Knee braces are a great tool for pickleball players that not only support their knee areas but also help them prevent serious knee injuries. Also, the braces can be used to reduce pain and fasten the healing process of any kind of moderate knee injuries related to cartilage or ligament damage.
Typically, surgeons suggest wearing a knee brace for fast recovery after you have gone through a knee surgery. Usually, surgeries like lateral release surgery, ACL surgery, patella tendon repair surgery require you to wear a specific type of knee braces to support your knee area.
Hence, it is really important to wear the knee brace properly to help prevent any kind of unwanted situations during your healing process.
While your physical therapist will help you understand everything you need to know about wearing a knee brace, it is fairly common to misunderstand something or do something wrong when this is your first time wearing them.
So, to help you with the process in case you forgot something or wanted to double check a certain information, we will talk about how to wear pickleball knee braces properly.
Dangers of an Improperly Worn Knee Brace
Just like we mentioned earlier, wearing a pickleball knee brace properly is extremely important to avoid any further injuries. If your braces are not fitted properly, they might slide down your leg hampering the support they are supposed to provide to your knee.
Also, there could be tripping hazards due to the braces coming down.
Similarly, a brace too tight will be problematic for you too. If the braces are too firm, it might create a hindrance in your leg circulation system or pinch some nerves in your leg.
This could lead to more serious problems like swelling, discoloration, tingling or numbness in your leg.
How to Put On Knee Braces
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you are trying to put on your knee braces:
Choose the right type of braces
The style of your braces will depend on the severity and type of injuries you are suffering through. Generally, your physician will help you choose the best option for yourself.
For example, a compression sleeve may be used for a mild sprain whereas a heavy duty hinged brace will be needed for more serious injuries.
Pull the brace up to place on your affected knee
First, you need to roll up any kind of cloth that you are wearing covering up your knee. Try to slip on your brace by slipping your foot on the top of it where you have the open area, going through the bottom. Keep sliding in your leg until it reaches your knee area.
In case you are using a wrap style brace, you should place the inside of the pad against your knee and then close the straps around the area.
Try to center the braces on your kneecap
Usually, the braces come with a small open area in the front that hints the way they should be put on. If you can see your knee through this open area, you can be sure that you wore it the right way. Make sure you align the brace so the hole doesn’t get attached to your skin or pinch it.
Also, it is important to make sure that the brace is tight in a moderate way so that it doesn’t slip down or isn’t too tight for your leg.
Tighten the straps
After you are sure that you have the brace in the right way, you need to tighten the straps. Some braces like compression sleeves might have additional straps that you need to take care of.
In most cases, you can just get the straps on the back of your brace and secure them properly.
How to be comfortable with the braces
Wearing your braces under other clothes can help prevent it from slipping down. Especially when you are out at school or work, it’s better to make sure that it doesn’t slide down.
Wearing shorts can be another way to feel comfortable with the braces. Furthermore, you should periodically take off the braces to give your skin a chance to breathe.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How tight should a knee brace be?
If you are confused if the braces are tightened properly or not, try fitting one or two of your fingers in the space between the brace and your leg. If you can’t fit at least one of your fingers, the braces need to be relaxed a little bit.
How many hours a day can you wear a knee brace?
Typically, if your physician says okay then you can wear them all day.
Is it okay to sleep with a brace on?
It is okay to sleep with the braces on for the first couple of nights of being injured. But make sure you consult your physician after your injuries have healed a bit.
Conclusion:
I hope you got a good idea of how to wear a pickleball knee brace properly. You need to keep in mind that wearing braces is really important for your knees to improve. So, in case you are confused about something, don’t hesitate to ask your physician!
