Saturday, February 13, 2010

What Are the Best Arthritic Knee Braces? Posted By : J Pal

How do you know if you have arthritis in your knee? With so many different types of arthritis, the causes vary. Genetics and lifstyle is an area scientists are currently examining as a cause.



You may not notice the pain from this arthritis immediately. Arthritis pain usually develops slowly over a long period of time. You may notice that your knee is stiff and swollen. You may find it difficult to bend or straighten it. You may feel pain and weakness in also. You may especially feel pain after walking, climbing stairs, or kneeling.



You can only know for sure if you have arthritis if you get a thorough medical examination. This can include physical tests, lab tests, x-rays and from studying medical history. This examination can also determine the type of arthritis it is.



What types of Arthritis affect the knee? There are three common types of arthritis that can affect your knee. Osteoarthritis is the first type.



When you have osteoarthritis the cartilage in your knee joint slowly wears away. This is the most common type of arthritis.



The second type is called rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation that can destroy the cartilage in the knee.



Post-traumatic arthritis is the third type of arthritis. You may develop this type of arthritis if you have fractured your knee or had some kind of ligament injury.



Will a brace help my Arthritis pain? Knee arthritis often occurs because your knee is misaligned. These misalignments are known as varus (bow legged) or valgus (knock-kneed). Varus alignment causes more stress on the inside of the knee, and valgus causes more stress on the outside of the knee.



This stress can cause joint damage and can damage the cartilage in your knee. To make sure that you do not have unnecessary stress on your knees, you may want to use a brace. Arthritic knee braces can help you make sure your knees are properly aligned. Proper alignment can ease pain.



Arthritic braces include braces like: the Ossur Express Arthritis Brace, the DonJoy OA Adjuster Brace, and the Bledsoe Thruster RLF Arthritis Brace. To improve the joint function and decrease your pain, arthritic knee braces such as these help.



These three arthritic knee braces are level IV braces, which means they provide maximum support. These arthritic knee braces cost $550.00, $669.95, and $669.95 respectively. Based on customer reviews, the DonJoy OA brace seems to be the most well liked of these three arthritic knee braces.



These prices have been referenced from Braceshop.com.

Want to find out more about Knee braces? , then visit WhichBrace.com to find the right brace for your injury, condition, activity or sport.

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