One Size Fits All Knee Brace? Yeah, Right!
Since I’ve been having troubles with my right knee, I thought it might be helpful to purchase a knee brace. Perhaps a little more support would help.
Shopping for one wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. There were black ones, flesh colored ones, spring ones, stretch ones. Such a selection. All I knew is that I wanted one to provide some support and one that would fit.
After carefully looking at the sizes, I settled on one that stated “One Size Fits All.” With velcro straps, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with the fit.
Well, I was wrong. The bottom strap fit fine. The top strap that goes around my thigh needs about 1-2 inches added to its length so I can secure the velcro without having my fat bulge out of the holes. It was way too tight. But it felt very good when I walked on it (less a little bit of pinching due to the tight fit).
I think that extra support is exactly what I need and so far it is helping. I mainly wear it when we go out walking longer distances and I’ll live with it being being a bit too tight. Hopefully soon that will change!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
I attended about 5 weeks (2X wk) of physical therapy for knee pain. It made a huge difference. My knees are now much stronger and carry my (excess) weight much better.
In college, I ran almost every day, but I rarely strength trained my legs. I used to have nagging knee pain quite often. Once I started strength training my legs several years ago, my knee pains went away. I’m able to run as much as I want now with no knee problems at all. I do dead lifts, squats, lunges, and calf raises, along with a few other things. Have a trainer or someone you trust show you the proper form to use and give it a try. Combine that with the weight you’re losing and you’ll probably have much happier knees. If you don’t like lifting weights, a good power yoga class (or video) will also help strengthen your legs - lots of lunges 
Good luck!!
I found a good brace online at http://www.betterbraces.com. The seem to have the best selection. Mine fit right out of the package. I bought a cold wrap too and it has worked wonders to keep the pain down.
Good advice with the lifting. Just make sure you practice good form and have somebody show you how to do it. Also, try to stick to dumbbells or barbells; if you don’t know what you are doing, it is a lot easier to hurt yourself over the long term when you use the machines. Dumbbells and barbells will provide much more immediate feedback so that you can seek help before you get hurt, as well as providing a better workout because your muscles aren’t isolated and have to work together.
Just think of your belt; the knee brace will fit better in a month or three, more than likely!
Pay attention to your shoes, as well. Most knee problems are due to your footwear and have nothing to do with the knee itself.