Do Hernia Trusses Really Work for Pain Relief and Management?

Good question! Let’s start by answering the right questions:

What is a hernia?

A hernia occurs because of a weakened spot in the tissue or muscle surrounding an organ or cavity, where the underlying soft tissue or organ then pushes through the hole. Weakness of the surrounding tissue could be due to a congenital condition, previous surgery or injury to the site. With moderately strenuous activities and, in some people, even with just bending forward, the resultant pressure on the internal soft tissue is too great for the weakened tissue wall to contain it, and a bulge forms under the skin.

Some common hernias include inguinal, umbilical and hiatal, usually found in the abdominal wall or groin area.

Which hernias can be treated with a truss?

If a hernia is reducible (it can be made smaller with manual manipulation and gentle massaging), a truss could be considered to help manage the discomfort while going through your normal daily activities. If the hernia is not reducible, surgical intervention could be needed to fix the weak spot in the tissue.

Which truss would you recommend?

Depending on the location of the hernia, a garment with a pressure pad will be needed to put pressure over the weakened spot in the tissue wall.

In the case of a reducible inguinal hernia, we use the Ortel Hernia Truss. Here are some of the features and benefits:

• Firm support: elastic fabric provides targeted compression and pain relief.

• Adaptable: can be used on left or right side via reversible buckle system.

• Adjustable: removable and repositionable silicone pads.

• Easy care: machine washable at 40 °C.

• Low profile: fits seamlessly under clothing

• Easy donning with Velcro tab straps

• Comfortable for use pre- or post-operatively