Bracing isn't Better

It seems that medical community is behind in what they learn in school.  I can't tell you how many people I have heard, seen, or treated that have had braces on certain joints for soft tissue damage.

For your standard sprain/strain which lands on the scale between a 1 and 1 1/2 out of 3 grade scale for torn tissue the most common treatment is splinting or bracing for a series of weeks.  In other words the goal is to limit most, if not all, movement.  This is utterly ridiculous.

When you injure soft tissue (muscle, tendons, ligaments, fascial planes) the area will inflame and go through a process to heal which includes laying down scar tissue.  Scar tissue is a type of cartilage that ends up being highly innervated (lots of nerve endings) and is used as a patch.  This patch can be torn again because it isn't near as resilient as the tissue it is replacing.  Your body lays down scar tissue haphazardly in a cobwebb type fashion.

So lets get this straight.  You injure some soft tissue close to a joint, then you're required to brace it for a few weeks.  In this period scar tissue will fill all surrounding areas: decreasing range of motion; increasing pain; and making this process easily repeatable.  Not to mention the only way a joint can stay healthy is to move it so it can pump sustenance in and out itself.

As long as you haven't broken anything, have a complete tear, or plan on playing full contact sports directly after injury a brace is the wrong treatment.  It will set you up for repeat visits to the very physcian you received the brace from.

Its important to continue to move the area that has been damaged.  This will pump out inflammation as well as send in needed nutrients.  The scar tissue you start forming will be more functional as it will line up in planes of movement.  Healing time will be shorter with a more optimal outcome in the future.  Now I want people to understand that they shouldn't just start working out that area either.  Limited exertion should be observed and a release to return to certain activities should be acquired before going crazy in that area.

Lets get smart and keep moving.