Thursday, August 4, 2011

Get Knee Braces for Skiing

By Landon Jensen


A knee brace is now an accessory for skiers whether it is because they have been injured before or because they just need to have it on for protection. The knee brace is now more worn out of protection instead of just for support because injuries have started becoming a common occurrence.

The lower leg has always been the bane of most skiers and before they have even invented the sophisticated release binding, when a common scenario of when skier twists his leg with force during one of the major falls, it would mean breaking either the tibia or the fibia and sometimes both. Since the invention and development of the aforementioned bindings means that fractures might occur, it occurs in less chances unfortunately, one cannot be said when it concerns the knees as it remains exposed to injury most of the time, especially as it is unprotected. Fact shows that there are around 30-40% of knee injuries as well as the surrounding structures.

A skier usually wears a knee brace once he has incurred a nasty injury but for those who have not yet experienced such thing, the knee brace is ideal for preventing injuries however, the main point of a knee brace is to be able to carry out the support for the injured knee as well as ensure that the chances of getting into more trouble are slim.

It might seem like a huge undertaking but picking the right model for a knee brace is important despite the many different makes and models available.

Most likely, all the knee braces are made with the material neoprene which is a synthetic rubber that allows the knee brace to be flexible enough to mold the knee joint and at the same time support it. The neoprene is also a good heat retainer and at the same highly durable.

You can get protection from three different levels which is Low, Medium and High.

A simple neoprene that is quite stretchy or a material that is also quite elastic but without any rigid formation is the type of knee brace that you get for the Low protection level. Because of this elasticity, when a skier twists and turns down the slope, the brace will only give him a minimal amount of support while he maneuver. This level of protection usually is just for those who ski and need some form of preventive measure when they are skiing down the slope.

The medium level of protection from knee braces when it comes to skiing are the ones that either have springs or metals or the type where the plastic stays part of the material that goes down on either side of the knee joint. This level of protection actually inhibits the sideways or twisting movements usually done by skiers and sometimes they add padding for the kneecap and the construction of the knee brace is lightweight as well. These are usually used for skiers that have sprained their knees or the ligaments and Patellofemoral pain.

The third level of protection is the high protection and the knee brace of this type are hinged. Finally, a knee brace that offers a comprehensive protection that will not inhibit the range of movement of a skier even if he is slipping down the slope, twisting and moving. If you are suffering or have suffered from ACL, PCL, torn ligaments of the knees or meniscus injury, you should use this type of level of knee brace protection.




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