Supports and orthoses are orthopedic aids that can be used to treat discomfort in the joints and larger body areas such as the back or thigh.
They help relieve pain caused by overwork, injuries and surgery, as well as accompanying the onset of age. They are used occasionally or permanently to help you to stay mobile or to become mobile again.
You should arrange an appointment with your physician for determining whether a knee support or a knee orthosis is the better solution for treating your condition.
Please continue reading to find more information about the difference between a knee support and a knee orthosis.
OFTEN UNNOTICED HELPERS
Not everyone knows about or immediately thinks of the possibility of wearing a knee support or orthosis. These provide a wide field of action and includes protection against reoccurrence, but only a few have an image in mind on how they work. Despite the many opportunities to see them in everyday life in men or women, if you do not know anybody who wears supports or orthoses, or even someone who has experience with them, you rarely pay attention to these aids in action. Another reason is that orthopedic aids are almost invisible because they are often covered by clothing. They are created and designed to perfect fit and to become part of the body.
SUPPORTS AND ORTHOSES WORKS DIRECTLY ON THE BODY
Supports and orthoses surround joints, the whole or part of the body they are close to. In this way, they can exert their stabilizing effect - either by compression, ie by slight pressure on a certain area, or by solid elements that protectively restricts movements. In part, supports and orthoses also combine both. Occasionally, individual elements may be removed or added to stabilize less or more in the course of a treatment.
HOW DOES A SUPPORT WORKS?
When comparing support and orthoses, supports are more flexible and usually offer more freedom of action. They always consist of an elastic compression fabric that adapts to the body parts, shapes and allows movement. They develop their full stabilizing effect by improving the self-adaption to the body parts and activating the surrounding muscles.
When you move, the tension in and relaxation of the muscles in resistance to the fabric triggers an alternating pressure, which massages the soft tissue. Built-in pads (specially designed functional elements) protect bony structures such as the kneecap or the inner and outer ankle of the foot from pressure peaks. They are made of flexible material, thereby deforming during movement and also massaging the soft tissue. The massage relieves pain and stimulates the metabolism over a large area makes swelling subside faster.
At the same time, sensory cells are stimulated on the skin surface, in the soft tissue and in the muscles throughout the area covered by the bandage. This increased perception of stimulation activates sensorimotor processes and helps to stabilize the respective joint or the respective body part in the movement.
HOW DOES AN ORTHOSIS WORK?
Orthoses are often complex in design and made of stronger materials. Therefore, they are usually adapted by orthopedic technicians to the body. If they have knitwear, they are often firmer than with bandages and sometimes also inelastic. Due to their mechanics, they can form a very stable adhesion around the joint or the body part. This relieves pain and protects against incorrect movements.
In comparison to supports, orthoses restrain the freedom of action more in favor of high stability up to the immobilization. They often take over corrective functions and can be set to allow controlled movements up to a certain stop.
They can protect joints from "breaking out" during movement by safely guiding them with straps, rails or bars. Similarly, orthoses can direct the posture of a body part such as the lumbar spine in a particular direction to relieve or support.
