Injuring Your ACL & Protecting Your ACL Afterward

ACL injuries can happen to anyone. Individuals that are highly active tend to have a greater chance at injuring this ligament, especially those that can cause a lot of force placed on the ACL. Gender also seems to play a role in the frequency of ACL injuries. In collegiate basketball, women players have been noted to have an ACL injury rate that is up to 8 times more likely than men in the same sport!

Usually high speed twists can injure the ACL. Moreover, high speed bending or extending the knee beyond its normal range of motion, or akward landings can result in an ACL injury. Many people think that football players are the most susceptible to ACL injuries but people who play basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, tennis, skiers etc. can also injury this ligament with the wrong kind of movement.

At Dr. Brace Company, we have heard people mention a "popping" sound when the actual tear happens. Sometimes people can tear their ACL and not hear the popping sound as well. After the injury occurs, a significant amount of pain and swelling can occur. You may also feel like the stability of your knee is compromised, like it is going to "give out" on you.

An ACL knee brace can be a highly supportive adjunct to your recovery process. ACL type knee braces are usually more sturdy than your neoprene style knee brace. (Dr. Brace Company can show you many options, after you read through this article.) What this basically means is that you will have a brace that is designed for your size, and that it will help to stop any bending, twisting, or hyperextension movements of your knee that will further insult your injury. Furthermore, ACL knee braces, when properly designed, can help to stop side to side movements as well that when excessive in nature can reinjure your knee.

Many people have expressed a sense of relief when they get these kinds of knee braces, because they do not feel like their knee is going to "Give Out" on them when it is worn. They also express the fact that they can still move around and the brace does not inhibit their movement to the point were it is combersome.

For more options on bracing you can visit us online at http://www.drbraceco.com/

What Kind of Knee Brace Do You Need? - Some Answers Here, Read On...

What Kind of Knee Brace do you need?

There are a ton of different knee braces on the market.

Which one do you need?

Is there a perfect one for you?

That's a good question! We can help you weed through the billions of different braces you see online. This way you are less likely to waste your time and money.

If you need support for your knee and know nothing about braces, you may have already gone to internet for help. That's not a bad first step. Just be careful who you listen to, of course. DR Brace Company will be the first to remind you that you need to beware of those people who just want to sell you their brace; there are way too many of them! In the next few paragraphs you will have an idea, that may save you hundreds of dollars, if not MORE! Not only that, you may find a brace that is more supportive for you too!

But first, why should you listen to us?

Dr Brace Company was founded by American Board Certified orthotists (Professional brace makers/providers) that have earned the highest degree of education surrounding the topic of braces of all different kinds (except braces for your teeth!). Actually, if you want to be specific, professionals in the industry call braces, "orthoses". Treating patients with braces, on a per diem basis, is what a certified orthotist lives, eats and breathes. 99% of other websites can not claim American Board Certified status in orthotics, so why would you want to trust their word on a brace?? Just remember that their a lot of sales people on the internet that are just selling you the brace and have no idea about their product! They don't even know if they are going to harm you with the wrong brace! That is really scary and you need to stay away from that kind of situation.

Ok, lets get down to helping you.

First, when you want to figure out what brace (orthosis) you need, the first person to help you, is yourself. You need to answer the follwing questions for yourself : Do you have a pain? Is the pain always there? How severe is your pain on a subjective scale? Try to make a reference of this pain on a scale 1 out of 10; 10 being the worst. Is it so intense that you have considered going to the doctor? Or, is the pain past considering going to the doctor and you must GO NOW!? These are very important questions you need to ask yourself. We will start with supports that are mild and work our way up to strong knee braces in subsequent blogs. Many braces you can get online, can help you, but their purposes are not always equal. Always remember this, if your pain or diagnosis is intense enough you may want to visit your physician. This is something that can not be overlooked.

Let's get down to the basic supports first. In upcoming blogs we will continue to discuss even more options for you.

1.) The neoprene knee brace. What is neoprene? Neoprene is a soft somewhat stretchy material that provides support. These neoprene knee braces are considered to be far less restrictive than others that include a hinge, or that have metal components. This can be a good thing and a bad thing to be made of all neoprene. Drytex is a similar material used, which is like neoprene in nature. The bottom line is that neoprene knee braces are more of a reminder to you that you shouldn't do certain movements that will cause you pain. They do not really restrict movement which is what some people need due to their injury or diagnosis. These are the types of braces that a lot of basketball players used to wear, namely Michael Jordan. If all you need is a "reminder" kind of brace that will also warm up the area around your knee, then a neoprene brace could be for you.

2.) Neoprene knee braces with a hinged knee joint are next. Now you are moving up the spectrum. Why is a neoprene knee brace with hinges possibly more supportive? Basically, they can be more supportive because they have uprights that are attached to the joint that will help to restrict side to side movements at that knee that may be the culprit in causing you pain. These neoprene style knee braces are great for people that don't have a serious injury, and who need some side to side stability. This kind of brace may provide a little extra support while participating in activities of daily living, or playing sports.

For more brace options visit us online at http://www.drbraceco.com/

Thanks for visiting our page and tomorrow we will talk non-neoprene braces that provide different kinds of support to your knee.

Knee Disorders &The Four Types of Knee Braces

Are you experiencing any problems with your knees?

Are you now more concerned about your mobility due to an injury or from knee pain?

If you have ever had knee pain that concerns you, then read on...

Knee related conditions can have a wide degree of severity, ranging from a sprain to a complete dislocation of the joint. Unfortunately, those of us that have knee problems can have exeptional amount of daily pain, as a result of possible sudden movements that cause an injury, or even accidental trauma to the joint. The knee joint is the most commonly involved joint in immune diseases that affect various tissues of the body including the joints to cause arthritis.

One way to help prevent knee disorders is to use knee braces. There are many differnet manufacturers, but Dr. Brace Company we will help you here by describing the four main types of knee braces, each has its own category below...

1.) Prophylactic (pronounced: pro-fa-lac-tick) braces. This specific type of knee brace was designed to protect an individuals knees from injuries during contact sports like football for example. You will see many college players today using this type of knee brace.

2.) Functional braces. These knee braces are designed for a person that has already been injured themselves. For example, functional knee braces can be used for someone that is recovering from an ACL injury.

3.) Rehabilitative braces. These help to limit medial to lateral movements, as well as helping to limit extension and flexion of the knee joint after an injury or surgery. Often times these braces, although useful, will be larger because they need to control / immobilize your leg more.

4.) Unloader/offloader braces. Last but not least, these knee braces are designed to provide relief to people who have arthritis in their knees, or improper alignment. In general, they help to keep proper alignment of the joint, if one compartment of your knee is starting to have irregular mechanical alignment. This can be called varus or valgus stress.

Many personal improvements of stability have been noted by individuals that wear knee braces to help reduce pain and to promote stabilitiy. These braces are now considered a very effective and low cost option for knee pain management. Depending on your circumstances, knee braces can sometimes be used in order to prevent future surgery.

Honestly, if you had the choice, would you choose a brace instead of having a surgery? We hope your honest answer would be : "You better believe it !!!!!!!"

We can help to provide you with professionally manufactured knee braces to help you with knee disorders. For more knee brace options you can visit us now online at http://www.drbraceco.com/

Thanks for visiting our page.

Effect of Functional Knee Braces on the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Have you ever injured your ACL?

Some of you may have answered yes, but if not it is quite possible that you have
atleast heard of someone who has injured his or her knee in this way.

Your anterior cruciate ligament is one of a four main ligaments found at your knee and it is important because it minimizes stress across the knee joint. Moreover, this ligament restrains excessive forward movement of the lower leg bone, (aka your tibia) in relation to the thigh bone (the femur). Secondly, your ACL limits rotational movements of the knee.

So, What can I do after I have injured my ACL?

Well, among the many options you have are to see your doctor, of course,...surgery may be an option, and then to get a knee brace along with having some sort of physical therapy to help work yourself back into shape.

Am I going to need surgery?

This is up to you and your doctor to determine. But, If you are going to have surgery, the usual post surgical process would be to get a large knee immobilizing type of splint or knee brace for after surgery. These kinds of knee braces are very good at keeping your knee very still, and possbily allowing a specific range of movements later, when your physician says that you can start moving your knee. These specific movements at the knee are usually controlled by the knee joints on the post op knee brace.

Ok Dr. Brace Company,... If I have used a post op brace, Now what?

Next it is highly likely, that you get a Functional knee brace. (You may get a functional knee brace right away if your doctor does not think you will need surgery. This is important to remember.) ACL style functional knee braces are gaining increasing acceptance among individuals for treatment of knee instability arising out of injury of the anterior cruciate ligament. These braces are designed to allow normal movements of the tibio-femoral joint without overloading or causing abnormal displacement that may cause strain to the injured ligament or reconstructed Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

In a study of people that have injured their ACL, It was found that the use of braces after the operative procedure provided considerable protection to the ligament from strain under low anterior shear loads, when compared to no bracing.

Shear Load What? What do you mean? What else does the knee brace do for me?

Bracing is also known to induce a sense of security and to help improve performance. Some researchers also associate a beneficial proprioceptive effect from the use of braces. However, the performance of a knee brace depends considerably on its design. Dr. Brace Company can help you make your decision by offering several options in the category of knee braces.

While studies are on to pinpoint the relationship of these factors to the functional efficacy of knee braces, they continue to be a top choice among individuals who have injured their knee. In addition athletes and other persons with high levels of physical activity will use functional knee brace complementing treatment of knee instability due to injury to the anterior cruciate ligament.

Summary: Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament and its associated knee instability are common place. Functional knee braces provide protection from overloading or from causing abnormal displacement that may cause strain to the injured ligament or the reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament. - For functional knee brace options you can visit us online at

http://www.drbraceco.com/

Knee Pain Relief : Knee Braces That Help Treat Osteoarthritis

Knee Bracing in Management of Knee Osteoarthritis

Do you have osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis can be referred to as degenerative arthritis, which is a breakdown and gradual loss of cartilage in one or more joints. Interestingly enough, Osteoarthritis is one of the most common type of arthritis afftecting 20 million people in the United States! This form of arthritis which usually affects large weight bearing joints like your knees and hips, as well as other parts of the body like your hands, feet and spine. When asked, people usually indicate that joint pain with respect to osteoarthritis, is usually worse later in the day. Gradual cartilage degeneration of the knee joints can lead to deformity in which your knees can bow, aka "bow legged". Often times, total knee replacement is a result of severe knee arthritis as well.

So What can you do about these symptoms?

You can do something, or you can stay stuck with the pain. This is obvious.... While seeing your doctor is never a bad idea, you can also use knee braces to help alleviate painful symptoms. Recent studies have indicated that use of orthotic interventions like off-loading knee braces can reduce or relieve pain in unicompartmental knee OA. This can be great news for you if you are a patient suffering from OA (osteoarthritis). - Another way to relieve the pain would be to take pain relieving drugs, but we all have heard horror stories about harmful side effects from this approach ! - (Consult your physician on pain relieving drugs).

Here is what some people have said when they use knee braces...

Several studies have shown that using unloader/off-loading knee brace may delay or even rid an osteoarthritis pain sufferer from the need for knee surgery. Moreover, the majority of patients who use the brace experience some pain relief and improvement in functioning. The brace is, therefore, effective in relieving or reducing pain either alone, or in combination with other therapeutics.

In summary...

If you do suffer from pain as a result of having osteoarthritis, there are options out there for you. One of the positive approaches to handing your pain, as a result of having OA is the use of knee braces. If you have some questions about where to get them, you can visit us.

Online you can find us at http://www.drbraceco.com

Do something for yourself, and don't wait to see if the pain will eventually go away by itself.

Use of Knee Braces in Comprehensive Knee Rehabilitation
& Knee Pain Management

The knee is the largest joint in the body. The knee joint has an exposed position and as a result many injuries can occur at this part of your body. Whether it is during day-to-day activities, routine athletic performance, or when an individual is participating in extreme sports, a knee injury is a very commonplace phenomenon among musculoskeletal injuries.

One helpful solution is the use of knee braces. Professionally refered to as a "knee orthosis" (orthosis is a fancy word for external support), these supports are fast emerging as highly effective preventive and therapeutic adjuncts for management of knee injury and knee rehabilitation. Many of us have seen the use of knee braces by high profile athletes, such as Michael Jordan or other college athletes, for example. As a result, the use of knee braces has never been more important that they are now, and can help to provide the support you need to take on lifes physical challenges.

Dr. Brace Company has helped many people find the right knee brace, or other functional brace for different parts of the body. We like to say we brace everything but your teeth!

If you want to explore more, check us out at http://www.drbraceco.com/

Knee Brace

I used to think braces were something you only wore when you got hurt. But one of the biggest things we are admiring right now about them is that they can be used for preventative measures, like with knee bracing for motor cycle sports, and that of football players. If you want to know more, maybe you should check out : www.drbraceco.com soon.