by Spinal Champion Advocate Ella T.
Hi — I’m Ella and I am a Spinal Champion Advocate who was diagnosed with Scoliosis and overcame it. I also spent several years of summer with Scoliosis. Throughout my journey I didn’t have a lot of people to go to for advice, so I want to share my experiences so others can have an easier time.
Today I want to focus on having a brace during the summer time. I know for me it was really difficult because it was hard to deal with the heat while wearing a brace, but luckily I was able to find some ways to help me out. I hope they’ll help you too!
- Beach bag
I love going to the beach, but it can be kind of difficult with a brace. While looking for some tips on going to the beach with a brace, a lot of people were saying it was difficult to get the sand off of their brace and it made everything uncomfortable. So to prevent this from happening I got a bag that could easily fit my brace. It’s a great way to keep your brace clean and to keep track of where it is. I never needed to worry about it getting dirty or losing track of it.
- Spray bottle for rubbing alcohol
During the summer it’s inevitable that you’ll be sweating with the brace on. I recommend carrying a little spray bottle with some rubbing alcohol in it for when you need to clean the brace. It’s a fast and easy way to make sure you’re taking care of your brace, and it’s very portable!
- Have multiple brace tank tops and strapless tank tops for dresses
Bring a couple of brace tank tops with you when you’re going somewhere. You never know when you might need to change into a new one and it’s always good to be prepared! I also recommend having some seamless tank tops if you want to wear dresses. They won’t be noticeable and will keep you comfortable.
>>>>> Paige Fraser: Dancer and Scoliosis Warrior (Interview)
- Wearing baggier t-shirts and high waisted shorts
My friends and I always wore baggy t-shirts in the summer and it really helped with managing the heat. The t-shirts help hide the outline of the brace so if you’re self-conscious about it it’ll help! I also would say to wear high waisted shorts as well if you don’t want the outline of the brace to show.
- Dresses
Dresses were a lifesaver for me on hot days. I was able to keep cool in my brace while still being comfortable. I would definitely recommend getting more dresses for the summer time if you don’t have them.
- Log the time you take off and put on your brace
I know wearing the brace during the summer is difficult, but it’s very important to keep on track with your schedule. To help me remember how much time I’ve had my brace on or off, I had a notebook where I wrote down all of the times I took it off and put it back on. It helped me see how much time I had left and what I did during the day.
- Bike if you can
Biking may seem a little out of place on the list, but trust me it’s really nice. My friends and I would bike on trails together and the wind would help cool me down. It was also a lot easier to travel around to different places.
Those are my tips for getting through summer with a Scoliosis and a brace! I hope some of these tips were helpful to you and if you’d like more information, please feel free to reach out to me here.
