Identifying the type and size of brace. How long is too long to wear?
A myriad of factors either inhibit or encourage the recovery of the knee joint and surrounding muscles and for this reason, the individual must establish an appropriate need for the brace and what level of support is necessary for their circumstances.
When wearing a knee brace, it is important that it is fitted properly. A brace that is too loose could slide down your leg and effectively provide little support. Similarly, if a brace is too tight, it may also create problems concerning circulation to your leg or pinch nerves. The weakening of the muscles could be attributed to the mismatch between the type and size of the brace and the user's needs.
Used to provide structural support or pain relief to an injured knee, a knee brace and its subsequent benefits fall into the following four categories. The following recommendations may vary in efficacy based on injury.
Prophylactic
These knee braces and compression help prevent injury to your knees during contact sports and high-intensity movement
Sports Knee Support
How to Measure: Sport Knee Support
Rehabilitative
They will keep your knee stable, but they are designed to limit the up-and-down and side-to-side movement of the knee during the rehabilitation process.
GenuTrain OA Knee Brace
GenuTrain S Hinged Knee Support
Functional
A simple brace that adds some stability and protection to an injured knee. They may support people who have had a minor knee injury in the past. A functional brace will stabilise the knee and control motion to prevent re-injury.
GenuTrain Knee Brace
To establish which Knee Brace is the best for your circumstance, try out our Knee Brace Selector Quiz
Will my knee be weakened by use of a knee brace?
It is a common misconception that all bracing use will lead to the weakening of surrounding muscles – you may even hear it from therapists. This is simply untrue. Contrary to this simple logic that you can only strengthen muscles without any additional supports, mobilising braces, in fact, help stimulate muscle activity and help on the road to recovery – there is less inhibition in muscles, resulting in users being able to do more physical muscle strengthening and thus, the knee joint is strengthened.
Some critics would claim that a weak knee with a strong brace is still a weak knee, but it is due to the stability, support and cushioning that is provided by a brace. Whilst the knee would not be using its natural stabilisers at this time, an injured knee (or an injury-prone knee) needs to rest, recover, and re-strengthen, aided by using braces. A painful knee results in lower compliance due to the inability to properly undertake strengthening activities; this is the perfect time to utilise knee support as an enabling tool to properly conduct rehabilitation.
Although other external factors, such as the fit and type of brace, may either increase or decrease the efficacy in certain instances, it is not the brace itself that is to blame in these scenarios but the lack of cohesion between the product and the knee.
Best practices for wearing a knee brace
For a successful recovery and to maintain strength after your injury, brace users should consult a physician to discuss which course of action will best suit their needs and whether this should be accompanied by physiotherapy and/or surgery (in more severe cases such as complete PCL and ACL tears). A knee brace should not be the only solution to “treat” or “fix” the injured or recovering area, with the end goal being to create a sense of stability and support through the brace and working in tandem with rehabilitation and strength programming to re-establish the self-stabilisation of the knee.
Wearing a knee brace may be an integral and important aspect after an injury or surgery on your knee or as a preventative measure when playing sports. Wearing a brace that does not fit properly can delay your recovery or cause more problems. to maximise the chances of the brace aiding your circumstances, understanding that it will not weaken your muscles is the first step!
When considering whether the type and fit of the brace is right for your circumstances, please refer to the sizing videos and product recommendations.
