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The knee pain is taking its toll. It can be caused by degeneration of the joint, disease or injury, but regardless of the cause, it significantly impedes everyday functioning.
The knee is the largest and most stressed joint in the human locomotor system. It has to withstand enormous loads, while maintaining stability and great mobility. This is why the knee is very susceptible to injuries and makes itself felt quickly in old age. Athletes are particularly vulnerable to repeated knee injuries.
How does a knee brace work?
The band protects the knee against overload – the knee joint is one of the most susceptible to joint overload in the human body. Thanks to the band, the joint maintains a stable position and gains additional protection. What’s more, the armband prevents the existing injury from getting worse. The element is made of neoprene materials, which both stabilize and improve the mobility of the joint.
The knee bandage relieves pain as it has an increased temperature. Unlike the elastic bandage, it is made of neoprene material – the material makes the joint highly mobile. As a result, many users of the bands no longer feel pain and have the impression that the knee is functional – but this is an illusion, which is often the cause of another injury.
What are the types of knee bands and what are they for?
There are many models of wristbands available on the medical market – manufacturers from year to year present both their new versions and the previous ones with extended possibilities. One of the most popular models are:
- elastic bandage – its other name is elastic bandage. This headband is made of gauze, canvas, knitted or woven fabric. It is used to fix the dressing, protects the knee joint against overload, although it is also used after a femoral fracture, moderate sprain, degenerative diseases. What’s more, it warms up and protects against edema.
- A tourniquet – contrary to appearances, it is not the same as a tourniquet. A tourniquet allows the artery to be pressed against the bone – as a result, it closes the blood flow and closes its lumen. When properly worn, the heart rate is lost and skin turns pale near application. A tourniquet should always be worn by a doctor. It is used to inhibit severe hemorrhage.
- proprioceptive knee bandage – causes pressure that stimulates deep feeling. Deep feeling (kinesthesia) makes it possible to receive information about the operation of individual parts of the body, their movement and position. The band makes the muscle gain the right tension. It also provides stimulation and support to the knee joint, so it is used, for example, in the treatment of slight knee sprain.
- Magnetic knee bandage – this band is based on biomagnetotherapy, i.e. the field of physiotherapy that uses a magnetic field for treatment. The band is used to treat degenerative changes, rheumatism, injuries and to reduce pain. However, the effectiveness of magnetic wristbands is a matter of debate.
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Who should use knee pads?
The use of a knee brace is recommended both for people who have a knee joint injury, as well as for people who want to avoid such an injury. They are most often worn by athletes and those who intensively exploit the structure of the knee joint. The bands are not suitable to be worn during intense exercise or when the injury has not yet healed – otherwise the joint may be overloaded.
How to choose a knee band?
First of all, you should not choose it yourself, if you do not have specialized knowledge in this field. A knee bandage should be selected according to the possibilities, type of knee pain and functional status. There are, among others, available on the medical market magnetic and neoprene bands, anatomical, with cross closure and orthopedic bands.
- Find out what your physical therapist said about knee pain
A good tourniquet for the knee should have high mechanical strength – it depends on the type of materials used for its production. The better raw materials it is made of, the more resistant it is and the stretchability it is tailored to the needs of a given person. The knee bandage should not put too much pressure on the limbs as it would dangerously reduce blood flow.
An important criterion for choosing a wristband is its size. The product must not be too tight, otherwise it would cause discomfort to the wearer. When choosing the right model, take into account the circumference of the thigh under the buttocks, the circumference of the upper thigh, the circumference under the knee and at the widest point of the lower leg and above the ankle.
The choice of the type of knee bandage should be left to the doctor or physiotherapist, because only a specialist can determine whether the patient needs, for example, a soft elastic knee band or a stabilizer. When it turns out that a better solution is to use a knee bandage, the specialist must determine how much the knee bend angle should be, knee extension and which fastening is more practical.
What is the knee brace for?
The knee joint stabilizer protects the joint against injury or disease. Both it and the knee brace have the same function. There are several types of knee supports on the market, which are:
- soft stabilizers – otherwise known as knee bands. They are made of soft plastic and are put on the foot. Thanks to the stabilizer, the muscles work more efficiently and at the same time their mobility is not limited. The stabilizer causes a slight pressure, which reduces swelling – for this reason, it is often recommended to use them in the event of knee twisting or contusion.
- hard stabilizers – are used, among others after surgery. Unlike soft stabilizers, they have rigid elements and fastening straps. Among them, there are models that enable partial or full immobilization of the joint. The most frequently used hard stabilizers after surgery are models with an angular ROM.
- sports stabilizers – have been created with athletes in mind. Their design does not contain rigid elements, so this type of stabilizer does not restrict movement. It protects the knee joint and protects it against injury during sports activities. Sports orthoses, unlike hard and soft ones, are resistant to damage and external factors.
What are the causes of knee pain?
The most common causes of knee pain are various types of injuries. However, bacterial infections can also cause pain. Symptoms are severe pain, reddening of the skin, swelling and sometimes an increased temperature. To cure these diseases, it is necessary to treat articular cartilage, sometimes it is also necessary to administer steroid drugs to the patient. Many patients, instead of consulting a specialist, try to self-medicate and use various ointments and painkillers.
Pain in the knees sometimes causes borolerosis, which causes not only joint complications, but also cardiac and neurological complications. If your knees are swollen, it could be a sign that Borrelia spirochetes are in the body, for example after being bitten by an infected tick. Earlier, the patient also develops skin changes, e.g. erythema migrans. Untreated Lyme disease often turns into a chronic state and develops for many years – the results are, among others, joint degeneration.
Another cause of knee pain are degenerative changes resulting from, for example, the aging of cartilage tissue. However, they also often happen to overweight people or people running in non-shock-absorbing shoes. The cause of degenerative changes in the knee joints is also inadequate lifting loads. This type of pain is manifested by stiffness and pain when going down stairs and restriction of movement.
When your knees start to hurt at night, it could be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the joints. In people with RA, the synovial lining of the joint becomes inflamed – as a result, cartilage, ligaments and tendons are destroyed and later irreversible damage to the knee joint.
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