Saturday, February 21, 2009

Knee Braces For Arthritis

By Amy Clark

One of the most common parts affected by arthritis are the knee joints, and the use of knee braces is an age old technique for reducing the often debilitating pain caused by arthritis. These braces help lessen the pressure on the leg and knee, gradually aligning the leg in the right position to lessen the impact of arthritis pain.

Arthritis knee braces have 2 broad types - custom-made and off-the-shelf. "Off the shelf" entails choosing the appropriate braces from a ready-to-wear set, whereas "custom made" refers to specifying a brace design based on explicit condition and addressing your unique knee requirements. Evidently, custom-made braces are more expensive than the off-the-shelf knee braces. Then again, a custom made arthritis knee brace is substantially better, as it is designed to suit the patient's specific condition. Together with arthritis knee braces, your choice of shoes is also vital in determining the amount of pressure on the knees. The type of shoes a patient wears can either reduce or increase your pain.

In addition to these 2 broad categories, knee braces can also be grouped into 4 distinct types.

An off-loader arthritis knee brace, otherwise known as an unloader, is normally used to improve knee alignment. Off-loader knee braces support the knee by lessening the varus (valgus) stress from the knees, or the abnormal mechanical alignment on one side of the knee.

Prophylactic braces, meanwhile, are worn typically by individuals who suffer from knee injuries, particularly sports injuries.

On the other hand, rehabilitative braces are recommended to repair medial and lateral mobility. These braces likewise improve the flexion and extension of the joints of the knee following knee injuries or surgeries.

OA braces, as their name suggests, are used particularly by those suffering from Osteoarthritis (OA). These knee braces alleviate pain by promoting proper alignment.

In general, arthritis knee braces are an inexpensive and reliable way of relieving joint pain of the knees. Knee braces have been known to work in the majority of cases. Nonetheless, there are opposing opinions about their efficiency.

Some groups insist that these braces are only a momentary treatment to a long-lasting condition, and often delay the requirement for knee surgery. The artificial support of these knee braces can debilitate the knee and leg muscles, which may consequently bring about permanent weakness and all the more deteriorate the patient's condition.

Nonetheless, a number of patients swear that regular use of knee braces effectively work in correcting knee alignment, manage body weight on the knee, and reducing pain significantly.

Of course, the end results of brace use are based on the merits of each case and must not be hastily generalized. One's overall health, body constitution, as well as the severity of arthritis, among a number of other factors, may affect the results of knee brace use.

In deciding on the appropriate arthritis knee braces for your own use, always consider your own unique requirements. The particular type of knee brace for you is dependent on the gravity of your pain or the state of your condition. The more severe the pain, the larger the knee braces you need. Off the shelf knee braces are equally as reliable as custom-made braces, unless you have a distinctive pain or area to address or a rather irregular knee shape.

As always, it is prudent to discuss this with your physician first to identify the right knee brace for your condition. Always consult a physician before using any method of treatment, whether medicinal drugs or natural remedies or knee braces.

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