A good knee brace

[Sierra Echo]

Can anyone recommend one?
For my past two hikes when going down hill I'm expierencing a pain/tugging on the left side of my left knee just right beside and slightly behind my knee cap. I took a cheapie knee brace on the trail with me today and it was pretty much worthless. I'm wondering if perhaps I have torn/pulled something in my knee when it first started bothering me walking down stone mtn last weekend. But It started again on the walk down Blue Mtn today after trail maintenance. In a day or two it will be fine, but I don't care to repeat this everytime I go hiking. This chick needs some support!

[Mountain Wildman]

I've seen a lot of pictures of hikers using a Cho-Pat knee brace.

https://secure.cho-pat.com/products/...roduct_type=10

[Sierra Echo]

Thank you!
now tell me, where is the proper place to measure a knee?

[Mountain Wildman]

From the Cho-Pat site,

Sizing: Measure Circumference at Mid-Kneecap

Amazon.com has the Dual Action Knee Strap for around $17.00

[Sierra Echo]

From the Cho-Pat site,

Sizing: Measure Circumference at Mid-Kneecap

Amazon.com has the Dual Action Knee Strap for around $17.00

it sure does say measure at the mid-kneecap! LOL
I got the one on amazon. Its a medium. Thanks for the tip Mountain Wildman, you are my hero!

[Mountain Wildman]

You are welcome, Glad I could help.
Hope it works for you!!

[Sierra Echo]

me too!
I would hate to have to sit on my butt and scoot down big hills!
I did some research and a lot of runners wear cho-pat. Now theres some people who are rough on their joints! So it must work good!

[Praha4]

Illotibial Band Syndrome!!
that's what you were feeling. STRETCHING is key to prevent it. Look it up on the web, there are several good stretches you can do to eliminate that problem.

Cho-pat is the best knee brace for hiking, get one!

[bflorac]

While the Cho-pat is good for knee-cap related ailments it does nothing for Illotibial Band Syndrome. From experience, once your IT band is inflamed, there is not much you can do about it. It is inflamed from the stressing and flexing not the pounding. With me, this caused pain going down but not on the stepping foot but the one behind that had to flex. Get off the trail (walk backwards or like a duck if you have to) Lots of rest and anti-inflammatory medications is what you need. Once the you get control of the inflamation do LOTS of stretching. The LT band is really hard get stretched (often you will see runners using a rolling pin on it). You need to start streching weeks before you start hiking, not just 5 minutes before you hit the trail. I went to a PT doctor about this and he gave me some stretches most of which you can find on line. You may want to experiment with differet shoes and insoles as they can change the way you walk and how it stresses your LT band.

[chiefduffy]

I agree with whats been said above. My knee pain is on the inside of my knee, IT is on the outside, I believe. Cho-pat works for me. Incidently, after a few hundred miles, I find I don't need it anymore.

[Sierra Echo]

well im gonna wear my cho-pats when it gets here and in the mean time stretch, stretch, stretch. I might stay off the trails this coming up weekend cause they will no doubt be over crowded as usual on a holiday weekend. and just rest.
stupid injuries is my middle name~!

[johnnybgood]

stupid injuries is my middle name~!

Take it easy Sierra E. and don't volunteer to carve the turkey come Thursday.

[Sierra Echo]

Take it easy Sierra E. and don't volunteer to carve the turkey come Thursday.

Oh trust me! Every one in my family knows not to hand me sharp implements!
However! Yesterday during trail maintenance I swung a pulaski with no dire results. Did just find with my fire rake too. Of course I took my knee out again, but hey, thats ok!

[johnnybgood]

Have you had an MRI done on your knee to see if there's a need for an arthroscopic knee surgery ?

[Sierra Echo]

No, I have never had any problems with this knee until now. My other knee is my bad knee! I fell 15 yrs ago and tore every muscle in it. The major muscle having 7 tears. That one will kinda bother me on occasion then it will get over it.

[mudhead]

In various threads Kerosene has posted a bunch of links for knees and IT band stretching. Good links. Some seriously goofy looking exercises that seem to help.

[skinewmexico]

I;ve been fighting an ITB problem for months. Trekking poles help a lot on downhill.

[Sierra Echo]

In various threads Kerosene has posted a bunch of links for knees and IT band stretching. Good links. Some seriously goofy looking exercises that seem to help.

I looked through the threads that Kerosene started but none were about the IT band. Kerosene has wayyyyyyyyyyyy too many posts to start sorting through!

[Sierra Echo]

I;ve been fighting an ITB problem for months. Trekking poles help a lot on downhill.

And generally I use trekking poles, but I had to carry shovels for the maintenance work.

[Freedom Walker]

No, I have never had any problems with this knee until now. My other knee is my bad knee! I fell 15 yrs ago and tore every muscle in it. The major muscle having 7 tears. That one will kinda bother me on occasion then it will get over it.

This is identical to what happened to me in Sept when I did my first Section-Springer to Neels. The last two miles decending Blood MT. is what did it.
I hurt my right knee over 20 years ago while running. The Doc said slightly torn cartilage. It has gotten better over the years as long as I dont run. I was worried about how it would hold up on the hike, but it did great. But the left knee starting hurting coming down Blood and three weeks later after I went went to the Dr, he thought it was from arthritis. It was hurting on the inside at the knee cap. Theatment has been RICE, rest, ice, compression, (knee brace that was my wife's), and elevation. I also take celebrex. Exercising doesn't hurt, until I squat too deep and bent the knee which causes it to flair-up again. I hope I can completey recover before hitting the AT again nxt spring. Any suggestions?