Monday, 7 November 2011

Talking About Knee Braces: Its Purpose And Types

By David McGregor


A knee brace is used to support your injured knee from further harm and also to prevent it from future injury. This device will help you stay on your feet and maintain your knee stability. Patients who have existing knee condition like arthritis find this helpful in relieving the pain and easing the symptoms. They are advised to use knee support together with proper medication and physical therapy. Knee brace is also helpful with athletes whose sports require vigorous knee activities. This equipment can help them perform at their best and be more confident in playing the games.

Usage of Knee Braces

Knee braces are designed differently to match with different types of knee injuries. It can also protect the uninjured knee from stresses that could damage the joints or ligaments. Some people are advised to use this device to stabilize the knees during rotational activities and outside forces like a sudden blow on the knee. This braces offer help to knee problematic patients by aiding with their knee treatment and rehabilitation. Children who are too young to undergo surgery are also recommended to wear knee braces to reduce the pain and prevent further knee deformation.

The Different Types of Knee Braces

Different types of knee braces have been developed for the intention of providing prevention and proper treatment to knee injuries. There are known benefits of using this device and they vary according to its types.

Prophylactic braces - This brace is usually worn by athletes who are engaged in contact sports such as football, basketball and hockey. This kind of brace was successfully tested in the National Football league. Athletes who have used these braces had reported benefits such as decreased of knee pain, enhanced performance and protect the knee from MCL injury. This brace is made of bars, straps, tapes or hook-and-pile fasteners.

Functional knee braces - Functional brace is commonly prescribed with people after an ACL injury. This device gives support to the knee that has been injured. It supports the harmed knee during the healing process. There are several types of functional braces depending on the severity of the injury. Proper measurement should be taken by your doctor to determine the knee brace that will match your knee size. Correctly fit brace is crucial in helping your knee recover.

Rehabilitative Brace - A rehabilitative brace is recommended after a surgery or injury to control the movement of the knee. Most doctors will advise this kind of brace immediately following surgery to protect the newly reconstructed joints or ligaments. Most patients feel more comfortable using this brace while they continue to improve their knee strength and stability. This kind of brace comes in different sizes and usually off-the-shelf.

Unloader knee braces - Unloader braces are suggested for people who have arthritis or improper knee bone position. This brace is used to ease the pressure off the joint by pressing pressure on the thigh bone. This is also useful for the people who are awaiting knee operation or for children who are not yet ready for surgery.

These knee braces have different functions and can easily be bought to any medical stores. Make sure that you know the proper knee brace that best match your knee problem to avoid further pain. Visit your family physician for an accurate prescription of which knee brace for your knee problem.




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