Joint pain has a way of sneaking into everyday life, making it harder to get out of bed, walk around your home, or keep up with family. The right joint support can change that. At MacPherson’s Medical Supply, we help you find practical, comfortable solutions so you can stay mobile longer and feel safer at home in the Rio Grande Valley.
As a family-owned medical supply company serving South Texas for over 80 years, we know every person’s situation is different. Some need a simple knee brace for arthritis. Others need complex durable medical equipment (DME) like power mobility devices, custom bracing, or home modifications. In this guide, we’ll walk through how joint support works, the devices available, and how our local team can help you choose the safest options for your daily life.
Live Independently Longer With The Right Joint Support
Healthy joints are the foundation of independence. When your knees, hips, ankles, shoulders, or hands hurt, everything takes more effort. Getting to the bathroom, climbing into bed, or standing long enough to cook a meal can feel overwhelming.
Joint support is about more than pain relief. It’s about:
- Staying in your own home as long as possible.
- Reducing your risk of falls and injuries.
- Protecting your joints from further damage.
- Keeping you active enough to enjoy the people and places you love in the Rio Grande Valley.
As a local, family-owned medical supply provider, we see this every day. When someone receives the right brace, cane, or custom orthotic, their confidence changes overnight. Walking from the living room to the kitchen doesn’t feel scary. Getting out to church, the grocery store, or a grandchild’s game becomes realistic again.
Our goal is simple: reliable solutions for everyday life that keep you moving safely.
Understand What’s Causing Your Joint Pain
Many different issues can lead to painful or unstable joints. Understanding the cause helps us match you with the safest durable medical equipment and supports.
Common causes include:
- Osteoarthritis – Wear-and-tear of cartilage in the knees, hips, spine, and hands.
- Rheumatoid or inflammatory arthritis – The immune system attacks the joints, leading to swelling and deformity.
- Previous injuries – Old fractures, ligament tears, or sprains that never fully healed.
- Muscle weakness – When muscles around a joint are weak, the joint has to work too hard.
- Balance problems or neuropathy – Nerve issues in the feet and legs can make it hard to feel the ground and stay stable.
- Progressive or neuromuscular conditions – Conditions like multiple sclerosis, ALS, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injuries often require more advanced DME and complex rehabilitation.
For some people, weight gain, long hours on their feet, or poor footwear strain the joints. For others, it’s the layout of the home with too many steps, narrow doorways, or bathrooms without grab bars.
Whatever the cause, the right combination of joint support, mobility aids, and home changes can reduce stress on the joints and help prevent falls.
Discover Devices That Keep You Moving Safely
Joint support can be as simple as a soft sleeve or as advanced as a custom power wheelchair with specialized seating. At MacPherson’s Medical Supply, we focus on matching the level of support to your real, daily needs.
Wearable Supports: Braces, Sleeves, And Wraps
Wearable supports are often the first step. They stabilize weak or injured joints, limit painful movements, and provide warmth and compression to reduce swelling.
Common examples include:
- Knee braces and sleeves for arthritis or old sports injuries.
- Ankle braces to prevent rolling or repeated sprains.
- Wrist and thumb braces for carpal tunnel or joint instability.
- Back supports to ease strain on the spine.
- Compression hosiery to manage swelling in the legs and support circulation.
- Orthopedic bracing for fracture management and post-surgical support.
We also provide custom orthotics and bracing. Inside our custom orthotics lab, we create prescription foot orthotics and insoles that improve alignment from the feet up, help with plantar fasciitis, high or low arches, and neuromas, and reduce pain in the knees, hips, and back by correcting how you stand and walk.
Mobility Aids That Reduce Joint Stress
Sometimes the best joint support doesn’t sit directly on the joint at all. Mobility aids take pressure off your joints by sharing your body weight and improving balance. These may include:
- Canes and crutches – For light support and short distances.
- Walkers and rollators – For more stability, especially on uneven surfaces.
- Manual wheelchairs – When walking causes too much pain or fatigue.
- Power wheelchairs and scooters – For those who need power mobility devices to stay independent.
- Lift chairs – To make standing up and sitting down safer on knees and hips.
These are all forms of home medical equipment and more that we fit and adjust for your height, weight, and home environment.
Home Modifications That Support Joint Health
Your home can either fight your joints or protect them. For many people in the Rio Grande Valley, small changes make a big difference:
- Bathroom safety products – Grab bars, shower chairs, bath lifts, and raised toilet seats reduce joint strain and fall risk.
- Home ramps and stairlifts – Take pressure off knees and hips by eliminating the need to climb steps.
- Bedroom and ceiling lifts – Make transfers in and out of bed safer.
Our home and vehicle accessibility services are built around the same idea as our bracing: support your joints by changing the environment, not just your body.
Find Your Perfect Fit With Expert Guidance
Every joint, every diagnosis, and every home is different. That’s why we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions.
When we help you choose a joint support, we look at which joint is involved, how severe the pain or instability is, your diagnosis, and where you spend your time.
For example:
- Mild knee arthritis might do well with a knee sleeve, cane, and custom insoles.
- Post-surgical support may require a more rigid orthopedic brace and a walker for a period of time.
- Progressive conditions may call for complex rehabilitation technology like individually configured wheelchairs, seating and positioning systems, standing devices, and gait trainers.
Our on-site Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) works closely with you to select complex rehab equipment when needed, making sure your joints are positioned safely and comfortably.
Working With Healthcare Professionals
The best results happen when we work as a team. We regularly partner with local physicians, orthopedic specialists, physical and occupational therapists, and hospital discharge planners.
Together, we review your prescriptions, therapy notes, and goals. Then we recommend the DME and joint supports that fit your plan of care.
If you’d like to learn more about our story at MacPherson’s Medical Supply and how we’ve spent 80 years serving the Rio Grande Valley, you can read more on our story at MacPherson’s Medical Supply.
When you’re ready to explore options, you can also see all medical supply services to understand how joint support fits with respiratory care, complex rehab, and home accessibility.
Get The Most From Your Equipment With Proper Care
Proper fit and regular maintenance are just as important as choosing the right device. A poorly fitted brace, cane, or wheelchair can create new pain or even lead to a fall.
We help you with measuring and fitting, adjusting height and angle, education for you and your caregivers, and equipment repair. Our technicians can service manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility devices with parts, programming, battery replacement, modifications, and repairs.
Warning Signs Your Support Isn’t Working
Contact us or your healthcare provider if you notice new or worsening pain, redness or skin breakdown under a brace, numbness or tingling, feeling off balance, or difficulty sleeping because of your device.
Sometimes a small adjustment fixes the problem. Other times, your condition has changed and you may need a different level of support. We often recommend visiting our local store in Harlingen so we can see how you move and what changes might help.
Build Daily Habits That Protect Your Joints
Joint support isn’t just about equipment. It’s also about how you move, rest, and care for your body. Here are strategies we share with our neighbors in the Rio Grande Valley:
- Protect your feet first – Supportive shoes and custom insoles/orthotics can improve your whole alignment.
- Use mobility aids early – Grabbing a cane, walker, or rollator before you’re in crisis can prevent falls and joint damage.
- Set up safer spaces at home – Add grab bars, non-slip mats, and bathroom safety products.
- Rest smart – Alternate activity with short rest breaks instead of pushing until you’re in severe pain.
- Strengthen gently – Follow your therapist’s advice on exercises that build muscle without overloading joints.
- Address swelling early – Tools like compression hosiery, elevation, and gentle movement keep fluid from building up.
If you use CPAP machines, oxygen services, or other respiratory equipment, good sleep and healthy oxygen levels can help your body recover and manage pain better. Our licensed respiratory therapist is here to support those needs alongside your mobility and joint health.
To see specific products that support joint health, such as beds, wheelchairs, canes, commodes, basins, and more, you can see what’s in stock at our medical supply store or visit our local store in Harlingen.
Take The Next Step Toward Better Joint Health
Joint pain doesn’t have to mean giving up the activities and independence you love. With the right mix of joint support, durable medical equipment, and small changes at home, you can protect your joints and keep moving with confidence.
When we work with you at MacPherson’s Medical Supply, we look at your joints and medical conditions, your mobility and balance, your home and daily routine, and your goals.
From custom orthotics and orthopedic bracing to complex rehabilitation wheelchairs, from walkers and lift chairs to home ramps and bath safety, we’re here to create a plan that fits your life.
If you’re ready to find the right durable medical equipment or joint support, call today to find the right equipment for you, or visit our local store to see our full selection. You can also contact our team to speak with a respiratory therapist if breathing or sleep issues are adding to your fatigue and pain.
Visit MacPherson’s Medical Supply at 2325 S 77 Sunshine Strip, Ste. B, Harlingen, Texas 78550. We’re open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For questions, email us at admin@macmedsupply.com or call 956-412-9100.
