4 Expert Tips On Finding The Right Knee Brace

Are you looking for a knee brace? Are you overwhelmed by all the options that you found when you’re shopping online or shopping at the store for a knee brace? Are you unsure of which one is the best option for your particular situation?

If that’s you, that’s completely normal. Everybody that has been looking to get a knee brace always has these questions. I’m going to share with you four expert tips to help you find the right knee brace.

I’m really sorry about your knee problem. But I hope that through this video, I can give you guidance so that you can find some relief. Whether you’ve been shopping online for a knee brace recently, or you already own a knee brace, or maybe this is the first time you’ve looked, and you came across this video. These four tips will be helpful for you.

So, let’s get into the four tips.

Tip #1: Try at least two to three knee braces.

It’s rare that the first knee brace you try is going to be the best one for you. There are all kinds of different variations of knee braces, and without getting expert help, it’s difficult knowing which one is best for you.

I’ve got a knee brace here that we sometimes recommend to clients. Now this is a very sturdy knee brace. This one has straps on it. It also has metal brackets within the material and hinges at the joints of the knee which keeps if from bending sideways that much.

This one is built for stability, and it is pretty solid. It definitely helps people get some relief, but this might be too much for your knee problem as well. There are other options out there, where you can just get a neoprene sleeve for example. You can get a sleeve that doesn’t have any of the straps or brackets. Those are much more basic. They may still have the hole for the kneecap to set in. And that might be enough for you.

But I encourage you to try different options out there. Be sure to keep your receipt for the knee brace, just in case you decide that it’s not helpful for you, so that you can take it back to the store.

Tip #2: Plan on being uncomfortable.

There’s no such thing as a comfortable knee brace. Everybody that I’ve guided on starting to wear a knee brace, I’ve always had to tell them you got to watch out for these knee braces, they slide down your leg, you have to constantly pull it up.

Everybody’s legs are different shapes, and the braces are not really one size fits all, even though some of the packaging might say that. You got to find a way to make sure that it stays in place as best as possible. But be okay with having to constantly adjust it.

Some people wear it over their clothing. Some people put it right on their skin. I encourage putting it on the skin, just because it’ll stay in place better. But you will also have to deal with sweat buildup and associated odors. Keep that knee brace nice and clean so that you can avoid getting any sort of rash or infection on your skin.

This is part of having a knee brace, you just have to maintain it, as you are looking to get better and find that relief for your knee.

Tip #3: You get what you pay for with knee braces.

Generally, you can spend anywhere from $10, maybe even less, all the way up into the multiple hundreds for knee braces. A cheaper brace might be just what you need. It might be effective and giving you the relief that you are looking for and don’t need an expensive brace.

But what you are really looking at – in the difference of the more expensive knee braces – is the quality of the materials, and the quality of the components of the brace. Generally speaking, a more high-end knee brace, the materials will last longer, the seams stay together better, the materials don’t rip, and the other harder components also don’t break as easy.

You have to factor in how active are you going to be? How much are you going to be on your feet? How much stability do you need, the shape of your leg, all those other things I talked about when choosing whether to buy a lower-end brace or a higher-end knee brace.

Tip #4: Have a plan to get off that knee brace.

It’s not a good idea to wear a knee brace indefinitely, you need to make sure that there comes a point where you are eventually going to get out of that knee brace and get back to normal. If you’ve been dealing with a knee problem for a long, long time. In 9 out of 10 cases that we see here in the clinic, it doesn’t work out where the knee brace alone can fix a problem. There’s usually a combination of other treatments that need to happen, in addition to wearing the knee brace to solve a long-term chronic knee problem. Especially with the type of knee problem that’s been going on for months, years or even decades.

There is long process to make sure that that knee problem gets to the point where it’s normal again, or as close to normal as it’s going to get, so that you can avoid having surgery, or having to rely on injections, or pain medications that are not healthy for you in the long term.

There are many reasons why knees begin to hurt. There is lots of structures inside the knees, joints, cartilage, bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and any one of these structures, or combination of these structures, might be contributing to your knee problem. Without checking your knee problem in person, and seeing how you move, it’s not really possible for me to give you a schedule on how often to wear a knee brace each day, how long to wear it, when it’s okay to have it off, when you absolutely need to have it on, and then when to begin to wean out of the knee brace so that you can get back to normal.

Those details need to be discussed with a specialist, like ourselves here, so that you can make sure you get your knee back to normal. If you’re looking to learn more about how we help people with knee problems, I encourage you to visit our website at www.EPManualPhysicalTherapy.com, we’ve got tons of blogs on the problems, and other helpful information that you can use to get help for your knee problem.