Do knee braces to anything useful? That’s the question put to New York Times health columnist Gretchen Reynolds. The answer, says Reynolds, is possibly, but it depends on the brace and on the injury. Reynolds quotes Dr. Robert A. Gallo, an associate professor of orthopedic sports medicine at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, saying that for each study that suggests wearing a knee brace can produce a clinical benefit in reducing pain or feelings of instability there usually is a counterstudy which demonstrates no difference in symptoms between those using a brace and those who are not. No, that’s not encouraging, but wait, there’s more. Gallo says some specialized braces that take some pressure off the knee joint have been shown to help people with knee arthritis remain active and put off knee replacement surgery. And more: knee braces, but not sleeves, he says, may also help after certain types of knee trauma such as a torn medial collateral ligament. So the answer is, no, yes, and maybe.
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