What are knee braces and where are they used? Knee Protection Guide

Those who have experienced any injury to the knee at least once in their life knows how bad it can be not only because of the pain it causes but also the way these types of injuries limit the range of motion and limit the amount of activities you can do. But there is a way how you can help your knee to heal faster and to become healthy again. And this way is to use a knee brace.

knee brace

A knee brace is a supportive brace that you can place on you knee and it will provide support to the knee. It can be also described as orthopedic device because knee brace helps the knee to heal after an injury or helps to keep the knee joints intact and pain free if you have any type of illness that affects a part of the knee – the bones, muscles, joints or ligaments. And even if you haven’t experienced injury or an illness to your knee you can still use a knee brace as a precaution because a knee brace can be used in many different cases and it has many functions that vary depending on what type of problem you have.

There are four main types of knee braces that each serve a bit different purpose and is built a bit differently:

  • Rehabilitative braces – these braces are meant for being worn after knee surgery or more serious knee injury because they limit the movement of the knee so that the patient who is waring this type of brace cannot injure the knee further by moving it the wrong way;

rehab brace

  • Functional braces – these braces are worn after injury and are meant to give the injured knee support and prevent any new injury. They are less structured and won’t keep the knee in one position, however they do limit range of motion and are great after the initial injury is healed and you are left with the so called rehabilitation period in which your knee slowly regains the range of motion and strength it had preinjury;

functional knee brace

  • Prophylactic braces – these braces are less structured but they are still padded to be mainly worn as protective measure in sports such as basketball or football to protect the players knees from injuries;

prophylactic knee brace

  • Offloader braces – these braces that are also called the unloader braces are specially designed for those who have arthritis or any other similar condition in their knees because they support the knee and provide relief so that the person wearing it can experience less pain and less discomfort during everyday activities.

unloader knee brace

Of course these four main types of knee braces also divide into more categories because for example there are two different type of unloader braces – for arthritis or ACL tears and ruptures an at least 3 different level prophylactic braces that range from basic support while you are walking or doing everyday activities to elite lever knee braces that provide stability to the knee even during most vigorous activities such as contact sports. Also you have to keep in mind that knee braces have multiple designs and styles that cater to different problems. The most common knee braces are wrap around, magnetic, neoprene and hinged braces. And the more structure a knee brace has (think with or without padding, hinges, etc.) the more expensive it will be but also the better the knee brace will support your knee.

So use a knee brace either after injury when your knee is healing and if your knee is ill (just make sure you ask your doctor for permission to use one knee brace or another because if you use the wrong one you can end up hurting your knee even worse) or use a knee brace when you know you will be doing some type of activities that will put pressure on you knees – different sports, house cleaning or even a longer walk if you knees are in bad shape because a knee brace will give your knees support and will prevent injuries and pain letting you be active even if your knees aren’t in the best condition.


Mathew Foster

I am Mathew Foster – an enthusiast of sports who not only regularly practices different sports, but also has a deep interest in it.

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