Sherri Koehler (she/her)Back in February I asked my hand doc for a referral to get braces for my left hand, which needs surgery, but can't have it until my bones have more density. Unbraced I keep hurting myself (there's a bone spur involved in the whole mess).
An imperfect brace made of plastic and velcro (yes, different plastic) was made 6 weeks ago. It needed to be remade a bit last week because it's affected my sensation in my thumb and I really need one made entirely of metal so I can wear it in the shower (where I tend to hurt myself even when I'm trying to be very careful).
Today we needed to do an assessment and, despite the issues with the imperfect brace, my pain level is lower, plus my hand and thumb are stronger!
The wisdom on bracing for conventionally jointed humans is to brace for as short a time as possible so that the body doesn't become overly reliant on the support. It is very common to hear this advices from physical therapists and occupational therapists who don't regularly work with hypermobile patients.
Those of us with silly putty for connective tissue benefit from proper bracing. Preventing our joints from going even close to subluxation is important. Even subclinical subluxations (these don't show up on an x-ray usually, a trained therapist or other healthcare provider has to feel for them) can cause constant pain and leave you vulnerable to further joint instability.
I now wear light ankle wraps when I'm practicing yoga asana and high top boots for walking outside. This switch has prevented injuries to my ankles, knees, and back. It's also prevented falls
Sensory issues* not withstanding, if you can stand to brace an unstable joint, don't be afraid to explore it if you are living with #HSD or #hEDS.
*I cannot abide a brace for the SI joint, even though I would benefit from wearing one, because it's sensory hell.
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