Leg Braces- How do they help heal Broken Legs and Stress Fractures?
05. May, 2011 
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Your leg is made up of 4 bones: the thigh bone, the knee cap, and the two bones which make up the lower leg. After an accident, these bones can break into 2 or more pieces known as a fracture. Leg braces are used to help keep the leg immobilized while the bones heal.
What can cause a broken leg?
Bones break when the amount of force placed on the bone is greater than what the bone can handle. It usually takes a lot of force to break a bone. But, bones that are weak are more likely to be broken.
Some causes for a broken leg can be injury, disease or with repetitive overuse of the leg. This type of break is known as a stress fracture, and it can happen to dancers and runners.
What are the symptoms of a broken leg?
The major symptoms of a broken leg are swelling, pain and deformity. Swelling and bruising in and around the area of the break is common. Sometimes, the break in the bone is obvious, but some may require an x-ray to diagnose.
Complete breaks will cause the leg to look deformed, shorter or even twisted below the break. Partial fractures, are cracks in the bone, which will leave the bone intact but will cause a lot of pain and swelling. If partial breaks are left untreated, they can eventually cause a complete break in the bone.
How can you treat a broken leg with leg braces?
The location and type of break in the bone will determine the kind of treatment it needs. A broken leg will usually take between 6 to 8 weeks to heal. This is because the bones are used to support our weight and they will need more time to rebuild their strength.
Most broken leg bones are treated with heavy-duty braces known as a plaster cast. These kinds of braces are very heavy, but it will keep the leg immobilized so the bones can heal. Afterwards, you will need to make a follow-up visit with an orthopedic doctor, or bone specialist, to see how your leg is healing.
What are stress fractures?
Stress fractures are a special kind of leg injury which usually happen in the lower part of the leg. These fractures cause many tiny breaks in the bone which make it painful to walk.
How can you treat a stress fracture with leg braces?
Stress fractures can be treated with another kind of support known as air leg braces. These braces are made out of a special kind of foam which is held in place with velcro straps.
They’re lightweight and can be worn with or without shoes. Many people who use this type of brace find them to be so comfortable, that they hardly notice them as they go about their day.
The human body possesses amazing healing properties which allow it to recover from an amazing array of injuries and illnesses.
Using leg braces will help keep your bones in proper alignment so they can heal correctly. After a few short months, your bones are so thoroughly healed that most people won’t even know you’ve broken your leg.
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