Braces, corsets, binders are a few of the names commonly associated with hernia. Yes, they are the ones that are mostly used in hernia management. Why do we say ‘management’ and not ‘treatment’? Braces are somewhat used to keep the hernia in place, that is, keeping it from troubling you more!

The first thing that needs to be emphasized upon in this discussion is – what is a hernia? A hernia is primarily a fatty tissue that is protruding out of the surrounding muscles and/or connective tissues. This peculiar phenomenon has several causes that could contribute to its occurrence. Some of them are –

• Simple muscle weakness
• Muscle strain (most commonly occurs in a sports injury)
• Muscle injury or weakness due to trauma or some severe accident
• Age is another significant contributory factor
• Pregnancy, inappropriate lifting of heavy objects, sudden weight gain, etc.
• Incessant coughing or sneezing

Do all hernias bulge out?

The good news is that most hernias remain dormant, that is, they neither bulge out nor have any symptoms. If that is the case, its not a condition to be presented in the form of a medical case. But when you have symptoms, what are they like?

Often, hernias are accompanied by continuous pain, aching while lifting something, feeling of fullness in the bulging area, etc. Types of hernias that may affect an individual are –

Inguinal hernia

The most common type of hernia is an inguinal hernia. A small portion of the intestine (mostly fatty tissues) pushes through the groin or the lower part of the belly. This mostly occurs in men but might affect women also after pregnancy or with the advancement in age. Strain from some specific physical activity also results in inguinal hernia

Femoral Hernia

They are similar to inguinal hernia; it’s only that they are manifested in a separate location (the femoral region). There might not be any outward manifestation, that is, bulging or protrusion. However, they are usually accompanied by severe belly pain that might culminate in nausea and vomiting.

Ventral Hernia

A ventral hernia occurs in between the chest and the belly button. Factors that cause such hernias are incessant coughing, lifting of heavy objects, constipation and straining hard in the lavatory, etc.

The typology of hernias consists of a lot more than the ones discussed above. Incisional hernias, hiatal hernia as well as a hernia in children (newborn) are prevalent too. We now need to move on to how hernias are treated and how braces play a role in their treatment?

Certain hernias heal on their own, like – the umbilical hernia in newborn babies. Else surgery is resorted. In certain cases, surgical intervention might be a problem. Under such circumstances, the doctor will advise you to keep an eye on the hernia and report immediately if it tends to grow in size or turns painful. Not to worry, hernia only requires a minimally invasive surgery!

Hernia management with Braces

If surgery, for some reason or the other, is not possible or not opted by the patient, ‘compression’ is one holistically non-invasive mode of hernia treatment. Compression is exerted in the affected area with the help of medical products like –

• Hernia belts (single side and both sides)
• Compression wear or compression shorts
• Hernia wrap, and
• Hernia braces

Both side hernia belt is often required by patients, especially sportsmen who have developed hernia on either side. However, braces are always known to provide better support than belts. They exert complete pressure on the total groin area and are thus more comfortable to put on!