Top Types of Knee Braces and How to Use Them

Posted by Aimee Bruce on December 14th, 2019

You must know by now that the knee is a very delicate part of your body. It needs proper care for it to function normally. Without such a keen care routine your knee can easily sustain a fatal injury or a health problem.

Some injuries are so bad they might prevent you from walking at all. The same applies to the various knee health problems. So, what exactly can a combination of these two problems cause? Here take a look.

• Poor posture
• Difficulty in movement
• Stinging pain
• General discomfort
• Inflammation of the knee
• Painful knee ligament

Even so, it doesn’t have to always be this way. Just as I mentioned, all you need to put in place is proper care. You can start by basic options such as buying the right types of knee braces. In this post, I will show the types of braces that we have for the knee and how they can be of help.

Types of Knee Braces

There are four major types of knee braces that anyone can buy. These knee braces function differently and include the following:

• Prophylactic Knee Braces: Prevents/ Reduces severity of injuries on ligaments
• Functional Knee Braces: Provides support to the knees once the knee is injured
• Rehabilitative Knee Braces: Help in recovery/Limits potential harm to knees during movement
• Unloader/Offloader Knee Braces: Provides relief for people with arthritis

How to Use Knee Braces

Before you wear any types of knee braces, you must first buy the right  knee braces for your needs. Like you have seen, every type of knee brace has a special role. If you get the right type, your knee will get the right stabilization. So visit your doc to help you determine the type of knee brace you need.

• Sprain or Strained ligament:  Regular brace with neoprene sleeve/ hinged neoprene brace
• Patella tracking problem:  Special brace that holds the patella and limits movement

Here are the steps on how to choose and wear the best types of knee braces.

• Use a measuring tape to measure your leg
• Start with the mid-thigh level
• Follow with the mid-calf
• Measure your leg around the knee
• Record both measurements down

NOTE: Depending on your findings, your leg can be categorized in small, medium or large. This measurement also determines a similar compilation of knee braces. The size of the knee brace is usually listed on the package.

How to Where Your Knee Brace

First slide your knee brace up your leg. A neoprene knee brace is best for this. Make sure the hole is lined up with the front part of your knee. Let the kneecap fit through the brace hole if standing. Now try and walk to see if its fits.

Additional Tips

• Ensure the hinges of the braces sit on the sides of the knees
• Tighten any type of strap that you have – Velcro straps
• If you are using loops or hooks do not over-tighten them
• Remember to fit the knee cap through the hole on the brace

Conclusion

It is a good thing that you have seen the best types of knee braces that you can buy. You have also seen why you need these knee braces and other ideal knee care tips. This is a good start to proper knee care and braces are the basic knee care option.

They are also affordable and will hardly cause any pinch on your wallet. You can replace them easily when worn out without necessarily thinking twice. Choose the best knee brace type and keep your knee healthy.