An orthopedic unloader device is a prescription piece of medical equipment classified as Durable Medical Equipment. Though it may look like a brace that can be bought without a prescription, it does much more than an over-the-counter device can, just like prescription medications do more than a drug you can purchase off the shelf at a grocery store.
Unloader devices, whether for the spine or for the knees, actually create space in the joints, relieving mechanical pressures as well as decreasing pain.
Studies have shown that a quality unloader device can decrease opioid and general pain medication use, cut the likelihood of having to have a surgical intervention in half, and facilitate better healing when used in conjunction with a regenerative medicine procedure.
