knee braces

Can you knowledgeable people please give me any advice about knee braces?

I'm in for the op on my right knee in the morning and will obviously end up with a brace for it before next season. Also, the brace I was given in france for my left knee is rubbish so I'll want to get a new one for that knee too.

As my left knee will be taking all the weight for a while should I be wearing a brace on it whilst recouperating? What are the good brands? Can I wear the same braces for day to day and to ski in? Does more expensive mean better?

I'm sure the physio will give me advice but any suggestions would be gratefully received.

thanks
Caron

Hi caron-a,
Ive just googled sports knee braces and lots of stuff on them came up.The prices though were :shock: very expensive to say the least.Wheres Pavel when you need him i would have thought he would know summat.
Best wishes for tomoz and a speedy recovery.


AJ Adele x

Oh caron-a,

Folk normally get the oppo out of the way first, and then start planning their next winter ventures. Guess you are very keen though.

So, although my knee was never as bad as yours is, will make a couple of suggestions.

I had an arthroscopy, which I later thought had been poorly done, they allow 15 minutes for the operation, whereas if I had gone private, the total timescale allowed was four hours.

But the real issue was with me. In a macho way, i refused physio, and this was daft. Rehab physio is very important.

I was then back playing tennis within two weeks, and I reckon this was a couple of weeks early.

So that's two bad judgements.

After three days skiing, every right turn was accompanied by squeals of pain.

Where, eventually I got it right was by taking advice from my sporty son, who arranged a visit to a sports physio, followed by attendace to a sports scientist. This was a couple of years after the knee operation.

The physio made the judgement that the knee could recover by rehab. The sports scientist formulated an exercise program, carried out at home. 6 months at one and a half hours per day, and 6 months at twenty minutes per day.

Next winter, managed 7 weeks skiing without a twinge.

So ~ take the physio work, take the required rest, do the rehab exercises.

But, best wishes for the op, and for the recovery. We will maybe see you in Niederau next year?

Thank you as ever Adele. the names that have come up quite often on links that trencher gave me (spent hours spilling over them) are breg, donjoy and one called a CTi which looks like something out of robocop and comes in at the bargain price of £1300 for a pair! think I'll give that brand a miss :roll:

Dave Mac, your words (and many other's) were ringing in my ears this morning when I was with the physio. must keep it up, must keep it up.

It should be possible to get a Cti brace for around £400 fitted, in the UK. My OH has used one for many years, as he's missing a Cruciate Ligament, and this was the one the surgeon supplied on the NHS. They last a long time, my OH has just had his serviced having had new velcro straps fitted. The company in London is called Technology in Motion.. http://www.technologyinmotion.co.uk/

Caron. Take my advice - go with the initial NHS physio as its free, but dont rely on it. Book yourself in with a sports injury specialist locally - maybe try one of the local football or rugby clubs? You will benefit much more from a sports injury specialist as they concentrate on recovery and intigration back into sport, whereas NHS physio gives you the basics for not returning to them with a repeat or complaint.

I agree, get what you can free on the nhs, but seek some extra private help. My son is an LTA professional tennis coach, he picks up a few injuries from time to time. He always says sports physio,s are more in tune with sports injuries than say a physio thats helping people recover from operations. Certainly the big sports club he works for has their own on site sports physio for staff and for members, at a fraction of the cost that say BUPA will charge. Just a thought.

Unfortunately / fortunately it's all been done through private health insurance so I'm going to have to buy any braces (I'll check out that website bandit). They wouldn't even cover crutches so I don't think they're going to cover braces!

Fortunately, the two physios I've seen are AVID skiers (one has broken her leg in 3 places and has missed 2 skiing seasons) so I think I'm in good hands.

Progress is going well, off the crutches today, walking up and down stairs unaided, exercises getting better every time.... if I knew it was this easy I'd have done it weeks ago -)