If you have pain in your knee, your physician may recommend wearing a knee brace. They can also be used as a preventive apparatus to prevent knee injuries while you engage in physical activity. It’s important to consult with your doctor, and in some cases, you might even need the expertise of a specialized rotator cuff surgeon to ensure you’re getting the right treatment for your joint issues.
Talk to your doctor to determine if you need knee braces. The brace they recommend will depend on the type of injury and its severity.
Your doctor may also refer you to a physiotherapist to learn exercises that will accelerate your healing and prevent the injury from occurring in the future. There are many common knee injuries that you need to look out for.
For instance, ACL injuries, fractures, meniscal tears, bursitis, tendonitis, and dislocations are quite common and should be avoided as much as possible. Here, we will focus on the different knee braces and their benefits.
How do Knee Braces Fix Knee Pain, Injury, and Instability?
- Functional braces are designed to control your motion and stabilize your knees to prevent an injury from occurring again. Their support is so beneficial that many athletes wear functional braces long after recovering from their knee injury.
- Rehabilitative braces are commonly worn for a few weeks after a patient has undergone surgery or immediately after being injured. They allow for some movement while the patient is recovering while still keeping the knee stable.
- If you are worried about pain, your doctor may suggest wearing unloader braces. Unloader braces are designed to reduce pain in patients who have arthritis. They shift weight from the affected region to a stronger knee component to relieve pain.
What are the Main Benefits of Wearing Knee Braces?
A knee brace helps reduce pain, support your knee, and prevent further injury. They help your wounds heal while also allowing you to stay active. A knee brace will help compress the tissue around your knee.
It will prevent the knee from overextending to prevent your ligaments from tearing. Tissue healing is also facilitated while wearing a knee brace, which is why knee braces are often used after surgery or after a person has sustained a serious injury.
The stress and pressure that your injured knee is experiencing is offloaded to your thighs to alleviate pain, improve joint mobility, and reduce knee stiffness.
What are the Different Types of Knee Braces?
- Custom knee braces are fabricated specifically for your injury. The mold of your knee is factored into the design of the custom knee brace. They tend to cost more than other knee braces but benefit from conforming to your knee and body type.
- Hinged knee braces are designed for LCL, MCL, and ACL knee injuries. If you have recently undergone knee surgery, your doctor may recommend hinged knee braces to improve stability and provide protection while your knee heals.
- Slip-on Knee braces are currently the most used type of knee brace. They are known for not only being very affordable but also for providing superb knee joint support. If you suffer from chronic knee pain or arthritis, you may be supplied with slip-on knee braces.
- Wrap-around knee braces help patients who suffer from moderate or mild knee pain. They work particularly well in treating patellar dislocations and instability. They will keep the knee secure and ensure that the knee cap does not move abnormally.
- Open or closed patellar knee braces help deal with knee cap pain, whereas their closed counterparts help treat injuries that do not affect the knee cap directly.
If money is not an issue, most experts would recommend custom knee braces. Custom knee braces can help treat your knee injury quicker and more effectively than the other knee braces on the market because they are custom-tailored for your knee, body, and injury type.
Taking the First Step
You must wear a knee brace after an operation or after a knee injury to accelerate the healing process and prevent the damage from becoming worse. Knee braces can help relieve both acute and chronic knee pain and tension.
They can help provide mobility, stability, and support, depending on the type and extent of your knee injury. With a wide array of styles and materials to choose from, you need to speak to your doctor or physical therapist to determine which brace is best for your injury.
Knee braces may also be used as a preventive measure to prevent injuries while you exercise or play sports.
