Nea International bv has been supplying A and B level and HP athletes with PSB Sports Braces and Push Braces since January 2015. This joint initiative with NOC*NSF (the Dutch Olympic Committee and the Dutch Sports Federation) allows these athletes to order braces free of charge. With only a couple of days to go before the Olympic Games commence in Rio, a range of Push Braces and PSB Sports Braces has been put together and has been shipped out to Rio.
The Dutch Olympic Committee and the Dutch Sports Federation doctor, Cees-Rein van den Hoogenband, pioneered the Push Braces and PSB Sports Braces. In the early eighties he was involved in the functional treatment of joint injuries. He was searching for a method based on the successful Coumans tape bandage, in order to treat musculoskeletal injuries in a functional way. He was convinced that there had to be a simpler and more user friendly alternative for the patient, by integrating textiles, elasticated straps and built-in supports into the designs. This resulted in Nea International bv being founded in 1986 and the beginning of the development of Push Braces and PSB Sports Braces. Van den Hoogenband was involved with the company up until 2006.
Van den Hoogenband explains that there are two roles for the use of braces in the upper echelons of sport: “The first is the role of treating sports injuries. The second is the major part braces play in preventing injuries. Prevention is better than cure. It is vital we keep our athletes fit and healthy.”
We are proud and pleased to help the athletes in their preparations for the Olympic Games, but we are also happy to be there offering protection and support for them during the actual games. We wish all Olympic athletes the best of luck in Rio!
Read the article also on teamnl.org (Dutch only):
www.teamnl.org/artikelen/2016/06/psb-and-push-braces-voor-olympische-topsporters