How the GenuTrain OA Knee Brace Helps with Osteoarthritis

Shopping for an osteoarthritis knee brace? With benefits like reducing swelling and relieving pain, it’s no wonder that braces are such a popular option for conservative arthritis treatment. But unfortunately, not every brace is made equal. If you have grade 2-3 degeneration, here’s why the GenuTrain OA should be your top choice. 

Anatomy of knee osteoarthritis 

Knee osteoarthritis is the gradual degeneration of the cartilage disks responsible for cushioning your knee and allowing smooth movement. As we age, the cartilage disks can start to wear thin and rough, causing friction. As a result, you’re likely to experience: 

• Pain, especially after a long period of movement 
• Swelling 
• Stiffness
• Clicking sounds and locking sensations when you move

The intensity of these symptoms can vary drastically from case to case, depending on how far the condition has progressed. Pain may also be felt on one side of the knee more than the other, as osteoarthritis often affects one side of the knee more.

How the GenuTrain OA Helps 

GenuTrain OA 

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The GenuTrain OA works best for moderate (grade 2-3) arthritis. In these cases, the space between your tibia and fibula has narrowed visibly, sometimes resulting in knee pain even when resting. 

This osteoarthritis knee brace helps through the following: 

Compression knit fabric. 

Compression knit boosts blood flow through the affected area, reducing muscle stiffness and swelling. It also communicates directly with your muscle fibres, helping them receive and transmit messages to and from the brain, thus improving your proprioception (or your ‘awareness’ of how you move and position the joint). This proprioceptive benefit is essential. Osteoarthritis causes pain that can interrupt other nerve signals, negatively affecting your gait, balance, and awareness of the joint. 

Learn more: Find out how quality material impacts the effectiveness of bracing and compression 

Offloading system

As osteoarthritis progresses, joint space narrows, making it harder to put pressure on the joint without pain. The GenuTrain OA addresses this via its 3-point offloading system of straps and stays, which you can adjust with millimetre precision to take the pressure off a painful area.

Comfortable wear

The OA is made of 3D air-knit fabric - a stretchy, soft, and breathable material. And as we mentioned, its hinges, straps, and splints system is highly adjustable. You can also easily loosen it when sitting and tighten it back up when standing. 

For the best results, you should always aim for an osteoarthritis knee brace that you won’t be itching to take off after just a couple of hours of wear. 

How to choose the right GenuTrain OA Brace

Sizing 

In order to work properly, your brace has to fit you perfectly. To determine the best GenuTrain OA fit for you, you’ll need to take two measurements: 

1. Measure the circumference of your leg 17 cm above the centre of your knee while your knee is bent at 30 degrees.
2. Measure the circumference of your leg 15 cm below the centre of your knee while your knee is bent at 30 degrees.

Learn more: How does sizing impact the effectiveness of bracing and compression?

Medials and laterals

You'll see two versions of the GenuTrain OA Knee Brace in the drop-down menu on the product page. 

The Left Medial/Right Lateral brace is for those with osteoarthritis affecting the inner side of their left knee or the outer side of their right knee. 

The Right Medial/Left Lateral version, meanwhile, is for osteoarthritis in the outer side of the left knee or inner side of the right knee. 

Put simply, the zone where all 3 splints meet under the BOA closure button should be on the opposite side of your knee arthritis. 

To sum up

The GenuTrain OA is a great brace for moderate knee osteoarthritis. It takes the pressure off damaged cartilage, boosts blood flow to minimise swelling and stiffness, and is comfortable for all-day wear. 

Explore more osteoarthritis knee braces: Knee Brace For Arthritis