Injuries never hold an invitation and they can easily hinder one’s life in many aspects. Knee injuries for one are something that can easily turn out to be something bigger than they seemed. It is probably one of a kind that occurs most regardless of the lifestyle. Whether you are an athlete, a businessman, a job professional, or even a stay-at-home artist; knee injuries seem to be inevitable since aging also determines the occurrence of knee instabilities.
When it comes to the protection and safety of knees, you might have heard a lot about using knee braces and knee caps from people around you and even your orthopedist. It is because they are the best option for knee safekeeping. Knee Braces come in several types to serve multiple purposes; here’s a list of some to help you figure out the kind of brace your knee needs.
Slip-On Knee Braces
These are the most common type of knee braces available on the market out there. They are not only fairly reasonable but also promise good support. Arthritic patients, as well as people with moderate joint pain, slight muscle injury, and chronic pain, are advised to use the slip-on braces since these do not restrict motion and are comfortable for long-term use.
Hinged Knee Braces
People suffering from or recovering from serious knee injuries like ACL, MCL or LCL are advised to use hinged knee braces. They are specifically designed to provide safety and protection post surgeries. They help in maintaining the recovery time of the joints and ligaments. In addition to providing stability during recovery, they also act as a comfy foam of support for any mild athletic endeavors.
Custom Knee Braces
As the name suggests, custom knee braces are braces that are specifically designed for patients depending upon the type of injury, recovery time, and shape of the knee. There are multiple custom measurements needed in order to begin the construction of these braces. These braces are bound to provide more stabilization and extra protection in comparison to any other braces. They are specifically tailored for your injury and body type by professionals. While custom knee braces are quite promising, their price tags can come in a little bit high. But if needed, one should definitely go for these since they will make the recovery process much easier and there are several insurance companies that would cover or split the cost for you.
Wrap Around Knee Braces
Wrap around knee braces is generally coined in cases of patellar instability, dislocations, or mild to moderate knee pain. Due to their options for manual tightening, they help in keeping the knee cap in place. Not only that, these can usually help relieve the stress on your knees and make movements a little more fluid and natural than they might be without the braces on. Very easy to put on, tighten and take off in addition to being very lightweight and handy, these are definitely the best way to go for situations mentioned above. They can tend to be a little less durable than other knee braces due to their manual tightening options but they won’t hold you back for sure.
Open Patellar or Close Patellar Knee Brace?
Despite the clarification on the type of knee braces, open vs closed braces can still seem to be of debate. Which is quite natural since they make the products completely different from each other. There’s only one fact associated with these two, one is directed more towards recovering the patella whereas the other one is more derived to get results on areas other than the knee cap. If you are looking to keep your knee cap in place through support then you should go for open patellar knee braces.