One of the most common areas afflicted with arthritis are knee joints, and the use of arthritis knee braces is an age old method of controlling the debilitating pain that comes with arthritis. Arthritis knee braces help reduce the pressure from the knee and leg, ultimately aligning the leg in the correct position to lessen the impact of arthritis pain.
Arthritis knee braces come in two broad categories - custom made and off the shelf. "Off the shelf" pertains to selecting the appropriate braces from a ready-made collection, whereas "custom made" pertains to having braces designed based on distinctive specifications and addressing the patient's unique knee requirements. Obviously, custom made braces are more expensive than the off the shelf type. However, a custom made brace is considerably better, as it is designed to suit the patient's specific needs. Along with knee braces, footwear choice is also important in determining the amount of pressure on the knees. The type of shoes a patient wears may either improve or worsen the pain correspondingly.
In addition to these two broad types, arthritis knee braces may also be grouped into four classifications.
An off loader knee brace, otherwise known as an unloader, is generally used to provide knee alignment. These braces provide knee support by reducing the valgus or varus stress from the knees, or the irregular mechanical alignment on one side of the knee.
Prophylactic braces, meanwhile, are used mostly by patients who suffer from knee injuries, usually sports injuries.
On the other hand, rehabilitative braces are used to improve lateral and medial movements. These braces also help to control the extension and flexing of the knee joint following a knee injury or a related surgery.
OA knee braces, as their name suggests, are used specifically by Osteoarthritis (OA) patients. These braces reduce pain by enabling proper alignment.
In general, these braces are an affordable and effective way of controlling knee joint pain. They have been proven to work for a number of arthritis knee patients. However, there is still some debate over their effectiveness.
Some medical experts would argue that braces are merely a temporary solution to a long-term problem, and often just delay the possibility of surgical knee replacements. The support of arthritis knee braces tend to weaken the knee and leg muscles, and may ultimately lead to permanent weakness and even further deteriorate the patient's condition.
Conversely, a number of users attest that when used regularly, these braces are effective in providing proper alignment, managing body weight on the knees, and even reducing pain significantly.
Ideally, the results of the brace depend on the merits of each case and should not be generalized. The patient's body constitution, overall health, and the extent of arthritis present, among a number of other factors, may have an impact on the results of knee brace usage.
In selecting the right knee braces for you, always keep your own requirements in mind. The specific type of brace you need will depend on the extent of your pain or the severity of your condition. The more serious the injury or pain, the bigger the braces you need. Off the shelf braces are just as effective as custom made ones, unless you have a specific pain/area to target or a quite uncommon knee shape.
It is always recommended that you consult a doctor first to determine the appropriate brace applicable to your condition. Always consult a qualified doctor prior to undergoing any form of treatment, whether medication or alternative therapies or knee braces.
No comments:
Post a Comment