I've started jogging again, and got up to three miles today. But by the 2.5 mark, I was favoring my good leg quite a bit. Long story short, I tore my left ACL last June bailing off a runaway horse, had surgery July 31st, and recovered well. Now, I'm thinking that I should probably get a brace that will give me some pain relief and a little support since I've never been into running before, and it's an impact sport.

I've got one neoprene brace that has a hole in the front and a hole in the back, but the hole in the back is bothersome. It wrinkles and gets behind where the knee bends and is uncomfortable.
I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with knee braces for sport-use and what brands they've found to be best?

4/28/2009 12:59:40 AM

Personally, I've found the products at CVS better than Walgreens. Walgreens is more consumer, and CVS is more doctor, imo. Hope this helps you in some way, and best wishes on your endeavors.

4/28/2009 1:02:34 AM

Well, this probably won't be helpful but my girlfriend has torn her ACL twice and the only thing that gives her the proper support for running, tennis or the like is bulky and cuts in to her skin pretty bad... but it does make her knee more stable and allows her to play/run...

TKE-Teg tore his ACL last ski season and was back skiing this year with a brace that seemed to do well so maybe shoot him a PM or wait until he wanders in to this thread at some point...

[Edited on April 28, 2009 at 2:02 AM. Reason : x]

4/28/2009 2:01:56 AM

ACC football players (or at least NCSU) are required to wear hinged braces during all practices to prevent knee injuries.

I have sprained my MCL and that type of brace is what was recommended to me.

Another suggestion would be to try to slowly build up strength in your knee. It sounds like you are overworking it during your jogs. How long have you been back to running?

(the reason i mention strength is due to the fact that there are tons of muscles and tendons attached to your knee, and they are the best support. mine hurts all the time now because i do not exercise my knee like i should)

[Edited on April 28, 2009 at 3:06 AM. Reason : clarify]

4/28/2009 3:06:16 AM

i have had several donjoy's and breg's and the donjoy is alot more comfortable, but its composite and more expensive, plus if you put on a lot of muscle mass, you have to have a new one made, the breg has an aluminum frame, which is adjustable to an extent

[Edited on April 28, 2009 at 3:37 AM. Reason : better have good insurance, all were $2k+]

4/28/2009 3:36:37 AM

Did you properly rehab your knee? Granted I had a meniscus injury, but rehabbed on an indoor track. Started out rehab by walking 3 legs, jogging 1. Then moved up to walking 2 legs jogging 2, walking 1, jogging 3, then jogging. This was of course before working on any sort of cutting or abrupt starts and stops, but may help to build strength and toughen your knee up. I assume you already have done and continue to do all of the leg extensions, etc. to build muscles around the knee. I did this and and had my knee ready for Colorado skiing including a lot of moguls within about 3 months.

Granted, you may still ultimately need support but you should make sure you are properly rehabbed first. I kept the brace on until fully rehabbed (and definitely for ski season that winter).

Is a hinged brace really necessary for jogging, assuming it isn't cross country and/or some uneven surface? Neoprene braces are hot and uncomfortable but I have to image a better option than that. You could always try a basic cotton ace support brace with the metal inside, it give a little bit of stability. Let pain/stability be your guide.

4/28/2009 6:02:35 AM

sounds like to me they botched the repair and rehab, and your acl isnt tight enough, first one i had was like that, second time was more stable, but it was a more extensive surgery including cartilage grafts

4/28/2009 7:13:35 AM

Tore my ACL about a year and a half ago and I've had no problem running or doing weights and no need for a brace...maybe you should get it looked at again

4/28/2009 8:00:39 AM

thanks all prepare for words!

I don't think I need a hinged brace because it's not a pain that makes me feel unstable, wobbly, or the like. You all are scaring me about me not being rehabbed enough! But I suppose that 9 months after surgery I shouldn't have any problems?
I know part of it is fear--if I'm on a downhill slope or uneven ground and slide a bit, my heart gets caught in my mouth and I'm afraid I'll slip and rebreak everything. But that's gotten better.

Clarification... hmmm.. while I'm running, I am aware of my knee first and foremost. I'm aware of the inside of it. Usually it's a tendon grouping along the outside of my leg that smarts. If I run on uneven ground (like over gumballs lol), I can feel the instability/fear on the inside of my knee. If I'm running downhill, I tend to favor my right leg because of the jarring feeling I guess.

Dozer, I've only just gotten back to running since last week... Wednesday. I went out on last last Sunday, gave it a few days, all was well, went out Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and last night. It may just be too much too soon. I've never been a runner, so I should be taking it easy... and I may need to 1) get tips on my form and 2) GET A BETTER SHOE! But the latter is happenging today. Considering the Vibram Five Fingers.

My rehab went pretty well I thought. I didn't do my exercises as much as I should have.. My knee doesn't hurt during the day though except for 1) getting up in the morning, 2) soreness after runs, to be expected, 3) if I sit indian-style too long. And I still can't sit on my heels

69, I've looked at the donjoy's and breg's, those seem a little intense--I don't feel like I need that much support. Just something that could give something while I start up an impactive sport.
--do you really think they botched it? I mean, I don't feel like the pain is over a level 2 (1-10).... but now I'm worried lol!

I don't know if this helps, but I barely had any problems in swim conditioning class this past semester. Only when I was trying to frog kick really quickly did things get tight.

Markgoal, maybe that is my problem. I may have been too quick to get off the brace. I've considered ace bandage. I don't want to scare myself I haven't worn or needed a brace since October. But with this sport, I'm a little wary and want to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong. Perhaps I'll just call over to my old PT and doctor and talk with them.


Thanks again all!

I think I'll talk with my doctor/PT, take a look at some cheaper cotton braces, maybe take it easy today (I should have a rest day), and go back to doing some old rehab stretches to get things stronger.

4/28/2009 10:02:09 AM

if you need a better brace, don't look for one at a drug store. go to a medical supply type store where they sell prescription types.

i have a lot of knee/arthritis/swelling problems and i've tried a ton of different braces and shoes. i recently noticed this weekend while running through battle park barefoot to get something out of the car, i can run a lot better and easier barefoot. i've always tried different more supportive shoes and maybe this isn't the route to go. i've tried on the vibram 5 fingers shoes before and they didn't fit my toes well, but that was a good while ago and maybe they've updated them. hmmm... i may try again.

4/28/2009 10:20:55 AM

i recommend that you continue to perform the strength, stability, and stretch exercises as stated by your PT. Stretch pre, during, and post jogging. If you just started jogging recently, then 3 miles is usually too far---start at a lower mileage/time that is painfree and progressively work up from there.

4/30/2009 9:52:16 AM

its also a get what you pay for type thing too. When I tore my ACL, I went and got fitted for a custom knee brace like whats in the picture above, like a hard plastic with the straps around the back. That brace worked great, was able to play flag football on it and didnt experience the slightest pain before i had my surgery. After surgery, I wore it playing pick-up basketball and for other things where i used my legs, and it was very helpful. downside is that it was in the $500-$750 neighborhood (insurance covered part of it).

also got one of those slip braces with the plastic side supports from the orthopedic place where I had the surgery done. That one overall is fine, but occasionally feel my knee buckle / give some but seems to be fine. from what I remember, that one was 100% covered by insurance.

4/30/2009 10:13:06 AM

Quote :

"I've only just gotten back to running since last week... Wednesday. I went out on last last Sunday, gave it a few days, all was well, went out Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and last night. It may just be too much too soon."

I think you just hit the nail on the head.

Your knee isn't accostumed to the activity. My gut is telling me that you are overworking it.

4/30/2009 1:56:03 PM

Thanks!

I called my doctor just to let him know what I was doing and things. I'm seeing him on Monday. He'll double check my leg, I'll ask about needing a brace or not, that kind of thing.
I went to look at some Five Fingers, but they didn't have my size--probably pick them up Tuesday. I'm excited

Yeah, I probably did too much too soon. I wanted to push myself, and that's what happened I guess lol And I should definitely stretch more.

I feel like if I need a brace, it'll be one of those close compression ones rather than the strappy hinge ones. Semloh, I have that second brace you mentionned. That was the one that bunches behind the knee and is okay when walking but not for running. Glad you were able to get an awesome brace for your sports!

4/30/2009 6:39:25 PM

As a regular runner, Iv'e always complained about knee pain. I never really done serious loads on the Olympic bar until Crossfit and I find that it has helped me tremendously. Lifting weights strengthened my knees, esp. my left which I've always had problems with.

Not saying you should do Crossfit, but just lower body exercises with weights in general.

4/30/2009 6:57:40 PM

The root of the problem here is that running is horrible for your knees, whether you've had a serious injury in the past or not. My advice would be to mix up your cardio exercises. I primarily do a lot of biking, and don't run often at all. I'd really recommend not doing a lot of running, you'll pay for it later in life.

My surgery date has almost been 11 months and I've worked pretty hard at PT all year. Skiing in February and March was no problem. My doctor recommended a brace to use for one year (when doing sports, etc.). The one he wanted me to get was like $900 ($500 after insurance) so I said to hell with that and when I was skiing just used one I'd been given when my ACL was actually torn (before surgery). And I was fine.

I don't plan on using a brace again at any point. I don't have any pain in my knee when doing sports (though after a full day of skiing it would stiffen up a bit). Only time my knee bothers me is when a weather system comes around (damn low pressure!).

[Edited on April 30, 2009 at 8:17 PM. Reason : and when I had knee strength tested in December, my bad knee was actually stronger in a few tests.]

4/30/2009 8:16:40 PM

Cool. I had done some more strength training earlier in the year, I'll get back to it. I've heard of this Crossfit thing--sounds intriguing. But don't you need your own items? (DB, KB, pullup/dip bar, mats, etc)??

I really want to get into running though So far this is the only time I've enjoyed it ever and it's good exercise. But it does create problems later I suppose. So no running ever??? sad panda lol.

4/30/2009 8:27:20 PM

I woudn't say ever, but I'd really cut back.

My surgeon said no more squats, lunges, stair climbing (the machine), and wall sits. He said these all put unnatural stress on your knee joints.

4/30/2009 11:42:13 PM

Yeah...
What are some good strength exercises you'd recommend?

5/1/2009 1:29:25 PM

your surgeon should be able to tell you what's good for you but i can fill you in a bit.

-leg extensions
-leg curls
-leg press
-calf raises
-bicycling

If you do those fairly often you'll have a very strong knee. Unfortunately if you lead a pretty active (phyiscally) lifestyle these are exercises you have to keep fairly up on for the rest of your life

Oh, and if you don't have access to machines/weights all the time all the exercises you were told to do post accident and pre surgery will help. B/c all those exercises are about knee joint strength and range of motion

[Edited on May 1, 2009 at 3:25 PM. Reason : k]

5/1/2009 3:24:09 PM