Knee Braces for Football - Do You Need to Wear Them?

As school winds down and as the summer approaches, high school football players prepare for the upcoming year. Many of these athletes participate in summer sports camps to maintain physical shape, hone in on their skills and improve endurance and flexibility.
Knee injuries, particularly ACL knee sprains and tears are a common occurrence during this time, and require medical attention and protection as competition to make the football squad becomes more aggressive.
There is much controversy concerning the effectiveness of wearing braces for protection following a knee injury or used as a preventative piece of equipment just like shoulder pads, helmets and chest protectors.
New knee braces like the Bledsoe NZONE have been designed specifically for football, addressing both the functional aspect of a knee brace and as a shock absorbing knee protector.
Thigh and knee pads have been mandatory equipment in high schools and colleges. On May 22, 2012, the NFL made thigh and knee pads mandatory equipment for the 2013 season.
DonJoy has had much success with its DonJoy Armor Extreme, providing a rigid framed brace for ACL protection. The DonJoy custom Defiance is worn by a number of all-pro and super bowl quarterbacks in the NFL, to protect past ACL surgeries or simply for protection.

The Breg Fusion XT has provided superior support for a number of professional athletes in football and other sports.Although the functional mechanisms of all of these braces from the different manufacturers are the same, there are certain differences between the brands that differentiate one over the other.A healthcare professional, coach or trainer that is experienced with many of the most popular brands can help make the determination for which brace is best for a particular football player.
Some knee braces are more effective and wearable for wide receivers vs. ones that are better for defensive backs.An experienced company whether brick and mortar or online company can assist the athlete, coach or trainer in choosing the right brace for his player.
Whichever brace is chosen, it is up to the player to determine its comfort and fit, and if there are issues with the brace during activity. If the brace slides down the leg while running, that can pose a serious issue during a game.
The ultimate decision on wearing a knee brace should come down to the physician's recommendation with the cooperation and support of the coaches and trainers. They understand the anatomy, the injury type and support level needed to protect the football player. This will ensure that the athlete receives the best knee brace for their particular injury.

By Dr. Kenneth Shapiro

World Cup 2014 at Porto Alegre

One of the most anticipated events in the sporting world happens to be the FIFA World Cup, which is having its 20th edition this year. It is the biggest single-event sporting competition in the world and is held once every four years. Fans of the game across the globe follow the gaming action live, watch their favorite players vie for glory on the field and witness new records being set.

Brazil, which has won the title five times and are the only team to have qualified for every tournament since its start, will play host this year to the FIFA World Cup which begins on 12th June, 2014. Porto Alegre has been gearing up to host the FIFA World Cup 2014 ever since Brazil was declared as the host nation. From revamping its stadiums to upgrading its public utility services, they are leaving no stone unturned to give football fans a once in a lifetime experience.

The city has worn a festive look and going all out to impress one and all. The Estadio Beira-Rio stadium, which will be will be hosting five games, has undergone a complete makeover in preparation of the FIFA World Cup. Not only has the overall infrastructure of the stadium has been revamped to accommodate the teeming multitude of soccer fans, but an extra and creative metal roof has also been installed to cover the stands, ramps and the turnstile areas.

Live action station

The place where all the live action will take place starting 12th June, 2014, is the Estadio Beira-Rio. The stadium is located on the banks of the River Guaiba, and has a picture-postcard setting to it. Estadio Beira-Rio, which has saw many a scintillating derby matches and has also hosted four Copa Libertadores finals, is slated to host five games in the FIFA World Cup. The match that has excited everybody is the Round-of-16 tie. Beira-Rio has a seating capacity of 50,287, a number that was largely boosted due to the construction project that the stadium authorities undertook as a part of the revamping process. Being the largest football ground in southern Brazil, the Beira-Rio has some eye-catching support features as well. Furthermore, it has superb connectivity to ease smooth inflow and outflow of spectators at the time of the matches.

Weather during the World Cup

Porto Alegre has four very defined seasons and generally has a warm, humid temperate climate with hot summers and no dry season. Summer months have average temperatures ranging from 27ºC to 35ºC, with temperatures sometimes exceeding the 35ºC mark as well. Winters here are quite cold with records of subzero temperatures as well as heavy snow. But compared to the other capitals of Brazil, Porto Alegre has a milder climate with an annual average temperature of 19.5ºC. In the months of June-July (at the time of the World Cup), Porto Alegre is expected to have cool weather with temperatures hovering between 20-23ºC accompanied by calm to gentle breeze. Such weather conditions will not only be enjoyable for the live spectators at the stadium, but also for the players who will benefit from the absence of sweltering heat and humidity.

Games and their Dates for this city

Porto Alegre will play host to nine teams who will play a total of five matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Although the details are not known yet, what is known is that of the nine teams, one team will certainly play more than once. Even though Brazil is hosting this edition of the World Cup, the host team will not get a chance to play at the Estadio Beira-Rio at Porto Alegre.

By Sarbani Bhattacharjee