Inguinal Hernia Belt

Inguinal Hernia Belts and trusses for groin hernia

The Hernia Belt or Truss has been used for many years. For instance the 19th century Eggleston's Truss from Chicago was described:

"Eggleston's Truss has a pad different from all others. It is cup-shaped, with a self-adjusting ball in the centre, and adapts itself to all positions of the body, while the ball in the cup presses back the intestines just as a person does with the finger. With light pressure the hernia is held securely day and night, and a radical cure is certain. It is easy, durable and cheap."

A variety of trusses are listed in the Snowden & Brother's catalog of the American Civil War era

Cluthe's Advice to the Ruptured, written in 1919 before surgical hernia repair became popular, describes dozens of hernia cases which were cured even by this relatively primitive truss. These cases are no longer considered to be scientific evidence, but are nevertheless encouraging testimonials for those with mild to moderate hernias who seek to follow the watchful waiting alternative to immediate hernia surgery.

What is Watchful Waiting? In their March 2006 issue, one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world, the Journal of the American Medical Association, published an article on Watchful Waiting as the treatment option of choice for inguinal hernias. What the researchers discovered was that if surgery is avoided, over the next five years there are fewer complications and less pain. This is because of the very real risk of post-operative complications. There is a new and growing medical consensus that a hernia should not be operated on until it presents real pain and is bulging badly.

Many doctors and surgeons simply don't bother to prescribe a truss. Even some of today's trusses use metal springs to apply pressure to the hernia, via a pad which can be quite hard, and usually bulges into the hernia. This inward bulging prevents the edges of the hernia from coming together, and can even enlarge it. This makes it difficult for the hernia to heal itself. On the other hand your Inguinal Hernia might enlarge if you do not wear some kind of support to keep it in.