Knee brace anyone?? | Arthritis Information

 

I was just wondering if anyone out there has had any success with a custom-fitted knee brace?  Thankfully, the Orencia still has my RA in remission (YAY!), but due to 50 YEARS of this disease, my right leg is extremely "knock kneed", and causing knee, calf, and ankle pain:  30 degree deformity??  My rheumy just gave me a script for a custom knee brace, and possibly an orthotic for my right shoe. I've had many surgeries, PT and other treatments, but never a custom-made brace:  what were your experiences in this area?  Thanks so much for responding - this board is awesome!!!!

Dogmom
Hi Dogmom, I don't have a knee brace, but my brother does and it has helped him alot. Wow 50 years of this crap! So sorry. I hope it works for you as it has my bubby!

Is it meant to prevent or correct what's happened?  Im being curious..

Thanks for your knee brace experiences...........I guess I'll end up giving it a try???  "Babs" - unfortunately, there's no "preventing/fixing" the damage to my leg and knee: that's already a done deal!!  (The only TRUE treatment for my situation is surgery, and I'm certainly not ready for that!!)  This brace will HOPEFULLY just take some of the pressure/strain off of my poor, crooked leg, relieving some of the pain on the outside of the knee joint, calf muscles and the top of my foot.  Although Orencia has my RA in a clinical remission at this point, this problem was caused by previous damage.  (FYI:  I had those metal "long-leg" braces as a child, too!!  Dreadful............but 50 years ago, they really didn't have a clue how to treat JRA, did they??  Bed rest, leg braces and sulfa drugs were all my docs had to offer me??  How about you??)  Thanks for everyone's input - I really appreciate it!!!

Dogmom
Dogmom.. You're the first I've met who had RA as a child and had the same issues and same experiences!!.  You're right they had NO clue how to deal.. but did the best they could with what the knew..  Hi Babs - I think we are certainly "kindred spirits"??!!  I've never known anyone else with a medical history similar to mine, either??  Diagnosed at age 5, my JRA seemed to go into a spontaneous remission during my teens, although much joint damage had been done as a child.  When my 2 daughters were quite young, I went through quite a series of surgeries: 3 total hip replacements, a total shoulder replacement and several more surgeries to remove residual pieces of wire, hardware and scar tissue.  Fast forward 25 years:  I had been dealing w/a major flare for the past 2 years, and after "failing" on Humira and Enbrel, just 6 weeks ago, infusions of Orencia have finally gotten me into a clinical remission!!!  Hooray!!  Now I am just attempting to reduce the pain in my knee/leg, due to this deformity I am left with.  My story may sound gruesome to some, but as I read the trials of others, I am extremely grateful and feel blessed:  when I was 18 years old, I clearly remember a doctor telling my parents not to bother planning college for me:  I would probably be in a wheelchair for life, by age 25.  I PROVED HIM WRONG!!  I DID graduate from college, taught school for 25 years, been married for 34 years, have 2 wonderful children, and am now able to enjoy our first grandchild!!!  If you don't mind, please tell me more of your story??

Nice to "talk" with you!
Dogmom
My mother, bless her soul, was fearful that I too, would be wheelchair bound per my Ortho dr...   I managed only to have deterioration in that right knee, ankle and hip...knee surgery as I said was a success!  the hip preventing me from normal deliveries of all my children (4 born to me one adopted) ... I too, went on to college and graduated .. I have worked all my life while I raised four of my children (21G, 22B, 26G, 27B) with one still young (12B) and a our first grandchild (a boy) to arrive in September!!! Congrats to you, Barbara, on your wonderful JRA success story!!  (Docs should never be so quick to generalize.......)  Sounds like we both can claim the phrase - "That which does not kill us, only proves to make us stronger"??  Truer words were never spoken.......it sounds like you have a wonderful family, and best of luck on your new, expected grandbaby!!! Our grandson, Will, is 6 months old now, and the absolute joy of our lives!!  (Just wish they lived a bit closer:  we are in NJ, and they live outside of Baltimore.)  Did I see in your profile that you enjoy needlework??  Probably because I could never participate in sports or other physical activities, I've enjoyed needlework and sewing my whole life, and I've recently started quilting!!  Such fun to make things for sweet little babies!!!  (Maybe we should exchange email addresses if you'd like, so we can correspond a bit easier??  Just a thought!)

PS:  We have 2 tiny dogs, hence the "Dogmom" title!  A "large" Yorkie named Tootsie and a Shiz-Tsu/Toy Poodle mix named Beanie:  both are disgustingly spoiled!!!

Enjoy your day!
Dogmom
this is truly a parallel.. I am quilting for my grandson!!!  I've cross-stitched, crocheted, sewn, painted, sketched, and read for most of my life due to restrictions of movement thanks to the aftermath of JRA.

from years of reading a joint replacement board..braces help far more in earlier deterioation.  they don't help much with severe deformity or total bone on bone.  They just can't get the knee back into the corrct position or add back the cartilege cushioning

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