Medical Braces & Supplies

What Are Medical Braces And Why Are They Used

Here at Evergreen we utilize medical braces for the treatment of our patients in various ways.some of the uses are:

• To stop limbs or joints from moving for a certain period of time. We do this because it is very important when attempting to heal specific body parts that could be hurt or cause harm if moved
• For restricting or for assisting the bodies movement such as taking weight off of injured joints or muscles
• In order to correct the body parts function or shape to improve that part of the body’s mobility
• Patients who have suffered bone fractures or breaks can be recommended a medical brace in order to speed up musculoskeletal rehabilitation.

Types Of Medical Braces

Here at Evergreen Rehab and Wellness in our Coquitlam/Lougheed offices our experts have grouped our medical braces are generally into two categories. We do this for both ease of service and to ensure our patients have the same quality of device regardless of location. Our categories broadly described as the upper limbs and lower limbs. Upper limb braces are used to define the medical braces affecting the shoulders, collarbones, arms, back, hands and wrists. Our Lower limb braces are those that affect the feet, ankles, legs and knees. For more information on our quality tested medical braces please click on any of the following (each of the following should be a link or drop down menu for further information)

• Lower back (lumbar) brace
• Knee brace
• Ankle brace
• Compression socks
• Wrist brace

Lower Back/Lumbar Brace

lower back braces are utilized as an effective treatment for some spinal and/or back problems. Often a lower back brace is used to aid the spine healing process by protecting and supporting the back. Lower back braces are usually prescribed by a patient's physician or one of our medical professionals. We know the importance of wearing a lumbar brace and ensure our patients have the proper educational instructions on how to wear our devices. This is crucial to preventing further injury to the lower back. Our experts based in our Coquitlam/Lougheed, can recommend a lower back brace for the following reasons.

• In order to give solid support to the spinal column. This is because a lumbar brace adds stability to your body and thus can support an otherwise unstable or weakened lower back. It does this by holding the back and torso in a specific posture designed to aid the natural healing process of the body and to protect against further injuries
• Reduction of painful pressures the spinal column or lower back. At Evergreen we recommend a lumbar brace in order to redistribute a portion of our patients bodyweight that would usually be placed on the lower back. The effect of the brace in this instance is the reduction of painful pressure on the bodies joints and spinal discs in the process reducing pressure on the spine’s joints, discs, and muscles.
• Ensure the body is stable for a quicker healing process. Our lower back braces are recommended for patients who see to restrict or impair certain movements of the body in order for the back to heal. In addition, it prevents movements that would be considered painful, such as bending down or twisting the spine.

Knee brace

Here at Evergreen Rehab and Wellness we are proud to offer a diverse selection of knee braces designed to fit our patients various needs. Knee supports used to relieve pressure and manage pain that can be caused by knee problems or weakness. Our experts recommend knee braces to be worn by athletes working out to prevent knee related injuries. Either the patient's physician or one of our medical experts will recommend when and what type of knee brace a patient should purchase for optimal health benefits. We offer a wide variety of high quality knee braces for our experts or a patient's physician can recommend including:

• Functional braces; this type of knee brace is used to help stabilize knees that have been injured before and may be weaker as a result. We recommend this form of brace to athletes, usually after a major injury has healed so it minimizes the chances of it becoming injured again.
• Rehabilitative braces; this type of brace is temporary and utilized in the weeks immediately following a major injury or surgery. It is used to support and keep the knee stabilized while it heals.
• Unloading braces; This knee brace is used in order to help relieve knee joint pain that occurs as a result of arthritis
• Prophylactic braces; We recommend this form of knee brace for patients wanting knee protection from future injuries. This form of brace is most often recommended to athletes in sports like soccer, football and bodybuilding.
• Knee sleeves; While not a brace technically, knee sleeves are by far the most common treatment when looking for knee support. Knee sleeves are designed similarly and with a similar purpose to compression socks. That is, they are used to support the knee if there is weakness and manage pain and possible swelling in the knee area.

Ankle brace

AT Evergreen Rehab and Wellness we offer a range of ankle brace designed to fit our patients individual needs. An ankle brace is placed around one or both ankles in order to provide protection and support for that area of the body. While restricting movement to a few positions it allows the body to heal much more efficiently from sprains and minor injuries to the ankle and foot. The main purpose of an ankle brace is to restrict the ankle movements while providing both compression of the injury and heat that your body generates to speed up the healing process. Ankle Braces are commonly used when rehabilitating injured muscles or ligaments in the ankle.

Our ankle braces are made from a combination of nylon and/or neoprene. The reason they are made from those materials is the rigidness of the fabric allows for a limited amount of mobility as well as for comfort, as both fabrics can conform to an individual's ankle shape. If the injury is quite severe our experts or a patients doctor may prescribed a brace that is fitted with metallic plates for further movement restriction.

Compression socks

Compression socks or stockings are not a technical brace, but operate in the same manner a medical brace does. Compression socks are used to provide a constant pressure at a specific level to the bodies legs. It is most often utilized to improve or maintain the quality of blood flow coming and going to the legs. Compression socks are also used to reduce or manage leg pain as a result of swelling. Compression socks can be recommended to patients from one of our medical professional or prescribed by a patient's physician. It is most often prescribed to treat both varicose veins, or swelling in the body leg veins, or lymphedema which is the swelling of soft tissue.

Compression socks work by providing pressure and giving relief to arteries which in turn provides increased blood flow throughout the body. The pressure from the socks acts as a boost to the blood, helping prevent potentially fatal clots from building in the bodies legs due to poor circulation of blood. Additionally, compression socks also help prevent spider veins and can keep a patient from feeling vertigo when standing up.

Wrist Brace

A wrist brace is a medical brace used to stabilize, support and protect the wrists. They are used as both a rehabilitation and preventative measures. Wrist braces are often used to further injury and allowing for a speedier healing process. Wrist braces are one of the most common methods of treatment to rehabilitate injured or weakened wrists. They work by restricting or immobilizing the wrist joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments as well as providing compression.

They also utilize the bodies heat by trapping it in to aid in the healing process. Wrist braces are commonly made of stiff or rigid fabric like neoprene or nylon with velcro keeping it attached. This allows for a limited amount of movement without harm to the wrist. In certain instances metal will be utilized as well to help immobilize the joint. For athletes, body builders or patients who enjoy a very active lifestyle wrist braces can be recommended in order to reduce the chances of sprains or severe strains. Here at Evergreen we have a quality selection of wrist braces designed for either men or women. If you are interested in a wrist brace our medical experts in our Coquitlam/Lougheed offices are ready to assist.