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FAQWhat is In the Groove™ Knee Brace?
In the Groove™ patellofemoral, functional, rehabilitative knee brace is a unique, patent pending brace that helps to restore the natural alignment of the upper and lower leg. Once the upper and lower leg are in better alignment without affecting the natural rotation of the knee joint, the muscles of the leg can be trained to work in alignment just by wearing the trainer/brace.
How is In the Groove™ Knee Brace different from other knee braces?
In the Groove™ patellofemoral, functional, rehabilitative knee brace works by helping align the upper and lower leg. By helping align the leg it also helps to train the muscles of the leg to keep the knee in alignment.
How do I use In the Groove™ Knee Brace?
In the Groove™ patellofemoral, functional, rehabilitative knee brace is worn with the main body of the brace behind the knee and one strap wraps around the leg to the right and one strap wraps around the leg to the left. It is this wrapping in opposing directions that gives a little torque force to help align the leg in addition to the stays that apply a sheer force in opposing directions. There is an A and a B version for each size brace. The direction of the sheer forces needs to be determined by a medical professional who will help fit the brace for you: one direction will provide relief, the other would cause discomfort. It is critical to find the right direction of these forces for them to work to relieve pain and increase mobility.
Do I still need to do physical therapy when I wear In the Groove™ knee brace?
Yes, this rehabilitative knee brace helps to hold the leg in alignment, but it does not replace other physical therapy exercises. It does it not replace the physical therapist’s evaluation of your particular knee problem, and it does not show you other ways to help you prevent further damage to your knee joint.
How long do I wear the In the Groove Knee Brace?
Initially the In the Groove™ knee brace is worn during weight bearing activity. It does not help to wear it during non-weight bearing activity such as sitting or lying down. Once the tendons and ligaments are stretched, they will continue to be stretched and they will continue to make your knee joint weaker than it was before being injured. Once your leg is feeling better and your muscles are retrained you will not have to wear it as much during weight bearing activities. It is recommended that you wear it when your knee is sore or you will be doing activities that may strain your knee or you will be very active that particular time. Many people find they no longer need it after a few months usage.
Will wearing I wear the In the Groove™ Knee Brace take away all my pain?
No, but it will help reduce pain, help reduce swelling in the knee, help prevent further damage to your knee and help increase your mobility. It will not take away pain from damage that has already been done and cannot heal cut or shredded menisci, Chondromalacia or other arthritic conditions already present. It will help prevent new arthritic damage by reducing the bone on bone contact of malalignment, but just helping to realign the leg cannot be expected to reverse damage already done.
How can I wash In the Groove™ Knee Brace?
You can use a damp soapy washcloth to wipe away any dirt. The neoprene center of the brace will melt with heat. DO NOT WASH IN HOT WATER OR DRY. USE NO HEAT on the brace. The metal stays may get caught in your washing machine and break it. DO NOT WASH IN WASHING MACHINE. Hand wash brace in cool water only. DO NOT DRY IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. Heat will destroy material of the brace. DO NOT BLEACH.
Why do I have to be fitted for the In the Groove™ Knee Brace?
Each brace comes in an A and a B version and it is important that you have help deciding which version you need. The brace works to help realign the knee. The knee can become out of alignment either medially or laterally. Which way it needs to be aligned will determine whether you need A or B. It is best to be able to try the brace on to see which version gives you the most pain relief. If neither version gives you pain relief, do not purchase the brace.
How soon will I know if the In the Groove™ Knee Brace is working?
You will feel some relief right away when you put on In the Groove™ patellofemoral, functional, rehabilitative knee brace, and you will continue to get relief as long as you wear the brace for several weeks. Once the muscles of the leg are strengthened and swelling is reduces, you will probably stop getting increased relief. The brace will continue to help you continue to walk and especially on days when you will be more active. It will be something that you will use when you need but not as often as you did in the beginning. After one to three months most people will no longer need it. You will be able to tell when you need it.
Are the In the Groove™ Knee Brace returnable?
No, since they are often worn close to the skin, used braces are not returnable. If a store finds that a particular size is not selling, unused braces in resalable condition are exchangeable for a different size.
Will wearing the In the Groove™ Knee Brace prevent me from having knee surgery, either arthroscopy or knee replacement?
No, In the Groove™ patellofemoral, functional, rehabilitative knee brace will help reduce swelling, help align your upper and lower leg, help you to retrain your muscles to maintain alignment but it cannot reverse damage that has been done to your knee joint tissues or repair a cut or shredded meniscus. It will help prevent further damage and will help you retrain your muscles so that you will have a better outcome from surgery and it may delay a surgery. If the ligaments have been stretched before knee replacement surgery, they will still be stretched after surgery. Some patients have been wearing it after surgery, to make their leg feel more stable.
Do I wear In the Groove™ Knee Brace during sports to prevent injury?
No, In the Groove™ patellofemoral, functional, rehabilitative knee brace is not a preventative brace. It is used to help restore natural alignment, to help reduce pain, to help increase mobility and to improve quality of life.
How do I get an In the Groove™ Knee Brace?
These braces are sold only at professional offices, durable medical supply facilities or on the internet. Check our website for locations near you that carry In the Groove™ patellofemoral, functional, rehabilitative knee brace. If there is not one near you please contact us with the name of your provider of durable medical equipment, physician or physical therapist. We will contact them and make arrangements for them to fit you and provide you with an In the Groove™ patellofemoral, functional, rehabilitative knee brace Or you can print our home page and have them contact us directly.
How do I get the right size and type of In the Groove™ Knee Brace?
In the Groove™ patellofemoral, functional, rehabilitative knee brace uses special sizing and they are available in mirror images so it is important to have someone trained in our sizing and Mulligan mobilization with movement (MWM)glide to correctly fit you. As a rule these are available at durable medical supply facilities, physical therapy departments, medical professional’s offices and on the internet. If there is no one who carries them or is trained in your area please contact us and we will find one close to you or make arrangements directly with one in your area to fit and supply one for you.
The knee is designed to support 400 pounds.
The knee will never wear out unless it is injured.
The knee joint is the largest joint in the human body.
The knee joint can be damaged:
1. Traumatically, as in sports injury
2. Chronically, when it structurally compensates for ankle malalignment by malaligning itself so that the leg is aligned when in motion as walking.
3. Medical disease that recognizes joint tissues as foreign invaders causing the body’s own white cells to attack the tissues of the knee joint as in rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, etc.
4. Structural deviations from normal knee joint as in genetic diseases such as dwarfism, gigantism, etc.
5. Repetitive strain injury causes micro tears to the muscles and the tendons faster than tissue repair can occur. This weakens the structures around the patella and becomes less able to hold it in the correct position.1
When the structure of the knee results in misalignment, no matter the cause, the knee cannot move correctly and damage to the individual elements of the knee joint results.
Mal tracking of the patella is often not detectable by the naked eye.2 The exact cause of patellofemoral pain isn’t known. It probably has something to do with the way the patella moves on the groove of your thighbone.3
A common misconception is that the patella only moves in up-and-down direction. In fact, it also tilts and rotates, so there are various points of contact between the undersurface of the patella and the femur.4
Restoring normal structure of the knee joint reduces further damage to the knee joint and relieves the pain caused by tissue damage. When normal structure is restored and maintained, muscles can train and strengthen to help maintain the normal structure.
Wearing braces that do not restore normal structure and function of the knee train muscles of the knee joint to work in malalignment. This training has to be unlearned and then relearned to hold the knee in alignment. Therefore it is better to use a brace that aligns the knee joint and helps train the muscles to work correctly and strengthen them correctly to maintain normal alignment just by wearing the rehabilitative brace.
Knee braces and Sleeves are probably best reserved for use in patients with lateral subluxation that can be seen with the naked eye and can be easily palpated. A simple elastic sleeve knee brace with a patellar cutout may provide some benefit although this remains unproved. The use of a knee brace or sleeve should not be considered a substitute for therapeutic exercises.5
Patellofemoral Pain is the most common knee disorder. It is particularly common among adolescent girls and active individuals. There are two types:
1. Patellofemoral instability patients have pain at the end range extension.
2. Patellofemoral arthritic degeneration patients have pain with deep knee flexion, “closed chain” activities.
Both groups should perform exercises in pain free range. 6
According to American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, more than 4.1 million (5 million in 2004) people seek medical care each year for a knee problem.7
1. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A review and Guidelines for Therapy, American Family Physician,
2. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A review and Guidelines for Treatment, Mark S. Juhn, D.O., U of Washington School of Medicine p3
3. Patellofemoral Syndrome/Pain on the Front of the Knee, Dublin Chiropractic, Joshua C. Dublin
4. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A review and Guidelines for Treatment, Mark S. Juhn, D.O., U of Washington School of Medicine p2
5. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A review and Guidelines for Treatment, Mark S. Juhn, D.O., U of Washington School of Medicine p6
6. Patellofemoral Disorders – Degeneration and Instability, Melanie McNeal, PT, David Lintner, MD p1-2 drlintner.com/pfprehab.html
7. WebMD Health, Questions and Answers about Knee Problems, Public Information from the National Institutes of Health
1. Many times foot orthotics will help relieve knee pain. If there is chronic pain in one joint, you also need to check the joints above and below the painful joint. The knee connects the upper and lower leg. The upper leg connects to the hip and the lower leg connects to the foot. If you are unable to relieve knee pain with bracing and/or physical therapy, you may need to have the nearby joints checked for problems.
2. Install a grab bar on the wall directly in front of the toilet if it is within arms reach. This allows you to help pull yourself up off the toilet with your arms, reducing the strain on your knees.
3. Install a grab bar at the top and bottom of stair wells. This allows you to help pull yourself up the first step and the last step of the stairs.
4. An electric lift chair can reduce strain on the knee each time you get up out of a chair. Also remember, if you can, use your arms to help support some of your weight to help lift yourself up when rising out of a chair.
5. A comfort height toilet, or handicapped height toilet, can reduce the strain on your knee each time you need to sit down to use it. These are not much more expensive than a regular toilet. If this is not an option, a raised seat can be used. Just be sure the raised seat is secure as it can be easy to slip off it. A more stable conversion than the raised seat attachment is a free-standing toilet seat with arms and legs that reach the floor.
This disease is also known as Chondromalacia Patella or softening of the cartilage of your kneecap — the under surface of the knee cap (patella) is supposed to fit into the femoral groove —if the knee cap is “out of the groove” (pulled to one side or the other”), the knee cap scrapes along the femoral condyle damaging both surfaces that touch each other.
The pain is usually located over the front of your knee and is described as a deep aching pain. It is sometimes associated with swelling and is usually worse when your knee is bent for long periods of time such as sitting in a car, bus or movie theater. Some people report a grinding feeling in their kneecap. The grinding can either be particles in the knee joint space, such as arthritis or gout particles, or grinding due to surfaces scraping over each other. The pain is also worse with such activities as squatting, kneeling or stair climbing (either up or down stairs). The pain is sometimes improved with rest and the use of pain medication.
Another common complaint is hearing a snapping or popping sound with extension, I think this is the patellar tendon snapping or popping in and out of the groove.
Chondromalacia patella is mostly diagnosed based on your complaints. On physical examination, your doctor may push back under the kneecap — which often causes pain in people with this problem.
Chondromalacia patella is the most common cause of pain in the front of the knee.
The grinding of surfaces that do not fit together triggers the body to respond with inflammation, swelling, and pain. This is much like a blister—the increased fluid is produced to cushion the bone on bone contact. Also, white blood cells attack the underside of the patella, destroying the cartilage. When the femoral condyles are misaligned they do not fit well into the central portion of the menisci and physically crush or tear them with each and every motion.
CONTACT US:
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In The Groove LLc
P.O. Box 6056
Saginaw, MI
48608-6056Phone:1 (517) 781-6030
Fax: 1 (517) 781-6051
Email: abrown@inthegroovebrace.com
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Disclaimer! This site and contents are provided for informational purposes only. This product has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. You should contact your physician for further information, diagnosis testing, or advice and how to use the information/products listed in the site. For more information, see our disclaimer page. ©2010 In The Groove, LLC. All Rights Reserved.