Updates from DonJoy - Braces & Supports

Super Bowl Bound Tom Brady wears Aircast Walking B...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:32:58 GMT

Tom Brady's right foot was wrapped in an Aircast Walking Boot and under wraps yesterday in New York, but he promises he'll be in full uniform for the Super Bowl. The foot injury was unidentified.

The gossip website TMZ.com posted a 1-minute-18-second video clip featuring Brady and his supermodel girlfriend Gisele Bundchen in New York. On the video, a hooded Brady, who is seen carrying a duffel bag and flowers, is noticeably favoring his right foot.

Brady appeared to be limping Sunday as he left his news conference following the Patriots' 21-12 victory over the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship game.

Yesterday, Brady did not directly answer a question about being hurt during his regular appearance on WEEI's "Dennis and Callahan" show. When he was asked about having his leg looked at on the sideline early in the fourth quarter, he replied:

"There are always kind of bumps and bruises. I'll be ready for the Super Bowl. I'm not missing this one. I'd have to be on a stretcher to miss this one. There will just be some treatment this week and, like I said, games like this you get a little nicked up, but it's nothing serious."

Brady was sacked twice Sunday and appeared to be slightly hobbled after Igor Olshansky and Stephen Cooper tackled him for an 8-yard loss on the final drive of the game.

An injury might explain Brady's subpar - by his MVP standards - performance against the Chargers. He was 22 of 32 for 209 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times, including once in the end zone by Antonio Cromartie late in the third quarter, Brady's first red zone pick in two seasons.

Tom Brady's right foot was under wraps yesterday in an Aircast Walking Boot in New York, but he promises he'll be in full uniform for the Super Bowl.

Choosing The Right Knee Brace

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:29:37 GMT

Knee Braces, Knee Braces, Knee Braces. Lot's of choices. Which one is right for your knee injury?

There are many choices when in comes to knee braces. Your decision should be based on what type of injury you've had or your are trying to prevent. You also may need to factor in your activity. A brace for walking around the block can be a lot different than what Peyton Manning (he wears the DonJoy Defiance ) needs for his knee during the Super Bowl.

Here is a look at the different choices based on the levels of knee sprains. We'll address some other factors in the coming days and weeks.

First Degree Sprains can usually be self addressed by using cold therapy/ice packs, bracing and light exercises to improve the strength of the hamstring and quadriceps muscles. Braces for a First Degree Sprain will provide only mild support and are not usually sufficient to provide protection to joints where ligament injury has occurred or is a risk. These are usually used for mild support, warmth and compression.

Click here for Products to Treat First Degree Knee Sprains

Second Degree Sprains can heal on their own with self care. Although some ligament instability may still exist , it is important to provide the right treatment. To reduce symptoms, use ice, exercise and a compressive knee brace for 2-3 weeks.

Click here for Products to Treat Second Degree Knee Sprains

Third Degree Sprains usually require surgery when a rupture is diagnosed. Post-surgical care involves efforts to restore natural movement of the knee. Physical therapy to rehabilitate the knee generally follows surgery. Ice packs are applied to reduce swelling and pain and knee braces are worn to help support the knee, provide compression to reduce swelling and hinged braces are necessary to provide more stabilization.

Click here for Products to Treat Third Degree Knee Sprains

Adrian Peterson gets back to form quickly with und...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:28:25 GMT

Another example of a top NFL player bouncing back from injury so quickly is Adrian Peterson who tore a ligament several weeks ago. Since that time he apparently been working on an underwater treadmill and then protecting his ligament tear with a DonJoy Knee Brace.

Here are a couple good videos on the therapy and Adrian's thoughts on his Knee Brace. Note this was before he ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and caught one pass for 17 yards as the Vikings downed the Bears 20-13 on Monday Night Football in Week 15.

Click on this link to watch Adrian Peterson discuss getting used to his DonJoy Knee Brace

San Diego Chargers Quarterback Philip Rivers has b...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:26:32 GMT

A week after spraining his left knee Chargers Quarterback Philip Rivers was able to start against the Detroit Lions wearing a knee brace. It's amazing how quickly these NFL players are able to rebound from knee strains. It's hard to say how much his DonJoy knee brace helped him during the game, but at least he was in there and well protected from further injury.

The image above shows him passing to NFL MVP Ladanian Tomlinson with the DonJoy Knee Brace on.

Image is credited to: http://www.chargers.com/fan_zone/photo-gallery/slideshow_20071216.htm

Skiers and Snowboarders are Tuning Up Their Knee B...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:24:03 GMT

Now that the snow is starting to drop across the country many skiers and snowboarders are starting to hit the mountains. Since it’s the start of the season, many are hitting the slopes ill-prepared. They’re realizing the physical workouts they’ve been doing the past few months, if at all, did not prepare them for the rigorous demands of their favorite snow sport. These are the times when there is a rise in ski related injuries. Everything from a broken wrist, sprained elbow, separated shoulder to torn knee ligaments. The tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee is one of the most common skiing injuries and most painful.

One study looking at female skiers found that their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rate was six times that of their male counterparts. Physical conditioning may have a significant impact on injury rates — that is, the better shape a skier is in, the less frequent the injuries.

When injuries most likely occur:

First day of skiing
Early morning when skier or boarder is not warmed up
Late in the day when rider becomes fatigued
At the end of a ski trip
Adverse snow conditions

Before heading out on your next ski or boarding trip, it might be wise to look into ways of preventing injuries such as a conditioning program to strengthen your muscles, cardiovascular workouts to increase your stamina and wear support braces to help minimize the chance of strains and torn knee ligaments. DonJoy ACL Knee Brace is highly recommended for skiing to help reduce the risk of injury and the Aircast A2 Wrist Brace is an excellent choice for wrist injury prevention.

More Top NFL Football Players Spotted Wearing DonJ...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:19:06 GMT

It's great to see Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles and Joseph Addai of the Indianpolis Colts wearing DonJoy braces.

Here's McNabb wearing the DonJoy Defiance Knee Brace to protect his ACL Knee Injury .

Here's Joseph Addai of the NFL Super Bowl Champion Indianpolis Colts wearing the DonJoy Velocity Ankle Brace. If you ever watched him run and cut from side to side you know puts a lot of strain on his ankles and the Velocity Ankle Brace is the sturdiest Ankle Brace DonJoy has in it's arsenal.

The Secret to Aircast Technology in Healing an Ank...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:15:00 GMT

Since 1978, the Aircast Air-Stirrup Ankle Brace has been the "standard of care" for the treatment ankle injuries and has been cited in over 100 medical journals for its superior performance in helping to heal ankle injuries.

Did you know Aircast devices have been used by almost one out of every five families?

What make make Aircast Ankle Braces unique is that they feature two air cells on each side of the ankle that produce graduated compression during movement. The compression promotes efficient edema reduction as with aircast aircell milk out the edema to speed healing and reduce inflammation.

Aircast pioneered the functional management of ankle sprains by developing the Air-Stirrup® Ankle Brace— now the standard of treatment for ankle sprains.

Knee Brace Undersleeves - Do you need one?

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:10:42 GMT

Knee Brace Undersleeves are something to consider when wearing a rigid or hinged knee brace. Many of the knee braces made today fit extremely well and tend not to migrate during activity as they may have done years ago.

With that said, anytime you wear a brace all day or during a your favorite sport it might be good idea to wear an undersleeve to protect your skin. And with winter on the way knee brace undersleeve are an effective way to keep the knee warm and with the compression they provide they can help ease a bit of the pain and help your knee feel more secure.

DonJoy makes undersleeves out of two different materials:

Neoprene - which is thicker to provide a bit more padding, better compression and support, but tends to get more warm so you'll sweat more with it on especially during sports like basketball, football and soccer. The small perforations do help a bit to keep you cool. If you knee like compression around your entire knee and like the warmth this one is a good choice for your knee.

Supplex/Lycra - really effective to at creating a layer of soft material between you and your knee brace. These undersleeves are breathable and will wick moisture away from your leg. Does a great job of preventing chaffing and keeping a bit of compression around the entire leg. If you have sensitive skin and you want to stay cool this is the one for you.

Since both these styles tend to get a sweaty it's a good idea to pick up a few so you can rotate them in the wash if you are using them more than a few times a week.

Soccer Head Gear Minimizes Concussions Study Says

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:08:44 GMT

Soccer players who wear protective headgear suffer nearly half as many concussions as those who play without helmets, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Canada's McGill University.

Researchers followed 250 adolescent (ages 12 to 17) soccer players during the 2006 season. They found that 53 percent of those who did not wear protective headgear suffered concussions compared to 27 percent of those who wore safety gear.

The study, published in the July 2007 issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, also found that:

Nearly half of the players (47.8%) experienced symptoms of a concussion during the 2006 season.
Approximately 4 out of 5 athletes did not realize that they had suffered a concussion
Multiple concussions were less frequent among the injured athletes (50.0%) who wore protective headgear than those who did not (69.3%).
Nearly one-quarter (23.9%) of players suffering concussions experienced symptoms for at least one day or longer.
Female soccer players were at increased risk of suffering concussions.
Female soccer players not wearing protective headgear were also at increased risk of suffering other kinds of head injuries, such as abrasions, lacerations or contusions on areas of the head that otherwise would have been covered by the headgear.

Should Soccer Players Wear Headgear?

The McGill study is the first "to say that soft protective headgear for soccer significantly decreased the number of concussions for those athletes," said lead researcher, Dr. Scott Delaney in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Company. Delaney hopes the study will prompt parents to consider headgear for their children.

The new study may also prompt a reevaluation of the effectiveness of protective headgear in soccer by soccer governing bodies, at least one of which, the U.S. Soccer Federation, is currently on record as stating that there is "no evidence that wearing this sort of headgear is beneficial to players," (a statement later at least partially retracted: it now admits helmets may be beneficial in head-to-head collisions) and as expressing the concern that "it might actually lead to more injuries" because of the so-called "gladiator effect" where players take more chances because they feel better protected.

3 Common Ankle Problems and How You Can Treat Them

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:05:29 GMT

Ankle Sprain and Instability

An ankle sprain is an injury to one or more ligaments in the ankle, usually on the outside of the ankle. Ligaments are bands of tissue—like rubber bands—that connect one bone to another and bind the joints together. In the ankle joint, ligaments provide stability by limiting side-to-side movement. Some ankle sprains are much worse than others. The severity of an ankle sprain depends on whether the ligament is stretched, partially torn, or completely torn, as well as on the number of ligaments involved. Ankle sprains are not the same as strains, which affect muscles rather than ligaments. Find Solutions for Ankle Sprains or Learn More About Ankle Sprains

Achilles Tendonitis

The Achilles tendon is fibrous tissue that connects the heel to the calf muscle. Leg muscles are the most powerful muscle group in the body and the Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon in the body. Contracting the calf muscles pulls the Achilles tendon, which pushes the foot downward. This contraction enables: standing on the toes, walking, running, and jumping. Overuse, misalignment, improper footwear, medication side effects, and/or accidents can all result in Achilles tendonitis. Multiple causes often contribute to the same Achilles tendon injury. Find Solutions for Achilles Tendonitis or Learn More

Ankle Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a condition characterized by the breakdown and eventual loss of cartilage in one or more joints. Cartilage—the connective tissue found at the end of the bones in the joints—protects and cushions the bones during movement. When cartilage deteriorates or is lost, symptoms develop that can restrict one’s ability to easily perform daily activities. Osteoarthritis appears at various joints throughout the body, including the hands, feet, spine, hips, and knees. In the foot, the disease most frequently occurs in the big toe, although it is also often found in the midfoot and ankle. Find Solutions for Ankle Osteoarthritis or Learn More

David Beckham Spotted Wearing DonJoy Knee Brace an...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:57:54 GMT

We all know that world famous Soccer Player David Beckham has garnered a lot of attention with his arrival into the US. His sports injuries woes have slowed down his presence on the field.

Here he is sporting the DonJoy Deluxe Hinged Knee Sleeve a few days after he sprained his medial collateral ligament a knee injury that will keep out of the LA Galaxy's Soccer line up for at least six weeks.

In addition the Knee Brace he's also wearing the DonJoy Stabilizing Ankle Brace. Great choice especially since as of Summer 2007 DonJoy upgraded this brace to eliminate the stitching inside so there is no more chaffing and also improved the figure 8 strapping system to provide even more support. We should note that this ankle brace is often compared to the ASO Ankle Brace which is a great brace, but with the recent improvements made by DonJoy we give the nod to the DonJoy Stabilizing Ankle Brace for fit, comfort, stability and price.

US Top Skiers and Snowboarders Using DonJoy Knee B...

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:15:03 GMT

The U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboard Team has selected DonJoy as their official medical supplier and exclusive knee brace provider. According to the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, skiers are prone to knee, thumb, hand, and head injuries and snowboarders have a higher potential for foot, ankle, and upper extremity injuries.

HOW DO SKIERS GET HURT?

Many variables affect injury rates in skiers, most commonly ability, age, gender, physical conditioning and snow conditions. Beginners have three times the injury rate of experts, but their injuries are less severe. Experts have less frequent but more severe injuries (head injuries, fractures and high grade ligament sprains). This is probably due to their higher speed on the ski slope. Intermediate skiers fall somewhere in-between. Another key factor is age. The highest injury rate is among 11 to 13 year olds. Their ability is intermediate, but their judgment is not as good as adults. Injures in teenagers (13 to 20 year olds) are slightly less frequent, but more severe. Many have the skill levels of adults with immature judgment. Finally, children younger than 12 years old have twice the injury rate of adults, but fewer than that of adolescents. Females have twice the injury rate of males, which is thought to stem from conditioning. One study looking at female ski racers found that their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rate was six times that of their male counterparts. Physical conditioning may have a significant impact on injury rates — that is, the better shape a skier is in, the less frequent the injuries. Most studies focus on destination ski resorts, where most skiers are vacationers. Injuries are most likely to occur on: • the first day of ski week; • in the early morning when the skier is not warmed up; • in the late morning and late in the day when fatigue sets in; and • at the end of the week when the cumulative effects of the vacation make the skier tired. Snow conditions affect injury patterns, as well. Hard pack snow generally yields high-speed and impact injuries. Powder and heavy snow is associated with more torsional or twisting injuries. Quick changes in snow conditions, such as hitting the line between groomed and ungroomed snow, may cause a fall that leads to an injury.

SNOWBOARDING INJURY TRENDS

Snowboarding has a slightly higher potential for upper extremity injuries, but it may be safer on the knees. There is an increased rate of foot and ankle injuries associated with snowboarding. The lead foot has twice the number of injuries than the back foot. One study showed that the hybrid or “mid-stiff-ness” boots were the safest style of boots. There may be more high-energy injuries such as femur fractures, high-speed injuries and injuries caused by getting “big air".

GENERAL INJURY PREVENTION

• Prepare for the season and get in shape.

• Get your equipment checked at a certified shop.

• Self-release your bindings each day you ski.

• Warm up and stretch before skiing.

• Don’t ski while intoxicated.

• Wear a helmet.

For more info on DonJoy products visit www.BetterBraces.com

Big Wave Ride With DonJoy Knee Braces

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:07:03 GMT

DonJoy Knee Braces were part of an epic ride last week. Garrett McNamara one of surfing's top big wave riders caught an amazing ride while wearing custom knee braces made by DonJoy.

Last week a swell hit the west coast that brought some of the biggest waves we have ever had. This picture was taken at Mavericks, which is located in Northern California in Half Moon Bay. The water is somewhere around 49 degrees and patrolled by very large water creatures called Great White Sharks.

If you can zoom in on the picture you will notice Garrett is wearing his Defiance III Knee Braces on both knees. This wave is well over 50 feet and puts him in contention for the biggest wave surfed this year. Wow!

For more info on Knee Braces check out www.BetterBraces.com