View Full Version : Knee brace
Secondmouse
06-12-2016, 21:29
I get some anterior/medial knee pain when I overwork it. I have a bulky neoprene brace but I've seen pics of several people with knee braces or wraps and wonder what works best for hiking.
what do you use?..
squeezebox
06-13-2016, 08:17
It would be nice if treehugger jumped in here. She had some big time knee problems. She had some better than most knee braces, actually OTC. I thought I put the website in my bookmarks, sorry! I'll look on Amazon. I want to know also.
squeezebox
06-13-2016, 08:27
I looked on Amazon. She was using the Cho Pat dual action. $28. I also saw the Mueller Max kneestrap. $16. The Cho Pat looked more substantial. Good Luck!
Traveler
06-13-2016, 10:02
I've used a compression sleeve from Tommycopper.com for a number of years now. Its replaced the Cho Pat and Muller devices I used to use. Not sure it will work for your application but they worked really well for me, are comfortable, easy to keep clean, and weigh nothing.
Secondmouse
06-13-2016, 11:34
I looked on Amazon. She was using the Cho Pat dual action. $28. I also saw the Mueller Max kneestrap. $16. The Cho Pat looked more substantial. Good Luck!
thanks man. I looked at the Cho-pat and I was looking for something low profile like a compression sleeve that can offer some support and help with fluid buildup/inflammation...
Secondmouse
06-13-2016, 12:18
I've used a compression sleeve from Tommycopper.com for a number of years now. Its replaced the Cho Pat and Muller devices I used to use. Not sure it will work for your application but they worked really well for me, are comfortable, easy to keep clean, and weigh nothing.
so copper is a real thing, eh? I always thought it was snake oil. what kind of support or compression does it give you and is that what you think makes it work better than the others?..
I've been using the Cho Pat dual action and it's worked very well for me. I just wore it hiking 55 miles thru the Mass. AT and I didn't need to take any pain medication AT ALL thanks to it.
Secondmouse
06-15-2016, 10:03
well I had a little evaluation done to my knee and it looks like the pain is coming from a medial meniscus tear I had repaired quite a few years ago. supposedly these go arthritic and my symptoms are consistent with this.
I ordered a Bauefeind Genutrain A3 knee sleeve to evaluate. it gets very good recommendations but is expensive. I'll come back in 3 weeks and give my opinion...
Traveler
06-15-2016, 10:08
so copper is a real thing, eh? I always thought it was snake oil. what kind of support or compression does it give you and is that what you think makes it work better than the others?..
No clue about copper being anything more than copper, think what you want to think about that. The sleeve provides even compression around the knee, reducing fatigue and controlling motion. The other knee supports and braces I have tried tend to move around, come out of adjustment, can chafe or build up sweat on me. Why I think it works better than mechanical devices for me is, because it does.
Secondmouse
06-15-2016, 17:43
No clue about copper being anything more than copper, think what you want to think about that. The sleeve provides even compression around the knee, reducing fatigue and controlling motion. The other knee supports and braces I have tried tend to move around, come out of adjustment, can chafe or build up sweat on me. Why I think it works better than mechanical devices for me is, because it does.
you just described 99% of the benefit of any brace. compression and kinesthetic awareness..
whether it's got copper in it or marshmallow creme, if it works then it works, can't argue that point. my negative perceptions on copper comes from the copper bracelet that was faddish among golfers for awhile. you'd see guys with these bracelets and a green stain on their wrist yet not one ever told me definitively they could tell that it made a difference. I put it in the same category as back braces with magnets in them.
I ended up with a pretty expensive sleeve with targeted compression through the use of viscoelastic gel pads designed for the symptoms I present. just wearing it around the house it's very comfortable. the proof will be if I still feel the same 10 days into this hike...
Time Zone
06-15-2016, 18:04
so copper is a real thing, eh? I always thought it was snake oil.
No, you were right the first time.
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/copper-and-magnetic-bracelets-for-arthritis/
and it's part of a long tradition:
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/quackery-a-10-billion-scandal/
Time Zone
06-15-2016, 18:09
I get some anterior/medial knee pain when I overwork it. I have a bulky neoprene brace but I've seen pics of several people with knee braces or wraps and wonder what works best for hiking.
what do you use?..
I have tried both the Cho-Pat two-strap brace and the Mueller single-strap braces (jumper's knee strap, to be specific). Neither seemed to help me much, and both got uncomfortable over time. A pair of trekking poles has helped me tremendously. It's no cure, but it's the difference between being able to hike and not. Plus, they have prevented a fall or two.
handlebar
06-15-2016, 20:22
I, too, use the Chopat dual action and have for the first 1000 miles or so of each of my long hikes. After that initial 1000, I presume everything in my knees tightens up and I don't seem to need them anymore.
Odd Man Out
06-16-2016, 00:38
Question. Do people using these devices wear two, one on each leg, or just one on the knee thst is bothering you.
rocketsocks
06-16-2016, 05:26
Question. Do people using these devices wear two, one on each leg, or just one on the knee thst is bothering you.
I just wear the one when it flares up, funny thing though (and K. Karl pointed this out) sometimes you end up favoring the bad leg, only to aggregate the good leg, for me this has been true much of the time, particuly if you don't rest it and continue to work through pain and stiffness.
Good basic knee support strap for minor pain due to overuse of your knees. If you have more complicated knee problems then these probably aren't appropriate. They come in pairs for this price.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PA4XCBU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2MN1CY6PZP7KU&coliid=II28KDF1H1VWL&psc=1
CamelMan
06-18-2016, 12:52
I'm just a broscientist, but IMO if you're wearing a knee brace what are you doing hiking? Shouldn't you be resting, strengthening, rehabbing, visiting a PT, or something? I would suggest dialing your activity back until you're able to hike without pain, without a brace. How do you know it's not just a gimmick that'll keep you from developing actual strength, and thus hurt you in the long run?
rashamon12
11-14-2016, 14:57
camelMan in some cases i would agree but for myself there is no actual damage to my knee. I have an issue where the tendons in the back of my knee are tight depending on the level of exercise that i do. The brace takes some of the tension off of the tendon making it much more enjoyable. As time goes on the tendon will loosen up some making it much more enjoyable. So everyone has a different reason for needing them.
Secondmouse
11-17-2016, 18:28
I'm just a broscientist, but IMO if you're wearing a knee brace what are you doing hiking? Shouldn't you be resting, strengthening, rehabbing, visiting a PT, or something? I would suggest dialing your activity back until you're able to hike without pain, without a brace. How do you know it's not just a gimmick that'll keep you from developing actual strength, and thus hurt you in the long run?
huh, I for got all about this thread. sorry...
anyway, I completed my hike (Roan Mtn to Damascus) using the Bauerfeind Genutrain A3 which is targeted for medial/anterior pain. I am extremely happy to say that I completed every single day without any symptoms at all.
to answer your question, the problem with my knee is something I've had to live with for years. it's not a recent injury but, as I suspect, an arthritic response to a medial meniscus repair from 15 years ago so no amount of strengthening or rehabbing will do anything for it. if I want to hike, I have to do it with pain or find something to relieve the symptoms...
what orthopedic sleeves or soft braces do is provide compression to reduce inflammation and provide mild support and stabilization. this is not the prophylactic stabilization of DME (durable Medical equipment), and in fact, a primary benefit of these "soft goods" is enhanced kinesthetic awareness. that is, essentially, the sleeve is there reminding you to take it easy.
I was worried before I went on this trip but the brace I used worked perfectly completely removing any pain or swelling I had previously in my conditioning hikes.. I'd buy it again at twice the price,,,