I am a huge fan of tools we can use to help ourselves. Clients ask all the time about the items listed within this blog and felt it might be helpful to share this information with you. I was a huge fan of tape in the last parts of my pain journey. It gave me relief and control and I needed both. This is general advice and information, please consult pub med for current and specific research. I can’t speak to your specifics in a general pot and hope this information will give you a place to start. Let’s dive into braces, belts and tape, and all the important things you need to know to help yourself.
The Power of Braces, Belts, and Tape
Belts, tapes, and braces have been around for a while as tools for managing chronic pain and restoring quality of life. These supportive devices often provide relief and a sense of stability, allowing individuals to regain control and function. They do so with the use of proprioception.
What’s that? (Proprioception) The definition is The unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself. In humans, these stimuli are detected by nerves within the body itself, as well as by the semicircular canals of the inner ear. The braces, belts, and tape, provide external proprioception to the person wearing the brace allowing them to move, sit, and change posture while regaining confidence and decreasing pain.
Belts, tapes, and braces are not a one-size-fits-all solution. They are available in a wide range of designs, materials, and functionalities, tailored to different bodies. From back braces that provide lumbar support to joint belts that target specific areas like the sacroiliac joint, there are options available for everyone.
The power of belts, tapes, and braces lies in their ability to enhance mobility, alleviate pain, and support healing. They are an invaluable tool in the management of chronic pain, offering a sense of control and relief. They are also easy for you to use without help. Well, ok maybe you’ll need a few YouTube videos.
Sifting through the Myths
You will get weaker if you wear it all the time:
Although this is something that you hear often, wearing a back brace most likely only ever causes weakness if you put the back brace on, lie down, and do nothing for long periods of time. In fact, if putting a back brace on allows you to be up walking for longer periods, doing activities that you would not be able to do otherwise, this is a positive move towards recovery.
You need it for stability:
The word “stability gets thrown around a lot in the pain world. Braces, belts, and tape can help with the perception of stability. But it is a misnomer to think that Kinesio tape is going to keep a joint from moving. For the average person with chronic pain and no connective tissue disorders, this is really an unnecessary fear.
It’s a sign of weakness if you need it:
Nonsense! If these types of tools help you move more and be more active in your day, use them. Our abilist society can stuff it! You do not need to ” tough it out” when a piece of tape or two might help you live more!
“It” keeps you from going out of alignment:
You all know I hate this one. The research is pretty verbose “Out of alignment” isn’t a great way to talk about why we have pain, especially SI Joint pain. So, since it isn’t really a problem in the first place, these aids don’t work like that. They provide different inputs to the brain. That’s the most important thing they do. This allows the brain to make different choices – which in turn allows us to move differently.
You need a professional to “put it on right”:
YouTube has been a godsend for information. And these tapes are not magic. They help some but not others. Buy a role, check out videos for the body part that hurts you, and disregard the narrative being pushed in the majority of videos. If a PTA can be taught to apply the tape in 5 minutes, so can you.
Back Brace
There are as many options on braces as there are people who read this blog. If you are having back pain, for any reason, braces can be an easy option to decrease pain and increase movement. When there is back pain (no matter what the cause) the reaction of the spinal musculature is to contract into involuntary spasm or voluntary contraction of the muscles to protect the actual or perceived injury. The muscles often go into “overdrive” with good intentions of protecting the spine. In effect, what happens is the vicious circle of pain and spasm begins. There are a number of ways to break into that vicious circle “all the typical stuff” and/ or an external stabilizer: a back brace. The compression of the brace often is a signal of safety to our brains and allows for different movement choices. That’s the part that is magic.
It is important to find a back brace that:
- Fits you well
- Is comfortable
- Feels supportive
There are many different designs, using different materials such as elastic, soft plastic, hard plastic metal, Velcro, and laces. Find what works for you. Your shape and what feels “good” are what will determine what feels best. It’s ok to try a few out. As with shoes, beds, and chairs, there is no universal “best”.
Compression Garments
I would be remiss if I didn’t include a quick note on these. From socks to spanks, compression garments can be an excellent tool in pain reduction. They can also help with symptoms from POTS, Fibromyalgia, and ME/CFS. Like everything, you will need to decide what level of compression you prefer. Since we aren’t trying to magically hold bones in place, it’s about how you feel. Do you feel more stable, more confident, or calmer, safer? These are the sensations we are looking for. Don’t underestimate a solution because it’s simple. Amazon, your local department store, and your sports store will all have versions of garments with varying compression. Try it. You might like it.
SI Joint Belts
I get asked a lot, do they work? My answer is “sometimes and for some people” just like everything else in the pursuit of eliminating chronic pain. The SI joint often benefits from compression, which is what a belt does when worn properly. When pain is present, muscles don’t work the same strength and timing as when they don’t hurt. Because of this, a belt can help this particular joint with its job of transferring load.
My personal favorite was a belt designed by PT Diana Lee. She has a video that helps you decide where to put the compression straps to give you and your pain the most help.
Give it a watch.
There are plenty of other belts on the market and you just have to see what works best for you.
How to Wear an SI Joint Belt
Here is a quick video that explains how to put it on. Research shows that wearing it under the little bones that stick out at the front of your pelvis is FAR more effective than wearing the belt higher up… so keep that in mind when putting it on.
Kinesio Tape
Latex-free and wearable for days at a time, Kinesio® Tex Tape is safe for populations ranging from pediatric to geriatrics. By targeting different receptors within the somatosensory system, Kinesio® Tex Tape alleviates pain and facilitates lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin. This lifting effect forms convolutions in the skin thus increasing interstitial space allowing for better flow of interstitial fluid and reducing inflammation.
Kinesio tape and tape like it has made a lot of claims since it became popular in 2012. Research has cleared up most of those claims. In short, the color doesn’t matter, it doesn’t stop joint movement. Tape can’t activate muscles, nor turn them on or off.
So what can it do? It can provide a different sensation, which provides different inputs to the brain – and THAT can change things. It can help with bruising and inflammation through the slight lifting of the skin. This allows for more room around nerve endings – which changes your pain. A different sensation, and feeling of stability, often changes our own perception of our bodies, allowing us to move more freely. This is all good news! So search out videos and ignore the “explanations”.
* There is also a system of taping and movement called “Mulligan” worth mentioning so you know that there are other taping options. Each system has its own “story” for why it works. Research continues to support the best explanation being proprioception and feeling supported rather than explanations of moving and aligning bones and joints. The manual therapy technique of Mulligan is intended to allow painless motion of a previously painful joint. After the Mulligan mobilization is conducted, the rigid tape can be applied to the body region in the same direction as the manual force. This is thought to extend the benefits of the manual therapy.
Athletic/ Leuko Tape
This is the firm athletic tape you probably associate with sprained ankles. This tape does help reduce the range of motion of smaller joints like ankles and knees. It’s not stopping segments of your spine or your SI Joint. One of the key benefits of this tape is its ease of use. It can be applied by anyone and does not require any special training. Additionally, the tape is comfortable to wear and can be left on for several days, providing continuous support and relief. People often refer to the “McConnell” method of taping, especially for the knee and ankle.
I personally think this type of tape is excellent when trying to create a different movement pattern and need a “cue” to change how you move. For example, my slouching was causing a lot of pressure on my SI Joint. I needed to strengthen the surrounding muscles to be able to hold my body upright after lots of deconditioning. Having the firm tape on my spine reminded me to change my posture from time to time. If you know someone with chronically sprained ankles, this is a terrific way to support the joint from the outside, since the ligaments tend to be stretched out.
Wrapping Up
Biomechanical support has its place in chronic conditions. I want you to understand when they are helpful and when they aren’t so you can decide what you need to help you. You aren’t broken, or lazy, if you want to use these tools. Frankly, I think they should be part of everyones flare kit. Whether they are used daily, or as needed, it’s up to you.
You can learn to use these tools for yourself and that just gives you another way to help yourself and manage your own pain while you are moving beyond it.
As always, join us in the Facebook Group and tell us what you tried and how it works for you!
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