After your child sustains a knee injury, one of the most overlooked things that is important to a quick recovery is selecting the right knee brace. It can be the difference between quickly getting your child back on the field, or having him or her spend a few extra weeks on the sidelines. If you choose the wrong knee brace, you could even unknowingly do more damage to your child’s knee.
It is so, so important that you choose the correct knee brace for your child. While you should always consult with your child’s doctor after an injury and before putting on a knee brace, it’s important to have some background knowledge on different kinds of knee braces that your child may need.
It’s important to note that different kinds of braces help heal different parts of the knee, so buying your child the first knee brace you see on the shelf at your local drugstore may not be the best option. For more serious injuries such as a dislocated kneecap, an entire different kind of knee brace is required as opposed to something like a torn ligament.
Another thing to take in to consideration is if your child will still be physically active while recovering from his or her injury. If it’s just a little sprain, you likely won’t be able to keep your child off the playground at school. If this is the case, usually a simple sleeve brace will work over a more expensive and complex brace system.
If your child’s injury is a bit more serious, however, it will come down to two completely different types of knee braces: prophylactic or functional.
Prophylactic knee braces give steady support to individuals who want added protection against a severe, or even detrimental, knee injury. If your child is active in a variety of sports and has a history of knee injuries, this is the kind of brace to use. Even if your child has never had a serious knee injury, using a prophylactic knee brace can help prevent a serious injury in the future. It may be a little tough for him
or her to adjust to initially, but after a while a prophylactic knee brace becomes just as unnoticeable as a mouth guard.
On the other hand, if your child is recovering from a sports related knee injury and unable to participate in any athletics, they likely need a functional knee brace. Usually used in cooperation with a physical therapy program, functional knee braces aid in the full recovery of the knee. Usually these knee braces seem a little bit more heavy duty than prophylactic knee braces, because they offer more stability
and support to aid in the recovery process.
Lots of websites, like BetterBraces.com, have detailed information about different kinds of knee braces for children. It’s good to use websites like these, because sometimes it’s harder to find information on child braces then it is on adult braces.
But remember to always discuss with your child’s doctor before selecting a knee brace, even if it’s just a preventative support brace. Selecting the wrong brace could be detrimental, and your child’s doctor will know exactly what brace works for your
child.
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