What Is The Best Knee Brace For MCL Strain?

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If you have any kind of knee injury you may be in some pain or may be immobilized until the injury has healed. MCL strain is a particularly painful condition but there are some ways to get some relief from the pain. Medication and physiotherapy may help and you can also support your knee with a decent knee brace.

The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is a band of tissue that connects the shin and thigh bones. (source) The ligament helps to keep the knee stable and in the correct position when standing, walking and running. When this ligament gets damaged your knee may over extend or move out of place and supporting the knee may help.

Anyone can suffer from MCL strain but it is a very common injury for people who play sports. When the side of the knee takes a heavy blow it can damage the ligament in some cases. Many sports men and women will wear a knee brace when training and competing to prevent injuries.

Below is a link to a short video where a doctor explains MCL strain is some detail:

Who needs to Use a Knee Brace?

If you have strained a ligament in your knee a doctor may tell you to wear a knee brace for a period of time. You will usually need to wear the brace during the day and you may be advised to wear one when sleeping. The amount of time you need to wear your knee brace will depend on how long your injury takes to heal.

Even if a doctor has not told you to wear a knee brace for MCL strain you may still choose to use one. Giving your knee some support is always going to be beneficial following an injury. In some cases your doctor may refer you to a physiotherapist and they may advise you to use a knee brace.

You may also benefit from wearing a knee brace when your injury has healed to give the ligament some protection. Areas of the body that have been injured are often weakened and will need to be looked after. If you play sports or spend a lot of time on your feet a knee brace will give your knee the support it needs.

What Does a Knee Brace do?

A knee brace helps to support the knee when it is damaged so that no further injuries are sustained. The braces are either similar to an elasticated sleeve or there are braces that fasten with straps. When the knee brace is in place it supports the knee joint and some braces also provide compression.

Open Patella Knee Braces

Some of the knee braces are an open patella design and there is a hole that fits over the knee cap. This reinforced ring can help to prevent the knee from moving around too much. A knee brace may also offer some lateral support if it has reinforced sections on the sides.

Sleeve Style Knee Braces

The other type of knee brace that can bus used is a sleeve style brace and these are simple elasticated sleeves. Sleeve braces provide a good level of support as well as some compression. The advantages of using these knee braces is that they are easy to put in and they require no adjustment.

How do I Select a Suitable Knee Brace?

There are some important things to look for when you are selecting a suitable knee brace to wear. Choosing the correct size is important and your brace needs to fit snugly without being too tight. Your knee brace should stay in place above and below your knee and not bunch up behind the knee.

It is imperative that you do not use a knee brace that is to tight around any part of the leg. If a knee brace is too tight it may cut off the blood circulation and this needs to be avoided. You need to ensure that your leg gets an adequate supply of blood to prevent further problems developing.

It can be useful to measure your leg above and below the knee so that you can buy a correctly sized knee brace. Some of the braces are adjustable and one size fits all and others are sized. If you have large thighs it is advisable to check the length of the top strap to ensure that the knee brace is going to fit properly.

If you plan to use a knee brace that has adjustable straps you should ensure that the velcro fasteners are efficient. The last thing you will want is to have to keep fastening or adjusting your brace. If the knee brace does not stay in place due to it having poor straps it will not be effective.

You should also use a product that is made from materials that are comfortable to wear against the skin. If you keep a knee brace on for long periods you are going to sweat and using a brace that does not retain moisture is useful. If excess perspiration is retained against the skin you could develop a rash or other skin condition.

Here are a few important points to carefully consider when you are choosing a knee brace:

Use a well fitting knee brace
Buy a knee brace that is well made
Choose a brace made from soft materials
Use brace that can be washed

What is The Best Knee Brace For MCL Strain?

We looked at a wide range of knee braces that are available and selected five that can be used to help with knee injuries. We were looking at the level of support provided by the knee braces as well as price and quality. We have reviewed five products and highlighted some pros and cons for each one.

Our Choice

All of the knee braces that we looked at can be used by people that have suffered an MCL strain. All of the braces that we reviewed provide a good level of support for the knee and some also provide compression.

After looking at price, quality and effectiveness the best knee brace for MCL strain is the TechWare Pro Knee Brace Support.

This reasonably priced knee brace is well made and it provides adequate levels of support for the knee. We liked that fact that this knee brace is available in different sizes and is easy to put on and take off. The level of adjustment on this knee brace is also very good.

What Is The Best Knee Brace For MCL Strain? - Health Ambition (2024)