Joey was actively competing in martial arts and fight contests when his patella tendon suddenly ruptured. The pain was so intense that he was unable to walk for quite some time, putting him on the sidelines. His doctor performed surgery on his knee and put him in a competitor’s knee brace, but eventually switched the brace out for a Breg T Scope® Premier Post-Op Knee Brace after complaints of the competitor’s brace being too uncomfortable. After only three months in our brace, Joey’s range of motion in his knee had gone from only bending 5 degrees to 110 degrees!

Feeling confident in his new brace, Joey started working out and even began sparring in the brace.

“The brace is made from high-quality materials; the quick dry material is great for working out. It is comfortable and not bulky. I’ve been able to push my limits and get better every day – there’s no way I’d be able to get back to my active lifestyle without it!” – Joey Bulla

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“I am extremely glad I had this brace on, especially at night while sleeping to protect the joint so that I could recover quickly,” she said. “If you aren’t careful, it’s really easy to flex your hip beyond 90 degrees while sitting, or abduct your leg by accident, and this brace was a lifesaver in preventing those painful and potentially harmful movement patterns.”

Now that she has fully recovered from both surgeries, she is back to her full range of activities just twelve months later.

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It all began her freshman year of college. She was at the top of her lacrosse game and earned a spot on Northwestern University’s starting line-up as an attacker. She was practicing with her teammates before a game day when she suddenly felt (and heard) multiple pops in her left knee. In a split second, she had torn her lateral and medial meniscus, ACL and MCL, and suffered from an LCL sprain and multiple bone contusions.

“Coming back from that was hard, but I was motivated to get back to playing,” Christina said. “They gave me a brace to wear after surgery [from another company], and it was the most uncomfortable brace I had ever worn. I worked so hard not to wear that brace because it was so awful.”

Over the next few years, Christina’s knee continued to give her problems; she had another ACL tear, complete loss of her meniscus, and experienced problems with the hardware used in her knee’s reconstruction surgery due to a contact injury.

Christina’s athletic trainer suggested she try another brace after her third surgery, and she reluctantly agreed. The new brace worked better than the first brace, but it still wasn’t the right solution for her. Her trainer then fit her with an offloading brace, and this time, she could feel the difference. The Breg Compact X2K® CounterForce helped her in ways she didn’t think were possible. Not only was the brace comfortable to wear, but it enabled her to return to playing lacrosse.

Christina played two years of professional lacrosse in the United Women’s Lacrosse League and has since been taking a one-year break from professional play. She has been working for the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League and plans to participate in their 2020 draft.

Learn more about the Breg Compact X2K® CounterForce knee brace

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Just one week after her ACL reconstruction surgery, Gina was back in the gym. Guided by her two phenomenal physical therapists and a strength coach, she resumed her previous Crossfit training schedule, with one noticeable difference: she was wearing Breg’s Post-Op Rehab Knee Brace.

Gina contacted us on Facebook to share her story. “I reached out to Breg because I truly believe that the brace I wear is a big reason as to why I have been able to train as much as I have,” Gina said.

“After comparing mine to others, it is hands down the best regarding functionality, mobility, comfort,but most importantly safety and stability.”
Gina Marie Policastro, high school science teacher and NBC Titan Game competitor

Learn more about how Breg knee braces can get you back in the game!

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Angela’s doctor prescribed anti-inflammatories for a year, which worked well enough, but the medication wasn’t intended for long-term use. When she was switched to cortisone shots, the results made her hopeful, until they wore off and she was left with more pain than before. She was running out of options.

“I was so frustrated because there were activities I just could not do,” she said. “I thought, ‘I’m only 45, I don’t want to have to pick and choose!’”

She cried at the doctor’s office. Exercise wasn’t just a hobby, it was also an important outlet. As a school counselor at a junior high, she needed her workouts to relieve stress and maintain her mental health.

So her doctor proposed another course of treatment: a new anti-inflammatory, coupled with Breg’s Quantum® OA. The knee brace was designed to apply a force that relieves bone-on-bone friction when the knee is fully extended but gradually reduce force as it bends so it is more comfortable when a patient is sitting.

At first, she wasn’t thrilled with the idea. She had worn ACL braces in the past that were heavy and bulky, with big hinges that knocked into her opposite knee. Then she tried on Quantum.

Getting the brace was easy, too – a representative from Breg fit the brace in less than 15 minutes and taught her how to take it on and off without making any adjustments. A few months later, when she’d lost weight, Angela was able to tighten the straps herself, saving a trip to the doctor. She wore the brace all day, every day and noticed a big difference at work.

“Prior to having the brace, my leg was so swollen and painful. I wasn’t sleeping well, and it was always uncomfortable. I caught myself constantly rubbing it,” she said. It made her irritable around students. “That stopped when I started wearing the brace.”

She noticed an even bigger change in the gym.

“When I used to do squats, they were hard and painful, and I could hear a squeaking noise. After fitness classes, I was stiff and sore,” she said. “Now, when I do side-to-side movements, I’m not afraid of slipping or sliding.”

Angela believes that wearing the brace reduced the painful swelling she experienced throughout the day, so that now she only has to wear the brace when she’s active. It’s renewed her hope that she doesn’t have to give up the things she enjoys.

“I’ve been able to continue the exercises I love, and I’m in a much better spot,” she said.

Learn more about Breg’s Quantum knee brace

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Todd and his doctor decided it was too early for total knee replacement, so they opted for more conservative treatment, starting with the Quantum® OA knee brace. It dynamically unloads as the knee straightens, so patients get the most support when their pain is greatest.

Todd said his pain went away, and he can wear the brace all day because it is so comfortable.

“In a seated position there is no force at all, but when I stand I can feel it working,” he said. “I don’t have that constricted feeling I get with an elastic brace, either.”

He says he has more confidence going up and down steps, a movement that left him feeling unstable before he tried Quantum. And he’s also gained confidence in the health care system.

“I’ve spent 20 years in the airline business delivering high-level service, and healthcare is the ultimate opportunity for improving customer care,” Todd said. “When a solution like yours comes with a rep like [Jeff Padilla] and all his product knowledge, that’s an amazing package.”

“Hearing from Todd now that he’s been using the brace for a while and knowing how life changing it has been for him makes me excited to go to work every day and share products that enrich people’s lives,” Jeff said.

Learn more about Breg’s Quantum knee brace

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In August 2017, one week before the season began, he tore his meniscus and strained the MCL in his right knee.

Brad’s care team fitted him for a Breg Axiom® brace one week after his injury. Three weeks later, he was selected to officiate an Ohio State Championship game, a role he had strived for. “There is no greater honor,” he said.

Brad ultimately officiated 10 regular season games and five play-off games that season, and came back the following year to referee 16 games, including the State Semi-Final.

“This brace is incredible,” Brad said. “It’s comfortable and allows me to run pain free. You can’t even see it under my football pants. Without it, my football officiating career would have ended that day in August.”

Learn more about Breg knee bracing

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First came reconstruction of his rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons that holds the arm bone in the shoulder socket. His doctor prescribed the Polar Care® Cube cold therapy device to reduce pain and swelling during recovery. Karsten was hooked by the results.

Karsten’s experience after shoulder surgery helped inform his next steps when, later that fall, he also had a knee replacement.

“Breg’s service was excellent. I received a knee pad from the company overnight and was able to use it for recovery right away,” he said.

The Polar Care Cube has pads for every joint in different sizes, so patients like Karsten can use the same machine for multiple injuries. The unit holds temperature for 6 to 8 hours, extending the benefits of cold therapy over other methods like using standard ice bags, which have to be replaced frequently to be effective.

Karsten credits the Polar Care Cube with helping him return to work three weeks after his knee surgery – which was three weeks sooner than he expected.

Learn more about Breg cold therapy

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The father of two is the head coach of a little league football team, participates in a variety of outdoor activities, and even served as a torchbearer for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. So when he heard a loud pop during a routine workout, he feared the worst. “An MRI confirmed a torn distal brachialis tendon, which had torn partially off the short head of the bicep,” he said.

It was clear that Tony would need a brace fast, and Breg’s Billing Customer Care team helped arrange for his Compact X2K Elbow Brace. “They treated me like I was an all-pro linebacker; like I was someone,” he said of his interaction with Breg employees Katie Jenkins and Kathy Millers-Quinn. “They made me feel special from the get-go and showed they genuinely cared about my situation— and they even had the brace shipped overnight.”

Without his elbow brace, Tony estimates that his arm’s range of motion would have been limited to only about 20% of its full potential at best. He credits his brace and the kindness of Katie and Kathy for helping him return to his daily activities.

More Elbow Braces

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In June, Lynn Hatcher and his wife went on a three week adventure of a lifetime to Khardung Valley in The Himalayas, visiting ancient Buddhist monasteries and exploring some of the highest peaks on the planet.

“Along with 144,000 Tibetans and locals from the Himalayan region, we were among 5,000 travelers from all over the world who came to attend daily teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” said Lynn. “It was quite a daily quest to get there-and-back from the hotel—about a two mile hike each way, plus walking around seeing the town sights for hours on end.”

It’s hard to believe that a few months earlier, Lynn was faced with the decision to either undergo a total knee replacement or interim bracing support. Without enough time to recover before his trip, he opted for bracing and was equipped with a Fusion® OA Plus before departing for The Himalayas.

Closer to home, Lynn uses his brace while at work on the farm, and for exercising. “Without the brace, it’s really tough to even walk down steps. It’s phenomenal.”

More on the Fusion® Lateral OA Plus Knee Brace

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But if you’re having joint surgery, Breg’s Polar Care® Kodiak® cold therapy can make all the difference toward a more comfortable recovery. In 2015, Luis’ surgeon prescribed cold therapy after shoulder surgery to help manage his pain. “It significantly reduced the need for pain medication after the first night,” Luis said. Two years later, Luis had hip surgery to repair a torn labrum. “I made sure I used cold therapy again,” he said. “This time, I didn’t need the pain medication at all after two days.”*

Luis recovered from hip surgery during Hurricane Irma. “The conditions were pretty terrible, but the machine was really simple to use,” he said. When he lost power, Luis packed up and left home to stay with family to ensure he had a power source for his machine. “At the time, I was thankful it was so portable. I found out later that Polar Care Kodiak has a battery option,” he said with a smile.

More on the Polar Care Kodiak Cold Therapy Device

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To make the most of her bracing experience, Indira Velasquez chose to customize the color of her Bledsoe Z-12 brace. Not only did her brace provide comfort to her osteoarthritic knee, but it also became a fashion staple as part of her everyday wear.

“Pink and green became my favorite colors for new clothing,” said Indira. “I could have worn the brace under long pants, but I liked to show it off.” Strangers were eager to stop Indira to comment on what a colorful brace she was sporting. Indira’s Z-12 proved to be not only fashionable but functional as well.

More on the Z-12 Knee Brace

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