Woman wearing sports clothes and a knee support rests against a wall

What are braces and supports for?

New to the world of braces and supports? Discover how these products work, and how they help different conditions.

Braces and supports are widely used orthopaedic devices that can help when you have an injury of the joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or bones. You can use them as part of a non-surgical treatment plan for an injury or condition, and also during post-surgical rehabilitation. 

Devices vary in support depending on the material they are made from. For example, simple sleeve or wrap-around products mainly support through compression and light stabilization, whereas more complex braces, such as hard-shell braces, can also restrict movement. Different designs and levels of stabilization are available to target different types of injures and conditions. With some types of braces and supports, you are also able to adjust the product to your individual needs, for targeted treatment throughout your healing process. 

Your doctor will be able to tell you which type of product is most suited for your condition.

What can braces and supports help with?

People sometimes use the words braces and supports interchangeably, but in reality, they have different functions targeted to specific needs. That’s why choosing the right product for your unique circumstances is really important. Here are just some of the situations where you may benefit from using an orthopedic device: 

  • Chronic conditions and injuries
  • General weakness and instability
  • During recovery from acute injuries like sprains and strains
  • Arthritic conditions
  • Specific conditions such as tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome

How do braces and supports work?

Braces and supports are typically worn around the affected body part, such as the knee, ankle, elbow, or wrist. They often provide compression which can help to prevent and reduce swelling, which then reduces pain and improves your range of movement. Braces and supports can help you to take on daily challenges by alleviating pain in your joint. For example, a knee support can help you with day-to-day mobility by providing stability to the affected joint. Braces and other devices that offer musculoskeletal support can also help relieve aches, prevent injury, and aid the healing process.

Understanding different types of braces and supports

Read on to discover more about the differences between braces, supports and other related products, and which option may be suitable.

Woman wearing a sports skirt pulls on a knee support on a bench next to a bottle of water and bag of pickleball equipment

Supports

Supports are usually simple sleeve or wrap-around products that you slide onto your foot, knee or wrist, like a sock or glove. Some may have a basic additional strap for added support. Supports tend to be slimmer and more lightweight than braces and allow for freer joint movement. They are ideally worn to prevent re-injury or further damage. Some supports come with additional material features, such as ceramic yarns that retain and reflect body heat. These yarns help to support pain relief by providing warmth which is beneficial in the management of arthritis.

Man lifts weights and lunges forwards while wearing a knee support

Braces

Braces or stabilizers tend to have a rigid structure to provide robust support. They limit motion and offer general stability to the affected joint or body part while it heals. You can use braces to help heal sprains or tears, as well as after surgical procedures that require limited movement for rehabilitation of the affected body part. You may also like to wear a brace to provide support and comfort for acute injuries sustained during athletic activities. A popular design is a knee brace that combines the support and benefits of a sleeve, such as compression, but also features elements that both stabilize the patella, as well as the knee itself through additional stays.

Close up of a person wearing an elbow support raising racket into the air

Straps

Straps are band-like devices that wrap around the top or bottom of your knee, elbow or wrist. For example, a patella strap helps take stress - and therefore pain - off the patellar tendon at the bottom of the knee. Straps placed above the knee can reduce stress where friction is created around the knee. You can use knee straps to help manage runner’s knee and elbow straps to help conditions like tennis or golfer’s elbow.

Two women sit on a suitcase to close it with one wearing an ankle support

Splints

Splints are often used to immobilize a joint or limb to prevent further skeletal, neurologic, soft tissue damage, with the intention to significantly reduce pain. It is important to immobilize certain injuries such as fractures and severe sprains properly to allow for uncompromised healing of all structures.

What different types of braces and supports are available?

There are various devices available that can help when you have a sprain or strain or another orthopedic injury. These devices can also help people living with chronic conditions such as arthritis. Here are some examples of how specific devices are used. 

Knee and Wrist Braces

Actimove Sports Edition Knee Brace Adjustable Horseshoe with Simple Hinges and Condyle Pads helps to provide pain relief through medical compression and therapeutic warmth. On each side of this specially engineered brace, metal hinges provide extra stability to manage pain from ligament injuries. The adjustable horseshoe can help manage indications also affecting the kneecap.

Actimove Everyday Supports Wrist Stabilizer Carpal is a stabilizing brace medically engineered to provide comfort and pain relief from tendonitis and other wrist conditions and injuries. The integrated stay is anatomically shaped to provide support and to hold the wrist securely and comfortably while allowing full movement of fingers and thumb. 

Knee Supports

The Actimove Everyday Supports Knee Support Closed Patella delivers firm compression to help with painful knees.  

The Actimove Everyday Supports Knee Support Closed Patella, 2 Stays has two spiral stays to add further stability to the joint.  

For reduced pressure on the kneecap (patella), the Actimove Sports Edition Knee Support with Open Patella has an open design which is suitable for managing knee pain. The support helps relieve pain and aids healing through balanced warmth and medical compression, and features COOLMAX AIR technology to keep you cool and dry while you work out.  

Wrist, Elbow and Knee Straps

Actimove Sports Edition Patella Strap supports pain relief by applying pressure on the kneecap tendon through its specially engineered high-density insert. This medical device stays in place during active movement, thanks to its special silicone dot lining. For those suffering from tennis or golfer's elbow, the Actimove Sports Edition Elbow Strap with Hot/Cold Pack helps relieve your elbow and features a hot and cold pack for additional pain relief.

How to use braces and supports effectively

The length of time you will need to wear a brace or support will differ depending on your diagnosis or condition. For example, you may need to wear a brace for a sprained ankle for several weeks; however, if you have a condition such as arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome, you may need to wear it any time the condition flares up.

Speak to your doctor or a medical professional to confirm how long you should wear your support. Remember, braces and supports are designed to assist with the healing process and allow you to live your daily life.

Tips for choosing the right brace or support product

When choosing the right brace or support product, you may want to consider the following: 

Comfort

When choosing a support or a brace, you want it to be comfortable. Select a product that offers the right level of support based on your individual needs. Aim for a feeling of compression and stability but ensure that your device does not restrict blood flow to any areas of your body. It should not feel overly tight or cause you further pain or discomfort. Lower levels of protection should feel more flexible, whereas maximum protection products such as braces will feel more rigid.

Material

To optimize comfort, consider how breathable you would like the support or brace to be. Braces can be made of neoprene or other fabrics. Neoprene is a flexible material that offers support and heat insulation, but it is not breathable and may be too hot for all day use. Our range of Actimove Sports Edition products offers a breathable and comfortable alternative as it is made using a similar neoprene-free material with COOLMAX® AIR technology.

Size

When selecting a brace or support, it is very important to select the correct size, otherwise the product may not be effective. For example, most ankle braces are sized based on ankle circumference or shoe size. Be sure to consult the size chart for the best fit and support.

Activity level

It’s important to think about the activities you’ll be doing when wearing the brace or support. When you are active or playing sports, you might want to look for neoprene-free products that don’t get too hot, for example, the Actimove Sports Edition Knee Support Open Patella Adjustable. With specially constructed with COOLMAX® Air technology, this support is engineered for quick drying and exceptional breathability to keep you cool and dry. On the other hand, if you are looking for a device for everyday use, you may want supports with features specifically designed for comfort. For example, the Actimove Everyday Supports Elbow Support has a soft, smooth Motion-Comfort-Zone which may be ideal to wear on a day-to-day basis.

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