I was devastated when my knee problems began. I was an avid runner. I ran several miles a day, and it was practically an addiction. I didn't feel comfortable until I got my daily fix, but as my knee problems progressed I was terrified that I would never be able to run again. When someone finally suggested that I try out a knee brace I think it practically saved my life.

I stopped running for a while, and the withdrawals were horrible. It was like I could feel my muscles getting weaker and weaker by the day. Not only that, but my energy was level had dropped to almost zero. That wasn't the worst part though. It was like I was experiencing an emotional landslide.

I've never had a drug addiction, but I can understand how strong the pangs of emotional withdrawals can be. I am normally a really happy and upbeat person, but I was feeling horrible. In all honesty, I think that was the only time that I had ever experienced a long term bout of depression in my life.

It was a foreign feeling to me, and it was a terribly heavy burden to bear. Because of this, I would still go out on a run occasionally. It felt good while I was doing it, but it never felt good afterwards.

One of my friends suggested that I purchase a knee brace and, at this point I figured anything that could get me back into my daily running routine again would be worth a try. I was so excited to see if my new brace would give me enough support for my body to handle my daily workout again.

The results were amazing. Obviously it was going to take more than a brace to heal my knee, but what mattered to me was that I was out hitting the pavement again. There's nothing like the feeling of the wind blowing in your face as you put your best efforts into the tail end of a run.

Pretty soon I could feel my muscles getting stronger, I was going through my days with the same level of energy that I was previously accustomed to, and most importantly I was feeling happy and cheery again. It was like a miracle to me. I could hardly believe that I was actually running again.

I can't even explain how grateful I am for the difference that something like a simple knee brace was able to make in my life. It was truly a life saver.