Choosing the Right Knee Brace: What You Need to Know

There are 360 joints in the human body, but the knees are among the most hardworking and heavily used joints. The knee joints are crucial for movement and provide the necessary support for your body when you stand or walk. They do more work than most of us realize. Without them, it’s impossible to get around and perform basic activities.

If you experience issues with your knees, whether constant pain or stiffness, it can significantly diminish your mobility. However, with the right knee brace, you can relieve pain and regain use of your legs.

When to Wear Knee Braces

Knee braces can have various benefits. In most cases, when the knee joints sustain damage, whether through sports or a work-related injury, it could take a few weeks or months to heal. For specific injuries, the pain can linger and become chronic. Some of the most common chronic joint issues, such as osteoarthritis, can trigger persistent knee pain, significantly reducing quality of life.

Many people struggling with knee pain often rely on OTC pain relievers. In addition to these, braces can be worn to ease knee pain or prevent potential knee injuries when engaging in high contact sports and support healing from various injuries, including:

• Patellar Dislocation – Wearing the right type of knee brace keeps the patella in the right place when walking, running, and engaging in different athletic activities.
• Patellar Tendonitis and Chondromalacia Patellae (CMP) – Patellar tendonitis is a knee condition characterized by pain felt in the front of the knee.
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Sprain – Following a meniscus repair or an anterior cruciate ligament repair, the healthcare professionals recommend a knee brace for better joint stabilization.
• Patellar Tendonitis – Patellar tendonitis is a common knee injury characterized by a painful tendon that connects the kneecap (patella) to the shinbone (tibia). Wearing a knee brace helps lift the patella and controls the patellar motion.
• Knee Arthritis – A knee brace helps reduce pain by taking the pressure off the part of the arthritic knee. It is often medically recommended for people struggling with osteoarthritis and rehabilitation for an injured knee.
• Iliotibial Band Stress Syndrome – This type of condition is characterized by the pain on the side of the knee. Using knee braces helps compress the iliotibial band and reduces the pain by minimizing the mechanical forces on the affected knee area.

Types of Knee Braces to Consider

When choosing the right knee brace, it should be to address your specific knee condition to manage the pain and reduce the pressure effectively. Following a knee injury, wearing a knee brace also supports recovery by protecting the injured knee and its surrounding structures during the healing process.

Let us take a look at the different types of knee braces:

• Compression Knee Brace – It is by far the most popular type of knee brace commonly used to prevent potential injuries and protection purposes. A compression knee brace distributes the weight of your body to reduce the direct pressure on the knee. The neoprene wrap provides heat and gentle pressure to ease knee pain, relaxes the injured tissues, and promotes blood flow to boost healing. It is also designed to support weakened joints.
• Wrap-Around Knee Brace – This type of knee brace is often recommended for patients struggling with patellar dislocation, patellar instability, and mild to moderate knee pain. Wrap-around knee braces hold the badly injured knee in a secure position. Although it is surprisingly lightweight, its wrapped metal bands can gently but firmly keep the knee in place and support the healing process by taking the stress off the knee and enabling easy movements. The injured patient can remove it for temporary treatment and washing, unlike the plaster cast.
• Knee Strap – It provides great relief from knee pain caused by jumper’s knee (patellar tendonitis), Osgood-Schlatter Disease, and patella tracking. It can be easily put on and removed and can fit well under your clothes. It compresses the patellar tendon to prevent patellar injuries and reduce knee pain.

• Hinged Knee Support – Orthopedic surgeons or sports physicians usually prescribe this type of knee brace to athletes who have recovered from a damaged ligament to boost stability and protect the ligament. It is designed to provide the most structural support and protection. Hinged knee support allows injured patients to swing their knees safely forward and back. It also protects your knees from harmful insecure movements, which can accidentally reinjure your knees. You need to wear the hinged knee support every waking hour until your healthcare provider advises you to remove it.
• Motion Control Brace – A motion control brace is a good option for a sprained or overstretched lateral collateral ligament located on the side of the knee. It is a neoprene sleeve built with metal supports to support the injured ligaments. It is recommended for athletic activities that involve pivoting, stopping, and repetitive bending of the knee.
• Closed and Open Patella Braces – An open patella brace comes with a hole in the centre of the brace and is used to relieve knee pressure and provide additional support to your knee cap for proper movement and tracking. A closed patella brace has no holes to optimize knee cap compression and support.

The main question is: Do knee braces work? If worn frequently, knee braces can provide stability and improve your confidence in your knee. Some studies have found that knee braces can minimize symptoms and improve function in those with knee osteoarthritis while others suggest that effects are minimal. The best way to determine if you need a knee brace is to talk to a trusted healthcare professional. They will also help you choose the right knee brace for you.

At the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centres of Ontario, we will help you make the right choice. You do not need to worry about where to buy quality knee braces. We offer custom knee braces in Oshawa specifically designed to fit your knees and provide the support needed for your recovery. We also offer physical therapy to help you manage your condition and speed up your return to your daily activities.

To learn more about our custom knee braces, call us today at (905) 579-9938. You can also use our online contact form to send us your message. We will be happy to answer all your queries.