When your knees or wrists are sore from arthritis, a brace may reduce your pain and help you move more easily. Learn about different types of braces and how to choose the right one.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
If you’ve got sore knees or wrists from arthritis, here’s an idea that might help:
Wearing a brace might reduce your pain and help you get around more easily.
Braces don’t work for everyone with arthritis, but in some cases they can help provide relief.
Most braces are made from a combination of hard and soft materials. Plastic or metal for support along with rubber or foam for padding.
Knee braces can be most helpful if you have arthritis on only one side of the joint.
In that case the type often used is an unloader brace, which unloads stress from the damaged, painful part of the knee and shifts it to the stronger part.
That can help relieve pain and make you more stable on your feet.
You can buy a knee brace right off the shelf, or your doctor can write a prescription and refer you to a specialist who’ll design the brace and custom fit it to you.
If the arthritis is in your wrists, a brace – or splint – can give those aching joints a rest, and it may give you some pain relief, too.
Wrist splints you buy at the pharmacy are usually made from neoprene, a type of rubber that supports your wrists but also lets them move.
You can also get custom-made leather splints, which may reduce pain and increase hand strength even more than store-bought ones.
Before buying a brace, talk to your doctor about your options and which one is right for you.
Also, find out how long you should wear it. in some cases, keeping a brace on for too long can actually make your pain and stiffness worse.
Don’t rely on a brace alone for arthritis relief. Use it as part of a total strategy, which should also include things like exercise, heat and cold, and a pain reliever if you need it.
Taken together, they can keep arthritis from slowing you down.