This service requires a referral from an orthopaedic surgeon

At your first appointment, you and your family will meet your Orthotist.

An Orthotist is a clinician who has a university degree (and many years of practical experience) in design, fabrication and fitting of scoliosis braces.

It is a good idea to wear your bathers to this appointment. At Orthokids we use a special casting frame to take a plaster mould of your body. The plaster extends from just below your neck to down past your hips. It takes around 5 to 10 minutes for the plaster to set before we remove it. We now have the shape of your body, which allows us to make your brace as comfortable and effective as possible. There are many different colour choices for your brace.

Your second appointment

On this day, your brace will be fitted and you will take it home. It is a good idea to have a close-fitting singlet or T-shirt to wear under the brace. We have Torso Interface body socks available to purchase. These body socks are specifically designed for use with scoliosis braces.

The first time you try your new brace on, it will feel really strange! Your brace will be trimmed so that you are as comfortable as possible whilst maintaining the proper function of the brace. You will take the brace home on this day; however you don’t wear it home in the car, as sitting for prolonged periods in the early stages can be uncomfortable.

It normally takes around 3 to 4 weeks before you are wearing the brace full-time. Most people become accustomed to wearing their brace at night (sleeping) first. Gradually increasing wear time before and after school is the next step. Wearing the brace to school is the final stage in the process of getting used to the brace. Your aim is to wear the brace 23 hours per day. These are very general guidelines as every individual case is different. Your Orthotist will give you some tips for getting through this initial stage.

You will find our helpful to give you a visual reference on how many hours per day you are wearing the brace.

If you wear the brace well for the majority of the time it is okay to have the brace off for special occasions. If you play sport or dance it is OK to remove the brace for these activities. One of the sayings we have is “the brace should become part of your life, not change it completely”. Keep in mind, the more you wear the brace the more effective it will be.

For more detailed information, please download our booklet here 

Follow up appointments

A review appointment will be made for 3 to 4 weeks. If at any stage you are uncomfortable or concerned about the fit of the brace please contact us immediately.

At your first follow up appointment you should bring your wearing chart along so that your Orthotist can see how much time you have been wearing your brace. This appointment is a good opportunity to discuss any concerns you have about any sore spots or activities you are having trouble with. Keep in mind; you are still in the early stages of getting used to your new brace, so it’s really common to have a few concerns. Our Orthotists are able to answer any queries you may have, so write some questions down if you like.

On average, it takes around 3 months to start feeling “normal’ whilst wearing your brace. Around this time, most people are starting to feel comfortable in the brace and life has returned to something resembling your pre brace experience.  It is really important to continue wearing your brace for as many hours as possible from this point on. You have a small window of opportunity to control your Scoliosis and although we believe we can make a really good brace for you – in the end it’s up to you to wear your brace and get the best results you possibly can.

There are many options for support during this difficult time. If you are struggling at any stage with any aspect of wearing your brace, please contact us immediately.