Orthotics specialists can help you recover from injuries, surgeries, and disorders that affect your musculoskeletal system. Thresiamma Mathew, MD, and Terry Mathew, MD, of RTM Physiatry & Psychiatry, provide expert orthotics services at their New York City office in Jamaica, Queens. They can fit braces, splints, and other types of orthoses to support and stabilize damaged joints and tissues and help you get the most benefit from your rehabilitation program. To find out more and schedule a consultation, call RTM Physiatry & Psychiatry today or book an appointment online.
Orthotics is a specialized area within medicine that uses external devices or orthoses, such as braces and splints. Orthotics offer support and stability to weakened or abnormal areas of your body, for example:
Joints that suffer connective tissue injuries might need bracing to prevent the joint from giving way.
If you’ve had surgery, an orthosis can provide support for the healing tissues and prevent you from damaging the repaired area.
If you have a condition that causes hypermobility or leaves you prone to repeated dislocation of a joint, orthotics can restrict movement to prevent injury.
Off-loading orthoses are useful for patients with osteoarthritis to relieve pressure on the affected joints.
If you’re at risk of damaging your ligaments, you might benefit from prophylactic bracing to prevent injury.
There are two types of orthotics:
An orthosis used for immobilization keeps the affected body part still and has no moveable parts. It enables the damaged tissues or joints to rest while they heal.
An orthosis used for mobilization has moveable, adjustable parts. Some examples (dynamic orthoses) have elasticated sections, coils, or springs to enable you to move normally. Others (static progressive orthoses) don’t have the elasticity of a dynamic orthosis and instead exert a degree of pull on a stiff or tight area.
Serial static orthoses are mobilization devices that you wear for a while then have remolded at intervals as your condition improves.
Another widely used form of orthotics is custom-designed shoe inserts for people with foot and ankle conditions.
You might need an orthosis if you have a physical condition that affects your mobility or range of motion. Conditions that may require some form of orthosis include:
Knee braces are one of the most common forms of orthotics used at RTM Physiatry & Psychiatry. The knees are one of the hardest-working joints in your body, and older people frequently get osteoarthritis of the knee.
Injuries to the knee like anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears are also common in both amateur and professional athletes. They require a brace to support the knee and reduce stress on the joint during the healing process.
RTM Physiatry & Psychiatry’s specialists have considerable experience in using orthotics. To benefit from their expertise, call the office or book an appointment online today.
