The correct bracing for the lower back can be extremely helpful for reducing pain, maintaining alignment, and preventing re-injury. It is important to consider that not all back braces are created equal – even if the bracing looks similar to another, how they are constructed and fit dictates the effectiveness of the brace. If your back brace is not fit properly by a medical professional or if it is worn incorrectly, it can make the lower back muscles weaker and even more susceptible to injury. Therefore, the most effective back braces are prescribed by medical/healthcare practitioners.

The purpose of the Lumbar Sacral Orthosis (LSO) Back Brace is to provide relief for low back pain sufferers and offer an alternative to medications. In a survey completed by Disc Disease Solutions (2011 and 2014) of 879 participants, 65% of those surveyed reported relief within one hour after wearing the LSO Back Brace. The LSO is also highly recommended as external support during rehabilitation from an injury. The purpose of the brace is to give patients postural support so they can keep mobile and active while recovering. This back brace also provides the best protection for the lower back during work, bending, lifting, or as recommended by your doctor.

The LSO Back Brace is a well-designed, medical grade posture support commonly prescribed by doctors. The advantage of this is not only top-quality construction, but also the valuable advice from your doctor about exactly when and how to use it for the best benefit. Besides the natural pain relief and protection from spinal instability while under treatment, the LSO brace is also great for preventing injuries when staying active in the future and for the improvement of outcomes. A recent study (1) showed that individuals wearing the LSO in addition to receiving standard care had 4.7 times higher odds of achieving success compared to those only receiving standard care.
For qualified patients, this lower back orthosis is also covered by Medicare and other major medical health insurance.

At Balance Wellspace, spinal ligament instability is a critical step for a successful treatment outcome and the LSO back brace is a big part of the equation. We have seen excellent results helping patients with pain relief and improving the quality of their lives by helping get patients back to the activities that matter to them. Over the years, we have tried many different lumbar posture supports and belts but found the LSO (lumbar sacral orthosis) to be the best all-around medical grade back brace for the lower back.

After recommending a back brace, we always help customize the fit and provide exact instructions about when and how long to wear it. If you would like an LSO back brace, contact us for an appointment to determine if you qualify for insurance benefits.

If you suffer with knee pain or osteoarthritis, an unloader knee brace can be extremely beneficial. Unlike simple compression sleeves, unloader knee braces (also called off-loading brace) hinged on both sides provide not only relief but also help as a great stabilizer when ligaments have become damaged – which is common in knee pain.
At Balance Wellspace Integrative Medicine, we recommend the best unloading braces to help patients with knee injuries feel better quickly and as an important part of their recovery from chronic conditions. Contact us to find out if an unloader knee brace might help you.

You can purchase knee braces and compression sleeves from virtually anywhere and most will provide some amount of support. The problem is cheap priced braces will often fall apart quickly or just not provide the necessary support. This could potentially cause more damage to your knee, not to mention waste your money. Without knowing exactly what is wrong with your knee, the risk is that you could purchase the wrong type of brace that may not be best for your specific condition.
In many cases, the necessary stabilization can only be provided by an unloader brace or hinged brace due to the imbalance inside the knee joint. While over the counter braces or sleeves can sometimes provide some help, obtaining an accurate diagnosis from your medical provider as quickly as possible will ensure optimal results.

One of the most common reasons for chronic knee pain is Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive deterioration of cartilage and ligamentous supportive tissue within and around a joint which continues to progress until there is no more joint space. This results in severe pain and instability - which is why most total joint replacement surgeries are recommended. A quality hinged knee brace can provide necessary support and stabilization for a failing knee joint from osteoarthritis.

In most knee pain cases, it is often only one side of the knee joint that is degenerative. Over time, this results in a physical deformity to the knee itself. While compression sleeves may offer some support, unloader style knee braces are the best choice. This kind of knee brace is designed to transfer or "unload" pressure from one side of the joint to the other. In other words, an unloader knee brace does exactly what its name suggests—it shifts stress from the affected side of the joint to the healthier side of the joint resulting in decreased pain and improved function.

When unloading knee braces are adjusted to decrease the compression on the degenerated side of the joint, it slows and even halts the degeneration temporarily while the patient is wearing the brace. When consistently worn in the upright position, this can prevent the condition from getting worse. When used in conjunction with regenerative medicine, an unloader brace can delay, or many times prevent joint replacement surgery. In most osteoarthritis degenerative knees, the outer supportive ligaments also deteriorate and contribute to instability of the joint. The hinged design of unloading braces also acts as a great stabilizer.

⦁ Pain relief without the use of medications
⦁ Support during injury recovery
⦁ Slows or even halts the degeneration
⦁ Stabilizer of failed or damaged ligaments
⦁ Improves results of regenerative medicine
⦁ Completely adjustable for custom fit

There are several reasons a provider would recommend unloading a recently injected joint with a brace, including the following:
1. Realign the joint to its proper position during the healing process, ensuring the joint heals correctly.
2. Reduce excessive pressure and excessive inflammation away from the joint.
3. Open the degenerated compartment of the joint, allowing space for the regeneration of tissue to occur and allowing the cells to migrate to the correct location.

At Balance Wellspace Integrative Medicine, treating osteoarthritis of the knee is one of our primary focuses and we have excellent results – these unloading braces are a big part of the equation to help obtain successful outcomes. We highly recommend them for both acute and chronic conditions of the knee to help provide patients with structural support and pain relief. After recommending an unloader knee brace, we always help customize the fit and provide exact instructions about when and how long to wear it.

During a regenerative medicine program, we closely monitor the fit and effectiveness of the offloading knee braces, making sure it is working to help our patients meet their goals. To find out if you would benefit from a hinged unloader knee brace, contact us for an appointment. For qualified patients, knee bracing may be covered by Medicare and/or other major medical insurance.

1. Morrisette, David, Cholewicki, J., Patenge, W., Logan, S., Seif, G., McGowan, S. (2015). A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL COMPARING EXTENSIBLE AND INEXTENSIBLE LUMBOSACRAL ORTHOSES AND STANDARD CARE ALONE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF LOWER BACK PAIN. Spine. ⦁ 2014 Oct 1; 39(21): 1733–1742. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4521401/?inf_contact_key=e55e4e3439154302dfeb4f5a5e836972680f8914173f9191b1c0223e68310bb1