Sleeve Knee Braces

[Greg]

I started wearing these elastic sleeve-type braces while skiing as usually one or both of my knees are pretty stiff more often than not during the ski season. One of the ones I have is pretty heavy and thick (maybe 3/16"). The other is just an elastic Ace brand type. Anyway I put the heavier one on my left knee on Wednesday as that knee was a bit more stiff than the other that morning. Good thing because I wiped out in some dense powder/crud and double ejected that morning, twisting the left knee pretty good.

I still had full range of motion after the incident and there was no popping or anything, but it was pretty sore. The next morning it was very stiff, but after skiing on it with the brace for 90 minutes or so it loosened up quite a bit. Yesterday it was only a bit sore and today I have almost no pain at all. I can only feel it if I bend my leg fully or kneel on it.

Anyway, I'm convinced this sleeve-type brace really helped from doing more damage and I will be wearing them everytime I ski from now on. I certainly don't expect them to save me from every incident, but it can't hurt and I like the support they provide. I've seen guys wearing these things on the hiking trails for years. Anyone else use something similar while skiing?

 

[mishka]

two weeks ago I fell at rugged mountain and felt little pain in my left knee. My wife purchased for me knee brace from CVS one with 2 metal inserts...use it yesterday all day long at Cannon Mountain knee did not get worse in fact it's even get better :beer:


http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gatew...ults..x=7^Click+to+go+to+search+results..y=5

 

[shwilly]

A friend of mine wears a full brace with metal supports on one knee. He said one day at Goodell Hollow in the '60s, he came out of shade into sun-baked snow and immediately faceplanted. He had old school skis that didn't release and tore one knee up pretty badly. He went to the doctor, but didn't have surgery. He tweaked it a few more times ski racing in high school.

Years later he hurt it again while skiing out west. He got his knee scoped or otherwise imaged....and they said one of his ligaments (don't remember ACL or MCL) was completely missing! Evidently it had torn years back, was never fixed, and what was left eventually disintegrated. Other muscles compensated. Now he wears the brace skiing, but otherwise there's no effect.

Sorry for the long winded second hand anecdote. I don't wear a brace myself when I board. One day last month I got a little carried away getting air off natural features, and one knee was tender for a few days. Otherwise they give me no problem, knock on wood.

I know plenty of guys who swear by sleeve braces when they play basketball. Can't hurt.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Greg : Sure glad to hear u r doing better, that sounded nasty

Wear the damned brace pardner --

You guys may all be too young to remember Eric Dickerson used to lug leather for the Rams an all pro type who wore EVERY conceivable form of protection known for football .

My transpack has a full assortment of braceing stuff ( ankle , knee, hammies , even a wrist support and i use it ---but my DUMB ass brain needs a support for not wearing the wrist brace Friday . Hell i used it for 5 yrs after my last fracture but said to hell with it couple yrs ago . Go figure

 

[Skier75]

I've used a sleeve type brace once and didn't like it, as it slipped over the course of the day. Now mind you, I'm not very big, so finding a sleeve type to fit me is difficult. I've got two adjustable black ones that velcro that I use for both skiing and hiking. Probably don't put them on when I should though, and usually pay for it. I usually wait until my knee starts to hurt to put it on. Like I said probably not the best way to use them but that's about the size of it. About the only thing I don't like about the black, velcro, adjustables is the fact that they make me hot while hiking, skiing too, but not so much an issue in the winter. I do like the feeling of more support with them though.