Knee Osteoarthritis: Forget About "Brace Anxiety"

What do you think the chances are you’ll one day suffer from knee pain if you haven’t already? Is it something you’ve even thought about? In a recent survey of 1,000 Americans over age 40 conducted by Wakefield Research & DJO Global, 79% said it was unlikely they would ever suffer from knee pain. You might be surprised to know that 1 in 2 Americans will suffer from knee pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in their lifetime. This rate is likely to only grow as more baby boomers enter retirement and the obesity epidemic continues to spread.

Knee OA is a progressive disease with no cure, and the pain associated with knee OA can be debilitating. When survey respondents were asked what they would give up for a month to live knee pain free for life, 43% said dessert. Maybe not very surprisingly in today’s technology crazed world, respondents were much less willing to give up their cell phone (29%) or the Internet (11%).

As an orthopedic specialist, it’s my job to inform my patients of all their options for treating their knee OA pain. Many of my patients are looking for quick, effective and economic options for maintaining or regaining their life activities and most want to delay expensive, invasive surgeries. 64% of survey respondents said knee pain has hindered them from doing the physical activities they have enjoyed in the past. 

Knee bracing for OA is a conservative care treatment option that sometimes comes with a stigma I call “brace anxiety”. The overall perception of the knee bracing technology available to most patients is that everyday OA knee braces can be unsightly, bulky, heavy, minimally effective, restrictive and uncomfortable. Some patients are also concerned with the use of a brace over extended periods of time. These misconceptions have diminished mainstream adoption and compliance.

To address these concerns, I recommend the DonJoy OA Nano knee brace, the world’s lightest functional osteoarthritis knee brace. Comfort, clinical superiority and strength give DonJoy’s OA Nano the potential to be the best-performing knee brace on the market for patients with mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis who want to reduce knee pain and increase knee stability in order to maintain an active lifestyle. And, since longer bracing duration actually appears to improve hamstring strength as well as increase patients’ physical activity levels, OA Nano weighing only about as much as a can of soda, is a no brainer.  

Today, many physicians like myself are adopting conservative care approaches that favor inexpensive and less invasive treatment options initially. As the trend away from expensive and addictive treatment options gains momentum, knee bracing will play an increasingly significant role for the millions of sufferers searching for a viable pain relief option.