Spinal brace (orthosis): Daily wear schedule

Your child needs to follow a three-week schedule to get used to full-time wear of their spinal brace. Read the day-by-day instructions on when your child should wear their brace and how to care for their skin.

Key points

It is important to gradually increase the amount of time your child wears their spinal brace with the goal that, after three weeks, they are wearing it full time.
Wearing the brace full time means your child is wearing it 20 to 22 hours per day.
It is important to take care of your child’s skin properly when they are wearing a brace.

This schedule is a general guideline for a child who will be wearing either a thoracic-lumbo-sacral orthosis (TLSO) or a Milwaukee brace. The goal is to have your child wear their spinal brace (orthosis) full-time for 20 to 22 hours per day by the end of three weeks.

Stage 1 (Day 1 to 5)

Goal: To have your child wear the brace for six hours after school.

Day	Instructions
1	Wear the brace after school for two hours. Remove for dinner. Wear after dinner for two hours. Remove for bed.
2	Wear the brace after school for two hours. Remove for dinner. Wear after dinner for three hours. Remove for bed.
3	Wear the brace after school for four hours continuously. Leave on for dinner. Eat a smaller dinner plus snack later. Remove for bed.
4	Wear the brace after school for five hours continuously. Leave on for dinner. Remove for bed.
5	Wear the brace after school for six hours. Remove for bed.

Stage 2 (Day 6 to 10)

Goal: To have your child wear the brace for eight hours overnight, when sleeping.

Day	Instructions
6	Leave the brace off after school, but wear to bed. Try to wear it all night. Remove in the morning.
7, 8, 9	Same as Day 6.
10	Wear the brace to bed all through the night. Remove in the morning.

Stage 3 (Day 11 to 15)

Goal: To have your child wear the brace for 14 hours after school and to bed.

Day	Instructions
11	Wear the brace for two hours before bed. Wear the brace all through the night. Remove in the morning.
12	Wear the brace for three hours before bed. Wear the brace all through the night. Remove in the morning.
13	Wear the brace for four hours before bed. Perform skin care before bed. Wear the brace all through the night. Remove in the morning.
14	Wear the brace for five hours before bed. Wear the brace all through the night. Remove in the morning.
15	Wear the brace immediately after school. Wear the brace right through until morning. Remove in the morning.

Stage 4 (Day 16 to 17)

Goal: To have your child wear the brace for 16 hours, to school and to bed.

Day	Instructions
16	Wear the brace to bed until morning. Perform skin care before breakfast. Wear immediately after skin care until lunch. Leave the brace off until after dinner. Wear the orthosis after dinner through to the next morning.
17	Wear the brace to bed until morning. Perform skin care before breakfast. Wear immediately after skin care. Wear all day until you arrive home from school. Remove until bedtime.

Stage 5 (Day 18 to 20)

Goal: To have your child wear the brace for 20 to 22 hours.

Day	Instructions
18	Wear the brace to bed. Wear right through school until dinner. Remove until bedtime.
19	Wear the brace to bed. Wear right through school and dinner until 8:00 pm. Remove until bedtime.
20	Wear the brace 20 to 22 hours per day.

Remember

Encourage your child to exercise every day.
Have your child bathe or shower and do skin care every day.
Wash your child’s brace every day.
Change your child’s undershirt at least once per day.

Contact your child’s orthotist if you have any questions.

Last updated: August 9th 2021