It’s not enough to simply wear your brace — you must also make sure that it is in proper shape. Check the brace weekly for any visible damage, including frayed straps. Wash and deodorize your brace with mild soap and damp cloth daily. If there are padded liners, let them air dry or use a hair dryer on “cool” setting., On your phone, paper calendar, or journal, keep track of how many hours a day you need to wear your brace and how many hours you actually put in. Most back braces need to be worn between 16 to 23 hours daily. To achieve your goals, it is extremely important to wear the brace for exactly the amount of time recommended by your doctor.Expect to build up your wearing time over the course of a few weeks at least. This will give your body and skin time to get used to the brace.Make sure to add time to your schedule for putting on the brace. This can be a fairly involved process when you are first starting out with a brace.
You might want to consider purchasing one of the a brace-wearing app for your smartphone. These apps monitor and log your time in your brace and allow you to set personal goals., Some braces are meant to be worn up to 23 hours daily, while others can be worn for a much shorter period of time. You may be able to remove your brace for certain activities or at certain times. Talk with your doctor about when you need to take off your brace.


For example, certain activities such as swimming will require that you remove your brace for a short period of time. Just make sure your doctor approves your swimming as well as removing the brace for that amount of time.
 At the end of every week that you met your doctor’s goals for hours spent in your brace you should do something nice for yourself. Go out to a movie. Hit your favorite restaurant. Take your brace off and go for a nice swim. Be sure to check with your doctor regarding which activities you should avoid.
Keep up with brace maintenance.
Create a brace-wearing schedule.
Talk to your doctor about when it is okay to remove your brace.
Reward yourself for wearing the brace.
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