Written by Guest Contributor: Mia Carter based upon her own lived experience.
Broken ribs can be extremely painful and they’re all too common in individuals who are prone to falls. The same individuals who have a high fall risk may also require the use of a gate belt – a tool used by physical therapists and caretakers alike to help guide and slow the individual as they start to fall.
TLDR
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A cohort study of older adults found an incidence of 4.8 reported rib fractures per 1,000 person-years. But the undiagnosed incidence is expected to be far higher.
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In 2019, 4.11 million new sternal and/or rib fractures were reported. This translates into an incidence rate of approximately 52 cases per 100,000 people worldwide each year.
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Curiously, there was a 52% increase in the number of adults who were diagnosed in hospital emergency departments in the ten-year timeframe of 2012 to 2021.
Gate belts are very effective for reducing the incidence of injury as a direct result of a fall. But it comes at a price for folks with broken ribs. Fractures can cause an individual’s ribcage to be very tender; so much so that even the pressure from a sports bra may be intolerable.
This makes putting on a gate belt a very painful experience; never mind the pain that would arise if the person actually starts to fall and a caretaker or physical therapist actually needs to use the gate belt to slow their momentum.
Enter: The Easeability Jacket.
A Gate Belt Alternative for a Person With Broken Ribs
Rib fractures are extremely common, accounting for 7% of so-called “fragility fractures.” In fact, rib fracture risk factors include older age and reduced bone density / osteoporosis. The latter can arise at any age as a result of poor diet and medications such as prednisone and even GLP1 medications.
The Easeability Jacket can reduce the amount of pain that an individual with broken ribs will experience while working to remain active as they recover.
The reason? It’s all about weight distribution.
Gate belts are stiff, thick belts that are applied mid-torso. The gate belt must be fairly snug; just enough for another person to slide their hand between the body and the belt. But this snugness can feel torturous if your ribs are broken and bruised.
The Easeability Jacket Makes Recovery Easier and Less Painful
Gate belts were the bane of my existence after 8 ribs and my sternum were broken during CPR. They say broken ribs are a sign of well-administered CPR and I can definitely testify to that! But it left my chest extremely sensitive. Even a loose sports bra was too much pressure, so the mere thought of the physical therapy team’s gate belts made my chest ache! But getting up and standing – we didn’t get to walking until rehab – was non-negotiable, so it just became something I had to endure. (And dread!)
The Easeability Jacket would have made my recovery far less painful. The jacket has straps on the back that allow a caretaker, physical therapist, or another companion to “catch” a person as they begin to fall.
The jacket spreads the pressure across the entire torso, whereas the gate belt focuses its pressure on a comparatively small amount of real estate.
The Easeability Jacket doesn’t just make movement more tolerable. It makes rehabilitation safer and more dignified too. It doesn’t broadcast your instability like a gate belt and that’s important.
What’s more, many individuals with rib fractures also experience secondary challenges such as compromised balance, weakness, or dizziness related to medication or illness.
For these patients, complete inactivity can delay healing and increase the risk of pneumonia, muscle atrophy, and overall de-conditioning. By enabling safe assisted mobility, the Easeability Jacket helps bridge the gap between protection and progress. Patients can continue light movement, therapy, and daily tasks without the fear of sudden, excruciating pressure on their ribs.
Making Movement More Enjoyable
The Easeability Jacket’s ergonomic design naturally follows the body’s contour, maintaining stability without compression. Unlike traditional gate belts, which can aggravate chest injuries, the Easeability Jacket distributes weight evenly through padded panels and cross-support seams, minimizing localized pressure while maximizing control during assisted movement.
Check out the Easeability Jacket today!
Note: The Easeability Jacket is not a medical device. Please do not lift anyone that you don't feel capable of assisting. Protect your body as the caregiver to ensure you are not injured while attempting to lift your loved one regardless of the method you use.
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