“An alternative in a developing market”

From ambitious amateur athletes and classic hip patients seeking to delay total joint replacement, to elderly pain patients – in Jürgen Goldberg’s experience, the CoxaTrain helps make the most of non-surgical treatment options in cases of osteoarthritis of the hip.

“The CoxaTrain is an enormous innovation in hip treatment. It is an alternative that offers a choice in a developing market,” says Jürgen Goldberg, expert orthotist and Managing Director at Seeger Sachsen medical supply retailer. “It’s functional and easy to use for patients, it takes up little space, has a high degree of wearing comfort, and it works.” And that is what it is all about to ensure orthopedic products do not end up lying in a cupboard. 

The modern medical supply retail store located behind the historical façade in Dresden’s Neustadt quarter treats a wide range of different customers with braces for osteoarthritis of the hip. One of them is a highly active, middle-aged runner whose hip is giving him trouble. He belongs to a whole new customer base that Jürgen Goldberg describes as follows: “The generation aged between 50 and 65 has greater expectations when it comes to their physical mobility.” These patients tend to listen to their bodies more, are more likely to visit a physician and are therefore diagnosed earlier. This group tends to wear the brace during exercise and hiking as protection to compensate for moments of increased load more effectively.

The biggest patient group includes older people from 70 years of age who are still active and want to delay the indication for hip surgery. “With the brace, these patients have a chance to gain a few more years. It’s a useful solution for the treating physicians because they can make the most of all non-surgical treatment options in accordance with guidelines,” says Jürgen Goldberg. The brace is also beneficial for short-term use in a pre-operative setting, for example, to bridge the waiting time until surgery – such as the second total hip replacement on the other side. And then there is also the patient group of those advanced in age who object to surgery for various reasons, but who can get by well thanks to the stabilizing effect of the CoxaTrain. Some of them may also benefit from the design of the brace in everyday life, such as in cases of incontinence, compared to other competitor variants.

The appropriate medical product for confidence during everyday activities

Jürgen Goldberg and his team offer all osteoarthritis patients with a prescription the opportunity to try out different braces and to find the appropriate medical product in consultation with the prescriber. This also includes letting patients take home a sample to try it out for two to three days if required. In his experience, this has several advantages: they can test everyday activities in their own home, which may vary from the handicapped accessible conditions at the medical supply retailer. They may also wish to try out handling the product with care staff or family members at their leisure. And the third plus: most patients do feel support, relief and stabilization during the first few steps with the CoxaTrain, even in their backs. But: “it takes a little while for the pain reduction to also increase the feeling of confidence,” explains Jürgen Goldberg. One or two follow-up appointments are planned depending on the individual’s requirements. “This is our added value when it comes to service,” the Managing Director emphasizes. “Comprehensive consultation and support is essential because it’s the first product for many people.”

Explaining hip braces and addressing concerns

The catchment area of the four branches, two of which are located in Dresden, two in Neustadt, Saxony, is relatively large. “Some of our customers live in the countryside,” reports Jürgen Goldberg. In addition, he and his team also look after patients in hospitals and in their own homes. This is because not every customer is able to come to the store for the fitting and adjustment appointment.

Typical patient questions often relate to wearing duration. “I always advise patients to always wear the brace during phases of exertion, such as doing domestic chores or gardening, or when going on extended walks,” explains the expert orthotist. “In cases of acute pain, I recommend wearing the brace the whole day.” How regularly the CoxaTrain is being worn is also demonstrated by the fact that Seeger Sachsen is already providing follow-up products – usually a year later. “But a lot still needs to be addressed in the area of hip braces until everyone is aware of the non-surgical options, as is the case of osteoarthritis of the knee.”

The CoxaTrain alleviates hip pain during movement 

The CoxaTrain hip brace supports exercise therapy in cases of osteoarthritis of the hip, rheumatoid arthritis and hip impingement syndrome. It provides relief while walking and significantly reduces pain in the lumbo-pelvic-hip region, offering positive effects on functional abilities. The brace surrounds the pelvic girdle with circular compression, stabilizes the hip and lower back and helps relieve the often painful sacroiliac joints (SI joints). Two SI joint friction pads, the Gluteal Pad and the flexible Trochanter Pad exert a massage effect during walking, thus relaxing the muscles carrying out movements.

Initial study results published in the open-access specialist journal Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology by Steingrebe et al. confirm the effectiveness of the CoxaTrain. In a randomized, controlled study, scientists from the BioMotion Center at the Institute of Sports and Sports Sciences at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) investigated the effects of the brace: after a wearing period of seven days, it reduced pain at night by 17.8 per cent and pain while walking by 28.6 per cent. The walking distance increased by 5.2 per cent. A summary of selected findings from the publication is available as a digital whitepaper from: 

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Images: Thomas Lebie, Bauerfeind