Knee Arthritis|Knock Knees|Virtual Knee Surgery

It was about 22 years ago when I watched my first ROCKY movie (Rocky III) and it really inspired me to get up from defeat (after failing my exams) and to train hard to become a winner in life.

Today, 22 years later, I find myself being inspired once again by Sylvestor Stallone's latest Rocky Movie (Rocky Balboa- part 6). In this latest movie, Rocky is aged 60+ and retired from boxing. One day, Rocky decides to come out of retirement and to get back into the ring. He feels the need to fight because of emotional issues that he needs to resolve within himself. Naturally, he is criticized and made fun of because he is fighting opponents half his age.

His son (a corporate executive in his 30s) is totally against the idea. His career is going nowhere and he blames his father for casting a big shadow over him. His friends make fun of him because of who his father is.

This is where the 60-year old Rocky gives his son a heart-to-heart reprimand about how he needs to stop blaming and take charge of his life. A saddened Rocky says he remembers when his son could fit in the palm of his hand.

He says that he saw great potential in him and when he first started off in life, he did great. However,at some point, he changed. He lost his way and started blaming other things and people for his own misfortune. Telling him:

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life.

But it ain't about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. . It's How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done.

Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not point fingers and blame other people. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!"

This movie had a huge impact on me just like the first few Rocky movies did because what was said was so true in my own life. " Its not how hard you hit, but how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

I have found that in my life, I have met so many people who were much smarter, talented and luckier than me. What made me more successful at the end of the day was my ability to get hit again and again and to keep moving forward. I never gave up. However, I know of many friends who got hit hard by life and could never find the courage to get up again. Instead, they quit dreaming and accepted a mediocre life.

There were many times in my life when I did get hit hard and felt that I had problems I could never solve. There were times when I felt that life was unfair and too painful to live. What kept me going forward was that I knew that no matter how bad, every problem will not last forever. Every recession will end. Dawn always breaks after the darkest hour. It was this belief that allowed me to keep getting up.

o When I got expelled from school at age 9, I kept moving forward
o When my parents split up when I was aged 13, I kept moving forward
o When my first girlfriend dumped me just before my major exams (and I was subsequently dumped by 2 other girls), I kept moving forward
o When everyone looked down on me because I got poor grades in school, I kept moving forward
o When my interior design business went bankrupt (Losing me $250,000), I kept moving forward
o When I lost over $300,000 in the stock market as an early amateur investor, I kept moving forward
o When my first book, 'I Am Gifted, So Are You!' was rejected by over 9 publishers, I kept moving forward
o When only 1 person signed up for my first Patterns of Excellence program 7.5 years ago, and everyone thought that my company would never make it, I kept moving forward
o When I lost all the money I made from my mobile disco business because I was cheated by a supplier I trusted, I kept moving forward

Whenever we see people achieve great things, it is easy to think that they had less problems and less obstacles than we have. That their brilliance, luck or talent gave them super human abilities to sail through life easily. That everything always goes according to plan.

I can tell you from experience that things NEVER EVER always go according to plan. 80% of the goals you set and plans you make will never go the way you want. Things will screw up and obstacles will appear that will knock you down. Its all part of the game of life.

Have you heard of George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars? On the surface, it seems this guy could do not wrong. He had the genius to create one of the most successful franchises in the world, Star Wars that made hundreds of millions of dollars.

Did you know of all the things that went wrong? When George Lucas had the vision of creating the special effects for the battle scenes, the technology did not exist at the time. That didn't stop Lucas. He set up a company, Industrial Light & Magic to invent and create the special effects needed to make Star Wars.

Did it work? Not at first. During production, everything that could have possibly gone wrong went wrong! At the end of sixteen weeks of filming, everyone had every reason to believe it would fail.

The equipment kept breaking down, the actors could not get along and everything that was filmed turned out lousy and had to be discarded. The movie had grossly exceeded the initial budget, it had overrun the filming schedule, the special effects unit could not create the desired special effects and everyone had the opinion that the movie was too childish.

As a result, 20th Century Fox studios (the producers) wanted to cancel the movie and fire Lucas. After Lucas begged for a chance to save the movie, they gave him three days to finish two weeks of work that was lost. It seemed like an impossible task.

What made things worse was that Lucas suffered severe chest pains in the middle of all this and was rushed to hospital for severe stress and exhaustion. Everyone thought that the movie would fail (even some of the actors didn't dare to go for the premier).

But Lucas just wouldn't quit. Lucas hired a triple filming crew, divided the film stage into three sets and directed three scenes concurrently! Within 3 days, he filmed weeks worth of scenes and finished the movie only moments before the movie premier. The rest was history!

I am sure you have heard of Honda Motor Corporation, one of the most successful automakers from Japan. Again what made Honda a success was that its founder, Soichiro Honda was able to take the hardest hits and still get up and move forward.

In 1938, while Soichiro was still in school, when he started a workshop to develop the piston ring that he hoped he could sell to Toyota. He worked 7 days a week, even sleeping in his workshop at times. When money ran out with no success, he pawned his wife's jewelry for working capital.

Finally, came the day he completed his piston ring and was able to sell it to Toyota. However, he was told that the rings did not meet their standards! Soichiro went back to school for 2 years to improve his invention only to suffer ridicule when the engineers saw his design.

He refused to quit. After two more years of struggle and improvement, he successful won the contract with Toyota. He needed to build a factory to supply Toyota. Unfortunately, his timing was bad. At this time, the Japanese government was gearing up for war and needed all the concrete for the war effort, so he could not get the concrete necessary to build his factory.

Instead of giving up, he invented a new concrete-making process that enabled him to build the factory. With the factory now built, he was ready for production, but again, his luck was bad. His factory was bombed twice by American war planes and steel became unavailable, too.

Instead of giving up, he started collecting surplus gasoline cans discarded by US fighters - "Gifts from President Truman," he called them, which became the new raw materials for his rebuilt manufacturing process. Again, his timing was bad. An earthquake hit and his factory was destroyed the third time.

After the war, an extreme gasoline shortage forced people to walk or use bicycles. Soichiro saw this opportunity and built a tiny engine and attached it to his bicycle. His neighbors wanted one, and although he tried, materials could not be found and he was unable to supply the demand. He also didn't have the money to build another factory to make these 'motorbikes'.

He still didn't quit. he wrote letters to 18,000 bicycles shop owners and asked them to pay him in advanced so he could build his factory to sell them his newly invented motorbikes. Unfortunately, the first models were too bulky to work well, so he continued to develop and adapt, until finally, 'The Super Cub' became a success and took Japan by storm. With success in Japan, Honda began exporting his bicycle engines to Europe and America.

This was how the Honda Motor Corporation was formed. Was that the end of his problems? Nope! As he ran Honda, it went into lots of financial problems. Honda also went near to bankruptcy five times, only to be turned around just in time. Everytime he took a hit, Soichiro would just get up, learn from his mistakes and keep moving forward.

Today, Honda Corporation employs over 100,000 people in the USA and Japan, and is one of the world's largest automobile companies. Honda's excellent engineering and clever marketing even resulted in Honda motorcycles out-selling Triumph and Harley-Davidson in their respective home markets.

So, the greater the success you want in life, the bigger the hits you got to be willing to take. There is a price for everything. A Suzuki costs $30,000 and a Ferrari costs $1m (at least in Singapore).

Success too has a price. The price is massive rejection, frustration, and hardwork, People never succeed either because they thought that success comes easy or because they are not willing to pay the price!

Undergoing surgery is not something that anyone looks forward to. Sometimes people will learn to live with pain rather than going under the knife to repair any damage but when it comes to your mobility it's never a good idea to wait. Total knee replacement becomes necessary when the patient's mobility is hampered and typically more damaged is caused when arthritic conditions are ignored. This is especially true for female patients. It is thought that women can bear more pain than men so they wait longer to consider surgery.

What is a total knee replacement?

A total knee replacement is a surgical procedure that replaces the ends of the damaged femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone) and creates a smooth knee joint. The prosthetic components are made from metal or plastic and are secured to the bone with cement. Depending on the extent of the damage, a partial knee replacement or uni-compartmental replacement can be done in which only a portion of the joint is replaced. (The knee is comprised of three compartments).

What causes degeneration in the knee joint?

When bones become degenerative it is most commonly associated to osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis, also referred to as "wear and tear" arthritis is common in older patients and is caused by aging joints, obesity and prior injuries. Symptoms associated with osteoarthritis are joint pain and stiffness and decreased mobility. Weight loss can improve osteoarthritis and has been shown to decrease symptoms.

What to expect after Surgery

After undergoing a total knee replacement, patients are instructed by their physician to under go physical therapy to strengthen the surrounding muscles and ligaments. Depending on the amount of trauma, rehabilitation time will vary in patients. Rehabilitation is extensive but is necessary in the process. It is very important to manage weight gain because one of the contributing factors to osteoarthritis is obesity. Throughout the recovery process it is vital to maintain constant communication with your doctor.

The knee is the most articulate joint of the human body, and the one that most often suffers injuries. Orthopaedic surgeons use a variety of methods to treat knee injuries. The most common method is RICE: rest, ice, compression and elevation. Rest the knee by not putting load on it, or by walking with the support of crutches; apply Ice to control the edema (swelling); use an elastic Compression bandage on it tightly, but not so tight as to cause pain; and finally, keep the knee elevated.

You should consult an orthopedist if you have the following symptoms in the knees. If you hear a click in his knee at the time of injury; if you have severe pain; if you cannot move the knee; if it begins to limp; or if swelling continues when it is hurt.

When changing direction quickly, if it starts to slow down during a run, or a fall after a jump, you can have a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. The athletes who play basketball and skiing, and athletes who use tennis with studs, as is the case of footballers, are more likely to suffer ACL injuries. Posterior cruciate ligament injuries are usually caused by a blow to the front of the knee or by the leg landing badly during a vigorous game. Usually when people talk about the rupture of ligaments, they are usually talking about a meniscus tear. This type of injury is very common in athletes (especially football players). The meniscus is a strong cartilage, with a consistency that resembles rubber, and acts as a shock absorber, similar to what happens with car bumpers. The collapse of the meniscus may occur when running on the knee when making a dribble, in the slowing down during a race, or in being tackled (as in rugby). In this type of injury there is usually direct contact between two people while practicing a sport.

If you have pain or persistent edema (swelling), a surgical procedure known as knee arthroscopy may help relieve these symptoms and resolve the problem. Arthroscopy allows orthopedic surgeons to diagnose and treat pathologies of the knee, as it shows the inside of the knee through small incisions using an instrument the size of a pencil, called arthroscopy. The lens allows the transmission of an image of your knee through a small camera to a television monitor. The image allows the orthopaedist to examine in detail the inside of the knee, and determine the cause of the problem. During this procedure, the orthopedic surgeon can insert surgical instruments through small incisions in the knee, so as to remove or repair damaged structures. With the development of arthroscopes, this procedure has become increasingly effective, both for accurate diagnosis and effective way to treat the pathologies of the knee.

For many years, many doctors have been interested in the possibility of being able to observe natural cavities of the human body, but while some were easily exploitable (eg the mouth), others require special equipment not available at the time (eg stomach and bladder).

Have you ever twisted your knee and hurt one of your knee ligaments?

Have you ever been in some sort of collision with an object, or another person and now you found that you injured one of your knee ligaments?

Introduction: It may have never happened to you in the past, but knee ligament injuries happen everyday. If you want to help prevent knee problems, or if you want to help stop one from getting worse, then you should seriously look into the idea of getting a well designed knee brace. They can help to provide the meaningful support you need, in a low profile design. This alone can be the one thing that helps you to recover from a ligament injury that is trying to keep you down!

Benefits of Knee Braces

A.) Support

One of the best things that a well designed knee brace can do for you, is to provide meaningful support. Why does this matter? Excessive knee movements from side to side, or front to back, can really help to keep your knee and its internal structures injured. Excessive movements can actually cause a knee ligament injury, in the "right" circumstances. A well designed support can really help to control these painful movements that can really stop your knee from healing itself.

B.) Pain Reduction

Once you can help to control the movements that will hurt you, you knee discomfort can greatly reduce. Just ask anyone on the street why they are wearing a knee brace and they will probably tell you that their pain goes down when they wear it. Not all braces are created equally, so you will need to get a good one, but this is one of the overwhelming responses we get from people who try on a support.

C.) Protection

If you need to preserve the integrity of the internal knee ligaments, then nothing will help in the same way as a knee brace. Sure, sometimes we need to have surgery and this will help repair some ligament damage... but, if you want to help allow you knee ligaments to heal naturally, you should seriously look into a well designed brace. They will remember to help protect your knees when you forget you need to...

(*Please remember that this is health information. You should speak with your physician about medical advice, as we are not your doctor.)

Worn or injured Cartilage

Cartilage becomes brittle due to a lower water content as you get older so it's more likely to tear.

Ligaments and tendons

Also become less flexible and stretchy, and liable to tear. Particularly the tendon that holds your kneecap in place.

Weaker thigh muscles

Can cause your kneecap to be pulled unequally as your knee flexes.

Plica Syndrome

A fold in the membrane that surrounds the knee gets caught under your kneecap, and eventually forms painful scar tissue.

Bakers Cyst

Is a cyst at the back of the knee.

Bursitis

Is a swelling of the fluid filled sack around the joint.

Gout

Can also be a cause of severe knee pain.

All of these can lead to our old friend:

Arthritis.

Knee Arthritis is the number one most common cause of knee pain in middle aged men. Old injuries can return to haunt you.

Post traumatic Arthritis often develops after an injury.

Similar to Osteoarthritis It can occur years after injuries are thought to have healed. All this in a joint that flexes and bears weight every moment we are on our feet.

Common symptoms of Knee problems in middle aged men:

Grinding Knees

Grinding and crunching as you move your knees is quite common and usually nothing to worry about. But if it's accompanied by pain in the joint then it could be worn meniscus cartilage. If the pain feels like it's under your kneecap then its probably Kneecap problems.

Popping sounds

Are quite common again if you've got no pain then don't worry. But when these sounds are associated with pain. It's more serious. A pop or snap is often felt when a ligament is damaged.

Giving way or Instability of the knee

Is another sign of ligament damage.

Locking or catching

Is often felt in your knee when you've got a tear in the meniscus cartilage. A small flap can lift up and get caught in the joint. You will often feel like you need to straighten and 'click' your leg

Treatments for Knee Problems

Soft tissue problems especially knee injuries are usually treated at first by a procedure known by the an acronym R.I.C.E. Which stands for:

Rest
For two or three days then slowly re-introduce movement to prevent loss of strength and mobility.

Ice
Applying a cold compress or ice-bag (or even a bag of frozen peas) will reduce swelling.

Compression
By bandaging the knee also helps to reduce swelling.

Elevation
Keeping your knee elevated above the level of your heart reduces the pressure of the blood in the knee, which helps soft tissues to repair.

Non-Steroidal anti inflammatory drugs are also used to keep swelling down.

Physical Therapy (Physiotherapy) Is very important, once the healing process is underway, to ensure any strength loss in the muscles is properly regained. This is very important to us in our middle ages because we are already suffering from muscle loss, and it takes longer to rebuild.

For more serious knee problems, there is of course the surgical solution.

In the sport of wakeboarding, wakeboard helmets have become much more commonplace and are seen a lot more often these days out on the lake. This is seen by many as a good thing as any seasoned wakeboarder has either experienced themselves, or seen a fellow rider experience a concussion when a trick goes wrong. Concussions have recently gotten a lot of attention from the media in more high profile sports but for a long time were looked at as just another wakeboarding injury that came with trying to progress riding skills. Another big contributor to the rising popularity of wakeboard helmets is the fact that more people are starting to hit sliders or rails and there are many more wakeboarding cable parks now than there were in previous years. Most people go to cable parks to hit wakeboard sliders as there are no wakes to jump and other than kicker ramps and rails the only inverts that can be done are air tricks.

It is imperative that anyone hitting any kind of kicker ramp, slider, or rail wear a wakeboard helmet. The risks are just too great and hitting your head on the hard surfaces these obstacles are made out of can very easily knock you unconscious. To my knowledge, there is not a wakeboard cable park that does not require that a helmet be worn at all times to prevent such things from happening. Many of those in the sport, myself including, are now encouraging wearing a helmet when riding behind the boat as well. The reason is, catching your heelside or toeside edge on a wakeboard will cause a sudden and violent fall that oftentimes results in a whiplash. A wakeboard helmet with good padding that is tight on your head will certainly absorb some of the impact when your head smacks the water. I personally have sustained 3 concussions while attempting to learn new wakeboarding tricks. I got knocked out learning how to do air raleys, one on a roll to blind attempt gone wrong, and another I was doing a simple backside 180 and just caught my back edge. I can't say that I still wouldn't have been knocked goofy, but I know for sure that a wakeboard helmet would have helped to soften to the blow.

These days wakeboard helmets not only serve the purpose of protecting your head, they also look really good too. Since the industry finally started to recognize just how relevant head injuries and concussions are in wakeboarding they have started to make helmets that look good and protect. There are just too many other ways that you can get hurt wakeboarding. You hear about a lot of blown knees, broken legs, and dislocated shoulders assocated with wakeboarding so why not wear a helmet and help protect yourself from the head injuries?

If you are considering planting roses but aren't quite sure where to start, consider planting miniature roses. They are perfect if you only have limited garden space or plan to garden in containers. Here are the best miniature roses for beginning rose gardeners...

Introduction To Miniature Roses

Miniature roses, as the name implies, are smaller than standard varieties. Their predominant traits are vibrant colors and easy care nature, making them perfect for beginners, or frankly anyone who appreciates beautiful plants that aren't high maintenance.

They have attracted quite a following from small space gardeners too, since they don't take up a whole lot of space and can even be grown in containers. This makes them an excellent choice for city dwellers or those with fully established gardens. It should also be noted that miniature roses are excellent companion plants, meaning they will happily coexist with other flowers and shrubs.

Although these roses are not noted as being fragrant, there are a few varieties that offer a fragrant bouquet. For the most part, miniatures are eye appealing roses. They are also quite prolific, with multitudes of blossoms one wouldn't normally expect from such a small plant.

The Best Miniature Roses For Beginners

In general terms, pretty much any miniature variety is a good choice if you are inexperienced. But, there are several which stand out.

If you are particularly fond of roses with a scent, we recommend "Scentsational", which offers the classic, pleasing rose fragrance. It is a very light purple and provides a colorful accent for your garden.

Yellow roses are always popular, and "Lemon Drop" is one of the most eye catching in the miniature category. The yellow blossoms bloom in clusters and they mix well with perennial plants. This style is particularly suited to container culture too.

If you're a fan of the traditional red color and want an especially hardy and disease resistant plant, try "Caliente". Named for the fire engine red blossoms, this variety also works well in containers or similarly in your garden. This plant is unique because the roses bloom along with lush green foliage on a compact base.

Perhaps the best name for a miniature rose is "Bees Knees". The blooms are as cute and appealing as the name! This is a multi colored bloomer and as hardy as they come. The blossoms are medium yellow with pink trim, making them a perfect color contrast for just about anything in your garden.

Summary

Most miniature roses are perfect for beginning gardeners, but several varieties in particular are especially appealing.

No matter your color preference, you will find a variety to suit your needs. These wonderful compact plants can be grown in limited garden space or even containers.

Best of all, miniature roses are hardy, disease resistant, and easy care.

A runners knee brace can provide additional support and pain relief at the same time. The braces are sometimes used to allow a player to continue with a game, if the pain is not debilitating or there is little swelling. Here's a look at some of the features you will find in the different braces on the market.

The smallest of the braces were designed by an orthopedic surgeon and are sold under the patented name "Kneed-IT". In addition to making use of compression therapy, which is the most common therapy found in the braces, the Kneed-IT brand makes use of magnet therapy, too.

The purpose of magnet therapy, as it relates to joints and bones is to reduce pain and improve blood flow. When the knees or other joints are inflamed or swollen, the cause is an immune system reaction to a perceived injury or infection.

A huge influx of white blood cells runs to the area, although in the case of runner's knee and similar problems, there is no infection and no need for the white blood cells. They can actually cause additional injury and/or damage to healthy tissues and joints. The magnets keep the blood moving.

Another patented runners knee brace is called the Cho-Pat. The renowned Mayo Clinic played a role in the development of the Cho-Pat braces. They make use of the compression therapy.

Compression therapy is the idea of placing a small amount of pressure on a tendon or joint in order to reduce stress somewhere else. In the case of the knees, the idea is to put pressure on the tendon below the kneecap, which improves the way that the kneecap moves over the joint.

Unlike the Kneed-it brand, which applies pressure only underneath the kneecap, the Cho-pat type applies pressure on the tendon above it, as well. This helps to strengthen the joints and reduces the risk of injury.

The heaviest runners knee brace provides the most support. The design has not been patented, as it is used in many therapeutic devices. Basically, the brace encompasses the entire knee, but leaves the area over the kneecap open, in order to allow for freedom of movement.

One of the exercises recommended for people that suffer from runner's knee is to move the kneecap in a circular motion, insuring that it is not "stuck". As long as the cap moves freely over the joint, injuries and pain are less likely. So, every good runners knee brace will leave the area over the kneecap open.

The latest materials for the braces include nylon and neoprene. Neoprene is one of the least likely materials to cause allergic reactions. It is a major component of diver's wetsuits. There may be some sweating in the area where the brace touches the skin. In order to reduce that, talcum powder or an antiperspirant cream or spray can be used.

A runners knee brace is usually durable enough to be worn again and again. So, once you decide which style is right for you, don't worry too much about the price. You should get your money's worth.

At times especially as you age, you will notice that your knees tend to look a bit darker than the skin around them on your shins or thighs. For some these dark spots become very noticeable. There are things that you can do that will help you get rid of this dark skin on your knees by making them much lighter to match the rest of your skin.

Exfoliate the skin on your knees. Part of the reason for that darker skin is that you have layers of skin that are on top of each other. The outer layers are dead and dark. If you exfoliate the skin, your knees will instantly start looking a bit lighter making you feel more comfortable.

Protect your knees if you are on them during the day. This is not only good to make them not get so dark but good for your joints as well. Get some knee pads if you are on your knees. They will also be less dirty looking a bit lighter.

Eat a healthier diet. Healthy diets tend to make your skin look better regardless of where it is on your body. This should help improve the look of dark skin under the eyes, on the knees, and the elbows.

Try to use lotion more often. It's good for the skin in these darker places. Sometimes it's a dry skin problem as the knee skin tends to be a bit more flexible than others. With lotion, you can help the situation quite a bit.

Some will make a mixture of fruits and berries to be put on the skin. You can purchase these or make your own at home. Various ones tend to work better on certain skin types than others.

Some people who have very dark spots on the knees might have to get skin treatments or surgery in order to improve the appearance. It's costly but will be effective if nothing else has been.

Have you ever hurt your knee?

Hey maybe you know how it happened, or maybe you do not...

Being such a delicate area of the body, the knee could easily end up getting hurt and when this happens big trouble can start - Maybe you can already relate?

When you suffer a knee injury, your first thought may be, "I need a knee brace." Thinking about wearing knee braces even before the injury occurs could very well help to protect you from incurring the injury in the first place. Even if the injury already happened, a support could go a long way for you by adding physical stability. This, in turn, can help you to feel more confident because you do not always have to be worrying about your knee in every little movement you take. (Having said this, we have to remember that knee braces can be very helpful, and can make big differences in people's lives, but they are not the end all, be all cure for a knee injury.)

Using a brace could help you after one of these problems strike but knowing how to confront this problem and stop it from happening would be an even smarter strategy. Wouldn't you agree?

By knowing how the knee operates may be the first step in protecting yourself from potentially devastating injuries. In general, the knee itself is a joint, located between the area where two bones meet up. It is also the largest joint in the body. Your leg bones, tendons, cartilage, muscles, and ligaments come together to make up the knee joint. If merely one of these areas could become damaged, knee pain and instability can easily occur. - Muscles in your knee could become bruised or sore, making it difficult to bend the knee. This could be either the hamstring or the quadriceps, which respectively help you to bend or straighten your knee. The tendons in your knee help to connect these muscles to the bones, keeping everything firm in its location. Ligaments are what connect your leg bones together and help provide your knee with stability. Without the cartilage, the bones would grind together and cause great pain.

How Will A Knee Brace Help My Injury?

You may be wondering how using a knee brace can help you with your injury. When one of your first thoughts after having pain or instability in your knee is, "Do I need a knee brace?",... you may be thinking along the right lines. The improved stability and pain reduction can help solve your worries and get you back on track again.