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For reasons relating to rugby, skating and other collisions, I am now in a position where I want to wear knee supports when I go snowboarding. In fact, if I don't, the pain I now experience negates any kind of pleasure I might get from the sport.

 

I'm interested to know if anyone else uses supports and whether or not they have made any difference. I went to a large chain sports store today and I was impressed at what's available (not that I've worn them before).

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ok, i'm not a expert on this topic, but maybe i can provide some helpful info...

 

had a bad knee for a while... 5 years, wear one of those neoprene braces you buy from the sports stores... knee does a crackle pop every now and then that puts me on crutches... anyways, did it real good in december and now have had lots of visits to the doctor, physio and orthapaedic surgeon... acl is ruptured and meniscus is torn... going to have surgery this year - not the keyhole type...

 

the doctor told me that the brace i had been wearing for sports doesn't really do anything. people wear them (me included) feeling like they help... and if the placebo affect of it helping reassures you, then apparently, it's totally good to wear one, because feeling like there is an improvement is important, even if it's just placebo. anyways, i then noted that i had two crackle pop incidences while wearing a brace, once in wanaka and another in whistler while working.

so unless it's the full fancy brace that costs around $900 (in new zealand), then it's not actually going to be functionally helpful...

 

... but... if your knee is causing problems, have it looked at! i'm suprised that after visiting A&E twice in NZ and an on mountain physio... the hospital in japan and subsequently an orthapaedic surgeon in mizusawa that i was not properly diagnosed with an ACL injury, so now, as a result, 5 years (and many injuries later) i have a completely busted ACL and an fairly badly torn meniscus.

 

to properly get it checked out, you'll need an xray and mri (i only had an xray in japan, and i'm suprised that the orthapaedic surgeon didn't request an mri - but that might be because they cost about $600 to get... luckily, we have ACC in NZ)

 

seriously, get it checked out. i did this in december and i can barely walk at a fast pace now, so that puts surfing, skiing, curling and pretty much all sports out for me until i get surgery, and it sucks big time! i put up with it cos all the health professionals i saw said "well, there appears to be no ligament damage, use these crutches and you'll be fine", but this time round, my family said enough is enough, make sure they find out whats wrong.

 

can't wait for surgery! yay, i'm so happy :o) i don't mind the 2 nights in hospital, 6 weeks on crutches and 6 months rehabilitation at all :o)

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Shimba,

My husband had that surgery this past October which meant he could not snowboard with us when we were in Japan this past January. WAH! Poor boy!!

His recovery has been nothing short of spectacular - and the point of difference being LOADS of rehab - both professional and self imposed. Pushing through the pain to keep it moving is the BEST therapy for an ACL repair (obviously within reason...)

He is considering boarding with a knee brace (with metal sides) in March - although the Doc's recommend a year off all sports that put twisting forces on a new ACL.

His was done in an instant on the Rugby field - but I know a lot of people who have had gradual ones like yours - yes best to get it checked out.

 

Get a Dr's opinion on why your knee hurts, and thier recommendation for a brace. I wore one with a hole for the knee cap that was measured up to fit me for the whole of last year, as my knee issue was that my patella (knee cap) was not tracking in the little groove it was supposed to, but off to the side - crack, crunch, bump - ouch. Problem started after I rolled my ankle on uneven paving in stupidly high heels at work (walking and talking in sign language in heels - bad combo!) - but I boarded for 3 weeks in January with NO pain, NO brace, and NO antiinflammatories - thanks to physio and wearing the right brace for all that time last year.

 

Get a professional to look at it :-)

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If you have national or social insurance get an MRI done and analysed by a competent orthopaedic surgeon - it should show up any soft tissue problems. Mine, done prior to ACL reconstructive surgery, cost about ¥12000. I was recommended an orthopaedic surgeon by the name of Konsei Shino who worked at the Osaka University hospital. Osaka's a bit far for me so I got it done closer to home. The whole process MRI, surgery, rehab cost less than ¥250 000 with national insurance. Since then no probs.

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I have a bad knee from cycling, too.

I tried knee supports but didn't work for my knee pain. I use Kinesio taping which my physiatrist gave me when I go bicycling now. (my knee is ok when I ski.)

 

A friend of mine had knee injury from rugby last year and his physio also used Kinesio taping. He had no problem surfing, snowboarding after couple of weeks.

You can buy Kinesio tapes from sports stores but there are different ways how to tape, it depends on where your pain comes from. You better go to physio and learn how to use it.

 

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 Originally Posted By: arcadia
If you have national or social insurance get an MRI done and analysed by a competent orthopaedic surgeon - it should show up any soft tissue problems. Mine, done prior to ACL reconstructive surgery, cost about ¥12000. I was recommended an orthopaedic surgeon by the name of Konsei Shino who worked at the Osaka University hospital. Osaka's a bit far for me so I got it done closer to home. The whole process MRI, surgery, rehab cost less than ¥250 000 with national insurance. Since then no probs.


Arcadia, do you have a contact for Konsei Shino?
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This is a little old. I had the surgery done about 7 or so years ago.

His mail address was

k-shino@osaka-hsu.ac.jp

and the phone number I was given was

72 950 2111

I've never actually met him but he was recommended by an orthopaedic surgeon in Melbourne

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 Originally Posted By: arcadia
This is a little old. I had the surgery done about 7 or so years ago.
His mail address was
k-shino@osaka-hsu.ac.jp
and the phone number I was given was
72 950 2111
I've never actually met him but he was recommended by an orthopaedic surgeon in Melbourne




Thank you very much. I'll see what comes up.
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