There are few things that help arthritis of the knee more than off loading.

Off loading is exactly as it sounds, moving weight (loading) from one place to another.  In the context of knees, this is this is done by placing pressure on either the inside (medial) or outside (lateral) part of the knee, to alleviate pain on the opposite side.

Where someone has single sided (uni-compartmental) knee osteo arthritis, the damage to the joint is either on the inside (medial) or outside (lateral) portion of the knee joint. 

Because of the way the knee is structured, there is an ability for the joint to move by a few degrees, that increases the valgus or varus angles.  To understand this better, have a look at the picture below.

If there is arthritis causing pain on the lateral (outer) aspect of the knee, pressure can be placed on the medial (inner) side of the knee to relieve it.

Off loading braces, such as the Donjoy OA Adjster utilise this function for non-surgical management of knee pain. 

Using an off loading brace can help avoid the need for surgery for some years, or until surgery can be scheduled at a more convenient time.

If you need any help when deciding which knee brace is best for you, call us on 020 8364 3550 so we can help.