Shoulder supports

With most of the products that I write about I have had some first hand experience of their use, however in this case I have not – although I nearly did.

My reason for covering shoulder supports is simple. I dislocated my right shoulder a few years ago and had a significant amount of muscle deterioration over the three and a half weeks that I was in a flexible brace.

Treatment for dislocated shoulders seems to vary greatly. Some doctors go for the immobilisation option (like mine) whilst others think that this approach is counterproductive and weakens the muscles to too great a degree during recovery.

All I can say is that I required over 4 months of physio to get my shoulder movement back and that it was a long and very slow process (though not really painful). On the positive side, I have had no problems since.

Shoulder braces “may” offer either, a protective option if the shoulder is not immobilised and restricted use is encouraged immediately after the accident. Or they may provide some protection against over rotation of the joint whilst the muscles build up their strength again after enforced immobilisation.

EITHER WAY, YOU SHOULD DO WHAT YOUR DOCTOR RECOMMENDS.

 
In my case I was advised against using one, simply because my doctor told me that I would become dependant upon it and see it as a crutch. He felt that once you start using these braces you never feel safe without them!

The problem for me was that the scare stories that I was given by a Pakistani doctor, during a check up at the hospital, made me reluctant to even consider squash or badminton again (both of which I played regularly).

He told me that I had a 95% chance of reoccurrence if I tried to engage in theses sports – even once my shoulder was back to full strength. (And dislocations are incredibly painful and something that, once experienced, you want to avoid at all costs.)

I now think that using a shoulder brace may have had some benefit for me if worn “only” to participate in these sports and I regret not having tried one out.

If you want to see what some of these products look like, you will see some examples here, http://www.physioroom.com/catalog/Shoulder_Supports/2042.html and http://shop.bupa.co.uk/general_supports/universal_shoulder_support-c56919p56930.html , but do consult with a doctors or orthopedic specialist and get their professional opinion first.

One of the big arguments in favour of these products is that they are used by professional sportsmen and women and, in the UK, rugby players often use them after an incident, or to protect against a shoulder injury during a match.