I am a dancer who's having ACL surgery. The doctor says I have to wear a brace for a few weeks afterward. Is it normal to have to wear a brace, and will it affect my future performance?

The brace is used to protect your knee in the early weeks after surgery. You'll be instructed to remove the brace several times during the day to do exercises for improving knee motion and muscle tone.

As a dancer, you'll also be concerned with getting your balance and agility back after surgery. A recent study looked at two types of postsurgical treatment for patients who had ACL surgery. Half of the patients wore casts for five weeks after surgery. The other half wore braces for the same amount of time and did exercises to improve their range of movement. After at least six months of supervised rehabilitation for agility and strength training, patients in both groups did equally well on tests of balance. The results for balance and agility were excellent.

Talk to your doctor and physical therapist about how often to take your brace off and when you can discontinue using it.