctor strategically places a few pressure pads to correct the patients curve.
It is one of the modern braces which was initially developed in Milwaukee in 1945, over the years there have been a lot of modifications to the original design which was then changed to the current design in the year 1975. Since then, the other more effective options started to emerge and the use of these braces steadily declined, however, sometimes doctors still prescribe the Milwaukee Braces for certain types of curves which are usually located quite high in the spine.
These are typically custom molded for thoraco-lumbo-sacral orthosis, it is a total contact brace which has been made from an extremely lightweight plastic known as Orthoplast. It can be easily worn just like any jacket with a front closure and highly adjustable velcro straps. These are prescribed by the doctors only in rare or exceptional cases where the curve is seen to be lesser than 1cm, the average follow up for these braces is two years.
During the day people may not be able to maintain discipline in wearing the prescribed spinal braces, for this reason some of the orthopedic doctors have created a traditional brace with a much stronger curve correction force. This modification to the brace has significantly decreased the wearing time to just 8 to 10 hours, it specially made to be worn at night while sleeping because of its over-corrective position. Another reason to choose these type of braces is to avoid social embarrassment and self-image issues which are quite serious with children.
However, these braces have a downside and some patients have reported of being uncomfortable because of the over-corrective stretch, and few patients have also reported morning soreness. In some rare cases the over stretching has even cause the spine curve to worsen, hence most of the doctors today rarely consider these effective.
This is a modified nighttime brace which has been made to give to maximum correction without discomfort, instead of the earlier method where the spin was bent, these braces work by applying direct pressure onto the curves to straighten them. Studies has reflected that they are not very effective in treating major spinal curves, however, the research has advised its usage for minor curves.
As the name suggest, these spinal braces are similar to the corsets worn by women. However, these corrective braces are much more comfortable that the typical corsets. They are most prescribed to people having lower back problems and other spinal degenerative diseases and deformities, made from common materials like cotton and nylon adds the comfort and breathability. They are quite effective in De-weighting the spine by compressing the abdomen, most of these corsets are made to have a custom fit according to the patients needs.
These are quickly becoming popular because of its comfortable custom fitting, there are many corset braces available today but the most recommended ones is called Knight-Taylor braces.
These are typical corset braces with extremely effective lateral and posterior support, the addition shoulder straps also work in reduce any lateral bends or extensions. Compared to all the other braces this one emerges as the most popular and even the most comfortable, the effectiveness depends completely on the measurements and application of these corsets which are decided by the prescribing doctor.
Due to the risk of further increasing the spinal injury, doctors today like to prescribe these low risk and comfortable braces to most of their patients instead of the over-corrective braces. So, if you are looking for a spinal braces or rigid TLSO braces, these Knight-Taylor braces would be an ideal choice because of their custom fitting. The effectiveness directly dependent on how well-tailored it is, there are specialists who can make the perfect fitting corset braces.