An orthopedic shoulder brace is an assistive device created for treatment of shoulder injuries. Basically what it does is that it restricts the movement of the shoulder so that it doesn’t move unnecessarily. This is really crucial since shoulder injury can be very painful for a person and keeping the shoulder intact ensures a faster recovery. Normally, the group of people who commomly need orthopedic shoulder braces are athlethes as they are very susceptible to shoulder injuries. Nevertheless, anyone is possible to have a shoulder injury from ordinary activities or events like incorrect sleeping position, rolling off the bed, or lifting an object that is too heavy.
Orthopedic shoulder braces can also be worn by athletes even when they are not injured as a preventive measure. While it doesn’t really make them injury-free from shoulder dislocation or other injuries, it can significantly lessen the prevalence rate. However, there is a certain disadvantage of wearing orthopedic shoulder brace while playing or training as it does limit body movement of the athlete resulting to severe limitation of their performance .
There are two main types of orthopedic shoulder braces. The first type is commonly known as thermal wraps. These shoulder braces have a heating and cooling mechanism that can help alleviate the pain that is associated with repetitive or long term injuries. They are often made of neoprene as it retains the intended temperature better than other materials. A more costly type of orthopedic shoulder brace is known as a magnetic wrap. However, it is quite limited since it only has a heating mechanism and no cooling unlike thermal wraps.
The second type of orthopedic shoulder braces are usually referred to as modern shoulder slings. It is an immobilizer that efficiently restricts the movement of the shoulder to prevent further damage and injury. A modern shoulder sling is consisted of wraps that go around your chest, your wrist, and above your elbow. Modern shoulder allows your shoulder to rest so that it has an opportunity to recover and heal.
Ultimately,there's also another special type of orthopedic shoulder brace better known as the shoulder posture brace. Its main function is to correct posture problems so it's not really suited for helping a person recover from a shoulder injury.
Posted in: Orthopedic Braces