Has your knee ever made a Popping sound when you injured it?
If so you may have injured one of your main ligaments in your knee; your ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). Even if you did not hear that sound, you still may have seriously injured your knee.
ACL injuries can happen to anyone. Individuals that are highly active tend to have a greater chance at injuring this ligament, especially those that can cause a lot of force placed on the ACL. Gender also seems to play a role in the frequency of ACL injuries. In collegiate basketball, women players have been noted to have an ACL injury rate that is up to 8 times more likely than men in the same sport!
Usually high speed twists can injure the ACL. Moreover, high speed bending or extending the knee beyond its normal range of motion, or awkward landings can result in an ACL injury. Many people think that football players are the most susceptible to ACL injuries but people who play basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, tennis, skiers etc. can also injury this ligament with the wrong kind of movement. -After the injury occurs, a significant amount of pain and swelling can occur. You may also feel like the stability of your knee is compromised, like it is going to "give out" on you.
An ACL knee brace can be a highly supportive adjunct to your recovery process. ACL type knee braces are usually more sturdy than your neoprene style knee braces. What this basically means is that if you injured your ACL, you will most likely benefit from a knee brace that will help to stop any bending, twisting, or hyperextension movements of your knee that will further insult your injury. Furthermore, ACL knee braces, when properly designed, can help to stop side to side movements as well that when excessive in nature can re-injure your knee.
Many people have expressed a sense of relief when they get these kinds of knee braces, because they do not feel like their knee is going to "Give Out" on them when it is worn. They also express the fact that they can still move around and the brace does not inhibit their movement to the point were it is cumbersome.
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