Tips on wearing braces - This page is designed for most of us in the catagory of SPMS who either need crutches and braces or some other assistive devices. - Personal - http://maxpages.com/happymspage/Tips_on_wearing

Update June 18,2005 See my forum for braces users at http://groups.aol.com/legbracess?mmch=0
UPdate thought June 5,2004 Braces will save you about half of your wasted energy you loose with just crutches. If you have bilateral nerve damage in both legs You definately need them. This saving half the energy is hard to believe but its been proven with photography.Braces don't walk for you but they make your efforts more effecient.

Now that we are getting into hotter weather we will be thinking of less clothing
I usually wear shorts that go down just above my knees.Don't be bashful ,let it all
hang out.Sure you will get stares,but I feel my confort level is better than a pants
cover up.I'll wear these length of shorts until December here in Florida .With
the exception of church or other more formal occassions I will be in shorts that
stop just above the knees. I'm well supplied with searsucker pants which I consider
the coolest fabric to wear if I have to get into pants.we never wear any coat or tie
to church from after Easter to late October.
As you read this article you will also note I think the calliper style braces are best in warm climate.They make the least skin contact with you.The plastic braces are the
worst in warm days or warm climates.
There is a local woman who comes around to my office occassionally who has the
plastic AFOs and she wonders how she was talked into them."Better yet how do I get out
of them in something like your callipers?"
I told her if she has had them 4 or5 years the medicare would probably buy new ones
if her doctor would prescribe them. I wouldn't be surprised to see her in new callipers some day.
We have to wear them probably the rest of our lives but we should be as comfortable
as possible in them.
UPDATE OCT 11,2006 While few MSer are prescribed full length brace but short ones
called AFO and usually plastic as that is what the insurance will pay for.My doctor has come up with a recomendation of Becker orthopedic's UTX braces that while they are full length up to the hips are not the old fashioned heavy variety.
These braces will fit into a good shoe as thay have a shoe plate .They are also very Light weight.
They are recogmended for those with Post polio,MSer in SPMS phase.,Spinal coed injuries,
CVA Femoral nerve damage . There are two models, one for those weighting under
200 pounds and us over 200 pounds. There are four cuffs that strap about the leg
at just above the ankle hinge, then the second cuff is just below the knee hinge and
the third cuff is just above the knee hinge and the last cuff is near the upper part
of the hip.There is only one upright metal part so the weight is kept down and fatigue
is not usually a problem for us MSer
Usually the best benifit is to those with hip extensor strength of (power 3) and
passive ankle dorsilflexon . In simple language this means Gait Ataxia problems
which is typical of many SPMS patients. My doctor has written on my prescription
MS with severe Gait ataxia. while I have no problem with walking with my crutches
and AFOs I still get tried with ordinary metal AFOs as really they are heavy
but not hot as the plastic AFO in our summer here in Florida.

Any brace will be a hassle when you go through Airport security thes days.
It will take you another 10 to 15 minutes as they ar suspicious that you might
have something hidden some where in your braces.
RET
Update; April 8,2004 Full braces can catch the hinge at the knee and tear the fabric if you are not careful.
Full braces will slow you down even more than AFOs this is especially true getting out of a car.Just accept the fact you lifestyle will have to slow down.
This slower life stile will also manifest itself in the walking,dressing,and rising from a chair.
But seldom are Full braces used for MSer .they usually graduate from slow crutching to more mobile power chairs.

Braces maintainance:
This aspect is very important to your comfort and safety.The bearings will wear out and start to make noises.the springs with usage will break.Your support will diminish and you proably will NOT fall down but your fatigue factor will increase.
I just got new bearings,springs and corrective shoes yearterday and I feel good all over.
Really your corectly manitained braces wonders
For your comfort and dispotion.

Your Doctor really would : In most cases of drop foot most doctors have a difficult
time convincing the patient he/she needs braces(AFOs) They are not beauty items.But your chances of falling and breaking a bone is much greater if the foot has a tendency of dropping and not striking the ground properly.
I took them on about nearly 14 years ago as my gait was bad even with crutches.
But since I decided to have the calliper style I find i almost forget I have them on.

With the other pages I have written concerning braces I will try to leave that information there and make this page a whole new group of tips I have received
from over 200 long term braces wears.Many are either post polio or Celebrial
Palsey(CP).Some are from multiple sclerosis affected persons.
But it is our intent to smooth the path to more comfortable wearing of the
braces that are necessary for you to wear.

Should you have any other tips you care to share with the rest of us send
me your e-mail
RET1000@aol.com

Tips ;
If you get the calliper style of braces ,the calliper (the part that
connects to the shoes via the calliper plate on the bottom of each shoe
may tend to click when you walk.I found this very disturbing once as
I was going down to the alter at church and it was very quiet.
A friend of longer experience told me a flat tooth pick shoved into
the caliper plates will stop this chatter.

2. Since most of our insurance policies only allow a new pair of shoes
to be calliper plated each year then get the best grade of shoes.
Most policies will tell you taht you pay for the shoes and they pay to
modify them to fit your braces.

3. You may say the plastics are therefore better as they will mostly
fit ant shoe,but they bget very hot.
4. Be sure to apply some skin loation to your feet and legs about
once or twice a week.
Braces will tend to draw out the moisture.Besides with MS the skin
cells also are not functioning as good as they once did.
5. Braces are hard to let you put the pants over top.This becomes
a problem for those of us that have bladder problems and may have
to change during the day.Some find baggy pants come off easier.
6.You ankle joint on metal braces will need lubrication about monthy.
More often in warmer climates. It seems what goes in such as white
lithium comes out black and usually on the inside of your pants.
One wearer of long duration has told me he uses bike chain lub .
Try you bike shop.
7.The leather parts need some shoe polish occassionally ,other wise
they will look shabby soon.
8.The straps will flop about if not cut as short as you can get them.
But some want them long so the put velcro on the underside of the
straps and the mate velcro on the cuff which goes about your leg at the calf.

Going from AFOs to Kafos In other words short braces to full leg braces.
While you can use the same shoes with the caliper plates there are all
new problems you will have to dejust
with in time.
A. Its going to be harder getting in and out of cars even when
they are unlocked.
B. It will take you longer to put them on in the morning.
C. Some users have reported to me the fact they leave the knee locks
off until they really get tired later in the day.
D. While its not too common yet that us with progressing SPMS will
be prescribed KAFOs,Its becomeing more common in some places.
For this reason the individuals wish to keep walking even if they
do spend more time in their wheelchairs or scooters.You have fewer
medical problems if you can remain vertical for at least part of the day.
E. Locking braces is desirable at parties as you will get very tired
and you legs will start to buckle easily while standing in one place
as is done in adult cocktail parties.
F.One guy who has worn long braces tells me he has managed to slip his
small Swiss Army knife past the detectors at airports if he manages
to slip it behind some matal parts on the braces.The inspectors just
think the metal detection is part of his braces.He flies frequently as
he is a consultant.One woman is constantly bothered by her home airport
as she also flies frequently and is usually taken aside in a private
room and made to take off both long braces while a woman inspector
looks them over.She tells me its been the same two women inspectors
most of the time,She was hoping they would get used to not finding
any thing and cut out some of the overspiciousness.

G.You may have gotten away driving without hand controls before but
its almost a given that the DMV will now require them even if you are
only wearing AFOs. Besides my physical therapist tells me you will
not automatically be at fault in an accident if you are using braces
and hand controls.But may even stand a chance of being barred from
further driving if they can blame an accident on your uncoperative
and often clumbsy feet anbd legs.

H.If you are now wearing AFOs and have pains in the hips and back,
its a good sign your upper leg muscles are being over starined and
need the help of AFOs at least one leg may need it.MS has a way of
working up the leg in destruction of usage.
I.Steps will be harder with full braces.Many users who aren't almost
totally paralized in the legs will unlock the braces when they have
a few steps to mount or go down.One polio person told me he keeps
his braces unlocked as long as possible as he finds that easier to
live with,but will lock them as he tires out on business trips.

J.Maybe the totally callipered braces don't appeal to you .
Them you could get part plastics
and part metal parts.They even make a shoe plate to fit most
common laced shoes.

Speaking of shoes for braces wearers; The best shoes are best
in the long run.It may cost you several hundred dollars for good
Italian or Spanish leather but once they are fitted to adopt braces
you want them to last.
1. Most cases you buy the shoes and the insurance company pays to
have your orthosist
install the caliper plates.

2.You can in most cases select a partly open shoe to wear, but the
back has to be closed and the toe can't be too open.Slits in the
leather of the shoe for ventilation are easily purchased.i get my
shoes from the Wright company in Wisconsin. They put out a nice man's
sandal that adapts easily to calliper plates. One woman with modified
sandals told me she has found a company in Florida that handles woman's
shoes that will adapt easily.
for the person with a shoe plate that goes inside the shoe,the
Clawson Rocker shoe company will cut you a model with a sandal fashion. see www.CLAWSONrocker.com
3.Go to www.calliperstwo.com and on their photos you will see different
styles of shoes some women have had adapted for AFO braces.
4. There is a company in London England that will for a price which
is high make a shoe that will be both stylish and neat but still fit
even your KAFO. I hear the hand made shoes there will cost you about $500.
They are located some where near Parlement buildings
its been a while since I was there.
5.With MS many of us will have trouble with curling toes which will
have to be addressed if we are to walk easier

6.Be prepaired for night pains when you decide to "cheat" and not wear
the braces. What ever is wrong with your legs and feet its not going away.
Actually once you are oriented to them you will feel better.

Eileen Lukeman and Richard Tanner

FL.

Eileen(Lobosgirl) and Richard (RET1000) both at aol.com

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Page Updated Mon Mar 9, 2009 11:28am EST