Not disabled but what knee brace as you using?

[rich c]

I've had a sudden problem with my left knee. Been to the orthopedic clinic twice now. First x-ray showed arthritis and got a steroid shot. Relived the pain for 5 days. Went to my chiropractor and she though a nerve was pinched. Did and adjustment and I could barely walk the next morning. Had to use a walker to get back to the orthopedic clinic yesterday. Drained my knee and gave me another shot. No one mentioned a knee brace yet, wondering if anyone uses a brace to help arthritic knees? Scaring the hell out of me, don't want to end my riding from this!

 

[oldbrad]

When I injured my knee last spring and I was in a knee brace. I could walk about 1/2 mile before the pain got worse. I was planning a trip and was ready to even cancel it, but I started using a knee scooter and even made a trip. I can advise this source for knee scooters, I think there is no much difference, but you can check the prices. Of course, there were some difficulties during the trip but it was better than not going at all.

 

[Neverlost99]

I've had a sudden problem with my left knee. Been to the orthopedic clinic twice now. First x-ray showed arthritis and got a steroid shot. Relived the pain for 5 days. Went to my chiropractor and she though a nerve was pinched. Did and adjustment and I could barely walk the next morning. Had to use a walker to get back to the orthopedic clinic yesterday. Drained my knee and gave me another shot. No one mentioned a knee brace yet, wondering if anyone uses a brace to help arthritic knees? Scaring the hell out of me, don't want to end my riding from this!

If it quaks it’s a chiropractor. I have scars from a massive quadroplasty( horrible fall) and been scoped. Get a scope. There is debris that has to be cleaned out. I am 70 and riding 400 miles a month and it has helped my knees a huge amount. Chiropractic is a sham!

 

[PDoz]

Rich, it's a lot more complex than getting a generic brace - have a good chat with the ortho team - you're not describing a high impact injury so the chances of having significant ligament injury are small - ie a brace probably isn't going to help. When I hear sudden unexplained knee swelling I'm thinking psuedo gout / meniscal injury etc - not osteoarthritis - hopefully the fluid they sent off might give answers for you.

I've fractured my knee and been left with dysfunctional cruciate ligaments +/- a step in my tibial plateau . During the early recovery phase it helped to wear a decent brace ( similar to this https://www.asterisk.com/collections/frontpage/knee-braces ) , but to be honest I improved quicker once I had enough stability to get my own body working again. Now I only wear them if I'm likely to do silly things on the motorbike. Admittedly my knee feels more stable wearing it whilst cycling, but it doesn't really make any difference to the next days stiffness and it restricts my riding style - ie I'm less agile.

 

[tomjasz]

Scaring the hell out of me, don't want to end my riding from this!

just add a throttle! It’s a real bummer at first but you can ride home regardless of the pain. Another malady where PAS serves me better than torque sensing. I can clown pedal and at least keep in motion. Best wishes for an improvement. It’s a shock and even a bit depressing at first. Weekly physical therapy has been my savior. Keeping whats left and even some improvements...

 

[tomjasz]

brace probably isn't going to help

You seem to imply a brace won’t help with arthritis. My FP Dr. fitted a thumb brace and I have some improved use of my thumbs. Not with an arthritic knee?

 

[6zfshdb]

I also have arthritis in my left knee. As you've found, steroid injections work but not for long. I've had better luck with the Gelzyn injections:

Proven HA† Innovation - Bioventus OA Knee Pain Relief

They get mixed reviews but they definitely help me. Not all insurance companies cover it though.

They may exist but I'm not aware of an effective knee brace for arthritis. When travelling, I carry a collapsible cane to use when I get a flareup.

I adjust the seat height on my e-bike and can usually minimize the pain. Sometimes, just raising or lowering it a bit makes a big difference. With the e-bike, I'm not worried about maximum pedal efficiency.

I also use the bike as a "walker" sometimes under certain conditions.

 

[opimax]

Trying a knee brace probably won’t hurt anything , please correct me if I am wrong, not a costly thing to try . Gives my wife more confidence even when it still hurts some.

 

[RobeE]

Knee bracing is an absolute must when dealing with knee pain and arthritis. My father has been diagnosed with OA, and the physician suggested knee bracing. He has been using it for a while, and it turned out good.
After a month, the physiotherapist suggested using a custom knee brace to improve the result. He is using a custom knee unloader brace, and he is feeling good with the physiotherapy procedures. Now he can walk better than before. You can try a custom knee brace, and I'm sure it will give a better result.

 

[rarobo]

I had injuries to my right leg in the late seventies that I’ve been dealing with since, had my knee replaced in 2019, can only bend to 90 degrees, was told by the surgeon to find another hobby. I’m 5’6” and what I’ve done to keep riding is move seat as high as you can handle ( my seat is 36” off the ground) and use shorter crank arms( mine are 155mm), I also use bike shoes to keep my foot on, I have no problem riding 50 + miles