Stuck in a TLSO Back Brace? I Have a Few Tips

I recently broke one of my vertebrae after slamming down on an icy bump during a sledding trip gone wrong. I won't get into the details or beg for sympathy, but the back brace I'm stuck in for the next 3 months has its significant drawbacks.

The thoracolumbosacral orthosis brace, better known as a TLSO, is a hard plastic shell resembling a Stormtrooper uniform, going from one's collarbone to hips. It is used in lieu of surgery for back injuries, as well as to treat scoliosis in adolescents. I'd like to offer a few tips for anyone finding themselves with a new exoskeleton.

- Do not, I repeat, do not think that it doesn't matter if your shirt underneath is baggy. My doctor advised me to buy some very tight, thin t-shirts but I went ahead and used what I had. After about an hour I was left wriggling around, wishing for knitting needles as the fabric chafed beneath my shell. It is a huge pain to put the brace on and off, so save yourself the irritation and effort and chip in for a few new appropriate undershirts.

-Tape the Velcro down. Yet another annoying step to life in a brace, but it will avoid trapping every pilly piece of fluff that comes your way. Additionally, it will make you look a little more normal if you wear a shirt or sweater over the brace- otherwise it looks as if you have tentacles bursting to get out.

-Be sure to warn friends and family without whining. No one wants to hear your woes after the first week of recovery, but it isn't fair to then laugh when they whack their head/wrist/chest against your plastic exterior.

-Wear loose fitting pants. Anything tight or constricting will not only pinch your skin where it meets with the brace, it will cut off circulation to your thighs.

-Find humor in your situation. Let's face it, if you're in a brace you could have fared much worse from being in a wheelchair to being bedridden. So laugh at your creaking, strange bruises, and new, rectangular torso because I'm sure a ton of people in the world would gladly trade places with you!

I can be glib about the whole situation because I will look forward to weaning off of my back brace in little under a month. In all truth, wearing it has given me a new appreciation for anyone who lives with a disability. It's funny how people feel invited to stare at my brace, or ask personal questions when they barely know me. In addition to pithy advice given, I've gained as well from wearing the TLSO brace.