Are hinged knee supports any good for arthritis relief?

[peripathetic]

Any experiences of low-cost (£50-100) hinged knee supports worn to reduce knee pain would be appreciated

[Carakeel]

Hi peripathetic, I've had both knees replaced. Before I had them done I went through years of wearing knee braces and I found the neoprene hinged ones you can buy in sports shops the best. If I remember rightly I paid about £25 for each one. They lasted years. I wasted a lot of money trying out various other ones without hinges and they never worked for me. I have severe osteoarthritis, mostly in areas I had bone cancer previously. The nice thing is you can wash these braces. Although they are heavier than the non-hinged ones, I really would recommend them. Not always easy to get off if you have had them on for several hours though, as the perspiration makes the neoprene damp on the skin side. But you will have that problem with nearly all of the knee supports / braces.I have also tried more expensive ones from specialist retailers, but to be honest, they were no better and often not as good as the ones from the sports shops. Hope that helps and you get some relief soon. :o)

[peripathetic]

Thanks Carakeel
You seem to have had a really rough time making me rather ashamed of my own moaning about my knee which isn't all that bad. I am trying to avoid an operation yet still have the ability to indulge in mild exercise - walking.

I have tried the neoprene hingeless variety of support but found them not very effective and very hot and have been looking at the hinged alternatives. It is difficult to get informed advice as I do not wish, at this stage, to fall into the hands of the medics.

Good luck with your new knees!

peripathetic

[Carakeel]

Hi peripathetic, my "new" knees are now 4 years old and I am delighted with them. I knew before I had them that I would never be pain free and had realistic expectations. So, I am a happy bunny even with the pain!! I walk our Irish Wolfhounds on the beach regularly with my ratter15 and that for me is a real achievement, seeing as before I had the replacements, I was barely able to walk at all. I just down the pills and go, lol! I do use a spray I get from boots called Freeze spray, when my knees get very sore and it does help. It is cheaper than the big brand ones and seems to be more effective as well. Good luck with your knee. Hope it gets better.

[Carakeel]

I have had to wear knee supports over many years due to osteoarthritis and find that the neoprene ones are very good. Depending on how much support you actually need, you can get ones with or without hinges. I have used both. However, since I have had both knees replaced, now rarely have to use supports. You can buy these in most sports shops and they are not that expensive, from around £16 for the lighter ones to £24 -£30 for the hinged ones. There are also far more expensive ones, but I found the cheaper ones very good indeed! You can get them with an open patella, if you feel this better. Apart from supporting the structure of the knee, they also keep the knee warm, which eases pain and apparently aids in healing somewhat. Boots also sometimes sell these, but sports shops usually have a better range of them. Make sure you get the right size though, as this makes a lot of difference. Hope this has helped a little and you feel better soon. Best wishes! (apologies, but have copied some of this from another answer I gave on the same subject)

[Carakeel]

Sorry, made a mistake here and there are now duplicate postings. Please can the mods delete two? Many thanks!