Brace tight?

August 2, 2010

Needing advice from any brace users!

Hadley has been complaining A LOT about her brace. She has been in the same

brace since January. We just had an apt for an xray, but didn't even have the dr

look at how her brace was fitting. We just assumed it was good bc he said it

should fit the whole yr she would have to wear it. The brace maker however said

she'd have to be fitted in another 6 months after we got the brace(which would

be now). We trusted the dr's opinion more though. But now she is complaining a

lot about it hurting and being too tight and is taking it off whenever we are

not in sight. I'm not sure if it really is too tight or if she just wants it

off! We have been loosening it every time she eats bc her belly is full she

says. And she also has been having a lot of diarrhea(which is not abnormal for

her). I hate to go all the way to her dr to have him say it fits just fine and

she's just being a typical 3 yr old who wants freedom from it. Has anybody

dealt with anything like this? What are signs that it really is too tight? How

often has your children needed new braces or do they wear them for the whole

year?

We don't know what to do at this point. Any advice would be appreciated

Thanks

Shauna

August 2, 2010

Hey Shauna...

Been there done that!

Can you make an appointment with the brace tech? Honestly, they would know better than the doctor as they are the one's that make and fit them. Grace only complains about hers if it is really hurting or if she's sick. I can usually tell the difference in the way she fusses.

That said, she's only had one brace that she hated to wear and honestly, it never did fit her right, even though the doctor and brace tech insisted it did. Once I put my foot down and said it needed to be looked at (since she had never fought wearing her other ones), they realized that after about 15 minutes of wear, it would make her rotate, obviously making things worse, and uncomfortable for her as it wouldn't "fit" right.

I think at 3 yrs of age, a doctor saying a kiddo will be in the same brace for a year is a bit outrageous. There is A LOT of growth in a year at that age, and if there happens to be any correction or worsening of the spine, that can be considerable over a year too. So it makes NO sense to me for anyone to think a brace will work for an entire year without adaptations.

Grace has had this brace since 5/28, so only for 2 months and she wears hers basically 24/7. I am seeing a lot of wear on the inside of the brace with the cushioning, so I couldn't imagine her's lasting a year even if all those other factors didn't happen (growth, change in spine, etc.)

Again, my recommendation would be to make an appointment with the brace tech and have her re-measured and compare the new measurements with the old and decide from there.

Jane

From: srorabeck <srorabeck@...>infantile scoliosis treatment Sent: Mon, August 2, 2010 9:36:46 AMSubject: Brace tight?

Needing advice from any brace users!Hadley has been complaining A LOT about her brace. She has been in the same brace since January. We just had an apt for an xray, but didn't even have the dr look at how her brace was fitting. We just assumed it was good bc he said it should fit the whole yr she would have to wear it. The brace maker however said she'd have to be fitted in another 6 months after we got the brace(which would be now). We trusted the dr's opinion more though. But now she is complaining a lot about it hurting and being too tight and is taking it off whenever we are not in sight. I'm not sure if it really is too tight or if she just wants it off! We have been loosening it every time she eats bc her belly is full she says. And she also has been having a lot of diarrhea(which is not abnormal for her). I hate to go all the way to her dr to have him say it fits just fine and she's just being a typical 3 yr old who wants freedom from

it. Has anybody dealt with anything like this? What are signs that it really is too tight? How often has your children needed new braces or do they wear them for the whole year? We don't know what to do at this point. Any advice would be appreciated :)ThanksShauna

August 2, 2010

Shauna,

I agree with Jane about having the orthotist/brace tech to take a look. The doctor is not the one making the braces and fittting them......at least not 's doc.

is tiny so he stayed in his first brace for over a year, BUT "you" know your child and how she grows.

If she is complaining something is not right. I always look for pressure points/redness. If they do not go away after 20-30 minutes after the brace is off then something may very well need to be adjusted.

I would make an appt to go in. Keep us posted. TashaMommy of 5 year old twin boys- and Fort Worth, Texas is treated at Texas ish Rite Hospital in Dallas, TexasSeries of 6 casts for 14 months followed by bracing since September 2007You can read 's story at.... http://www.infantilescoliosis.org/stories.html

From: srorabeck <srorabeck@...>infantile scoliosis treatment Sent: Mon, August 2, 2010 11:36:46 AMSubject: Brace tight?

Needing advice from any brace users!Hadley has been complaining A LOT about her brace. She has been in the same brace since January. We just had an apt for an xray, but didn't even have the dr look at how her brace was fitting. We just assumed it was good bc he said it should fit the whole yr she would have to wear it. The brace maker however said she'd have to be fitted in another 6 months after we got the brace(which would be now). We trusted the dr's opinion more though. But now she is complaining a lot about it hurting and being too tight and is taking it off whenever we are not in sight. I'm not sure if it really is too tight or if she just wants it off! We have been loosening it every time she eats bc her belly is full she says. And she also has been having a lot of diarrhea(which is not abnormal for her). I hate to go all the way to her dr to have him say it fits just fine and she's just being a typical 3 yr old who wants freedom from

it. Has anybody dealt with anything like this? What are signs that it really is too tight? How often has your children needed new braces or do they wear them for the whole year? We don't know what to do at this point. Any advice would be appreciated :)ThanksShauna

August 2, 2010

I second that, Jane.

The orthotist will know more about the actual brace, whereas the doc will know what her xrays are showing. Did you get in-brace xray, or out? Does your orthotist look at the xrays?

Our orthotist said Todd's current brace should last until he has gained a certain amt of weight, or about nine months. We also have had one adjustment already to accommodate growth in the interim.

We had a night brace before this, which both the doc and the orthotist (not current one) said would last a year. Todd was three and still growing lots and outgrew it but we did not know bc he didn't complain...and we lost some correction. Ugh.

Good luck!

Peace,

,Mommy to Todd

On Aug 2, 2010 12:54 PM, " Jane Bigler " <janemhar@...> wrote:

Hey Shauna...

Been there done that!

Can you make an appointment with the brace tech? Honestly, they would know better than the doctor as they are the one's that make and fit them. Grace only complains about hers if it is really hurting or if she's sick. I can usually tell the difference in the way she fusses.

That said, she's only had one brace that she hated to wear and honestly, it never did fit her right, even though the doctor and brace tech insisted it did. Once I put my foot down and said it needed to be looked at (since she had never fought wearing her other ones), they realized that after about 15 minutes of wear, it would make her rotate, obviously making things worse, and uncomfortable for her as it wouldn't " fit " right.

I think at 3 yrs of age, a doctor saying a kiddo will be in the same brace for a year is a bit outrageous. There is A LOT of growth in a year at that age, and if there happens to be any correction or worsening of the spine, that can be considerable over a year too. So it makes NO sense to me for anyone to think a brace will work for an entire year without adaptations.

Grace has had this brace since 5/28, so only for 2 months and she wears hers basically 24/7. I am seeing a lot of wear on the inside of the brace with the cushioning, so I couldn't imagine her's lasting a year even if all those other factors didn't happen (growth, change in spine, etc.)

Again, my recommendation would be to make an appointment with the brace tech and have her re-measured and compare the new measurements with the old and decide from there.

Jane

From: srorabeck <srorabeck@...>infantile scoliosis treatment

Sent: Mon, August 2, 2010 9:36:46 AMSubject: Brace tight?

Needing advice from any brace users!Hadley has been complaining A LOT about her brace. She has...

August 2, 2010

Hi Shauna,

When Noah was 2 1/2-3 1/2 yrs old he got a new brace every 4 months. Once he turned 4 he went every 6 months. Hope that helps!~Noah 5 years old9 months of casting in SLC; 2 1/2 years of bracing; Currently treatment-free at 8*And Mariella 1 yr old - resolved Infantile Scoliosis

infantile scoliosis treatment From: srorabeck@...Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 16:36:46 +0000Subject: Brace tight?

Needing advice from any brace users!Hadley has been complaining A LOT about her brace. She has been in the same brace since January. We just had an apt for an xray, but didn't even have the dr look at how her brace was fitting. We just assumed it was good bc he said it should fit the whole yr she would have to wear it. The brace maker however said she'd have to be fitted in another 6 months after we got the brace(which would be now). We trusted the dr's opinion more though. But now she is complaining a lot about it hurting and being too tight and is taking it off whenever we are not in sight. I'm not sure if it really is too tight or if she just wants it off! We have been loosening it every time she eats bc her belly is full she says. And she also has been having a lot of diarrhea(which is not abnormal for her). I hate to go all the way to her dr to have him say it fits just fine and she's just being a typical 3 yr old who wants freedom from it. Has anybody dealt with anything like this? What are signs that it really is too tight? How often has your children needed new braces or do they wear them for the whole year? We don't know what to do at this point. Any advice would be appreciated :)ThanksShauna

August 3, 2010

Hi Shauna,

Noelle was in brace for 9 months and it was getting tight especially around the hips/belly. The orthotist said he would be able to bump that out if needed to create a little more room. Ask if you can go to a local ortho to have something like that done if you can.- Noelle's mommy, 3 1/2 years oldRochester NYCasted 8 times for 1 1/2 years9 months in braceRegressed and currently in cast 9reflux, mild plagiocephaly, mild torticollos, hypotonia, ligament laxity, suspected Ehler's Danlos III

From: srorabeck <srorabeck@...>Subject: Brace tight?infantile scoliosis treatment Date: Monday, August 2, 2010, 4:36 PM

Needing advice from any brace users!Hadley has been complaining A LOT about her brace. She has been in the same brace since January. We just had an apt for an xray, but didn't even have the dr look at how her brace was fitting. We just assumed it was good bc he said it should fit the whole yr she would have to wear it. The brace maker however said she'd have to be fitted in another 6 months after we got the brace(which would be now). We trusted the dr's opinion more though. But now she is complaining a lot about it hurting and being too tight and is taking it off whenever we are not in sight. I'm not sure if it really is too tight or if she just wants it off! We have been loosening it every time she eats bc her belly is full she says. And she also has been having a lot of diarrhea(which is not abnormal for her). I hate to go all the way to her dr to have him say it fits just fine and she's just being a typical 3 yr old who wants freedom from

it. Has anybody dealt with anything like this? What are signs that it really is too tight? How often has your children needed new braces or do they wear them for the whole year? We don't know what to do at this point. Any advice would be appreciated :)ThanksShauna

August 3, 2010

Not being a doctor ... of course take anything I say with a grain of salt

started complaining about her brace 4 months after she got it. I thought

she was just being a difficult 2 year old, but then I did notice that it seemed

to be rubbing differently. It wasn't that it was really rubbing terribly, or

even that others really noticed it much once the brace was off for more than 10

minutes, but it was different ... rubbing in different places primarily. She

was always telling me it hurt when we put it on so I'd do the un-velcro then

re-velcro and let her think I was changing things and away she'd go. When we

had x-rays at the 4 month mark we found that her curve had regressed 20*! Our

orthotist is wonderful and modified the brace as best he could while we waited

for the new one to come in. The size difference between the two braces is

amazing! The new brace has made a world of difference, zero complaints and it

is holding her curve back down to where it was in her last cast. She will go

back into a cast in the fall but we all decided to wait until the extreme heat

of the FL summer passes so she will go back to casting next month.

Long story short ... if she wasn't complaining before, then something is

different. She's probably grown and it is not comfortable and probably not

holding her the way it is intended to. That's just my two cents ... and

hindsight tells me to check it sooner rather than later to avoid the regression

in curve if in fact it is not holding.

Becky

mom to currently ~40*

also mom to , , Hannah, and

>

> Needing advice from any brace users!

>

> Hadley has been complaining A LOT about her brace. She has been in the same