An Update on My Knee Brace Situation

You’ve probably heard of Knee Brace as one way to help relieve the pain and swelling associated with osteoarthritis (OA) or chondromalacia patella (runner’s knee). The same concepts apply if you have an ACL injury, torn meniscus, or are recovering from major surgery on your leg. Essentially, the brace acts as protection while your body heals itself, keeping the knee in place while it allows you to be more active than you would be otherwise. But how exactly does this work? Is it safe? How do you even get one in the first place?

Are you a candidate for knee brace?

I will be honest; I am not a candidate for Knee Brace. By definition of the brace, there are some limits to it. Some limitations are because of your anatomy, and others can be because of other health issues such as arthritis or gout in the knees. Overall my biggest concern is that my only leg strength is gone when I have a knee injury. A fellow amputee said to me once I was able to figure out how to use crutches with one arm better than you have learned how to use crutches with two legs.

If you want to play sports, do you need an ACL reconstruction?

Growing up, I never realized the value of an ACL reconstruction until I tore mine in a skiing accident. As I hobbled around for a few months post-surgery, my life got put on hold as every time I took a step or hopped onto something, it hurt. Once I returned to a normal lifestyle, all of the little things were different: climbing stairs was hard because my knee would shake and get sore; walking up hills became tedious because my other leg felt like it had to work twice as hard to compensate for the pain in my right knee; and of course there was the biking. You guessed it – no more biking! Even thinking about getting back onto my bike feels impossible because who knows how my right knee will react when straddling that bike seat? The prospect of going through that pain again is enough to keep me from ever getting back on the saddle. So does this mean I need surgery again? Definitely not! An experienced orthopedic surgeon can do a lot with non-surgical treatments, such as braces and physical therapy, which have helped me tremendously over the past year. With these therapies, I’ve regained most of my mobility without needing surgery and without having to take any time off from school or work. In fact, I’m even teaching classes at my gym! A few weeks ago, I decided to go ahead and do some biking with a buddy. It was nerve-wracking but after five minutes of riding, everything felt completely normal again. Now I’m starting to wonder if an ACL reconstruction might be unnecessary after all.

What to look for in a knee brace

The right Knee Brace can provide crucial support for your knees and allow you to do your favorite activities again. However, picking the right one is difficult because they vary in price, features, and quality. Here are our top five knee braces you should consider:

1) XGO-Knee Support Strap

The XGO-K’s strap is a comfortable option that allows people with high or medium arches to use it comfortably. The strap also has three straps that go around the calf in order to provide additional stability. Plus, it’s inexpensive which makes it a good starter brace.

2) David 615 Lateral Knee Support

The David 615 Lateral Knee Brace Support offers a lightweight option for those who don’t want their knee brace interfering with their game. It also has an elastic band that helps keep the kneecap in place.

3) Bauerfeind Entrain Ligament Compression Sleeve

This elbow sleeve provides stable compression without being too tight and has two hinges on either side of the leg so that you can put pressure on different parts of your leg as needed. If you’re looking for something more supportive, this may be the best choice!

The best knee braces available in 2018

I’m so sorry for the lack of a blog post! I’ve been really focused on getting my knee brace situation resolved. Here’s what’s happened since I last posted: I went to China to buy a new knee brace, but they didn’t have the right ones. Then, they sent me the wrong size, and now it’s too late for me to go back and get it this summer. BUT – finally!! They are making progress in getting a new brace made that will work better for me! The support is just not strong enough, so this will be way better because it doesn’t need such as tight fit. It still needs some changes before we go into production with it, but they’re working hard and should have it done soon!

How I found relief from knee pain with this brace

I’ve been suffering from knee pain for about a year now. I don’t really know what’s wrong with it, but it’s gotten to the point where my Knee Brace is so weak that I can’t take more than five steps without feeling an unbearable amount of pain. Luckily, one of my friends had recently started working for Named —a company that creates medical devices— and offered to get me a discount on their knee brace. When the brace arrived in the mail, I figured it was worth giving it a try. It came with instructions that showed me how to put it on and showed exactly how much pressure points should be put onto different areas of my knee joint. Surprisingly enough, after wearing the brace every day for two weeks, I found significant relief!

Additional Resources

So I got a knee brace but it is way too tight and digs into my leg all day. After having to take the other one off due to how uncomfortable it was, I feel like this one isn’t working out. So, I just ordered another! Hopefully this will work better.