Experiencing knee pain is something that is very common among many athletes. After all, can you imagine a single sport that somehow doesn’t include using your knees? Running, jumping, skiing, climbing, and turning quickly during competitive sports while playing or training – each movement puts your knees in risk regarding injury and pain.
Having a sore, achy knee/s is probably a way of your body telling you that there is something wrong, even if you didn’t notice when it all occurred because it can also happen slowly over time. Once you start to notice the pain, that shouldn’t be something you ignore. On the contrary, you should immediately turn to recovery procedures – like using sports knee support in a form of strap.
Knee pain may occur as a result of many different causes, but the most common malady is the patella-femoral pain syndrome. PFPS is an overuse injury caused by constant contact of the underside surface of the patella also known as knee cap with the femur or thigh bone. Everyone from runners to basketball players is at risk for this. Repeated activities like walking, running, weight lifting, jumping, ascending stairs and other weight-bearing activities can aggravate this syndrome to the point where it is constantly painful.
One type of bracing device that can be used is the patellar strap. A patellar strap is a minimalist approach to knee bracing. It’s smaller and less bulky than other conventional full-knee covering braces. They are occasionally called just sports knee support straps and are applied right under the knee cap. The idea behind it is that it’s pressing on the patellar tendon and tightens up the knee mechanism, providing support to the knee cap so that is it not constantly thumping against the femur.
Although the mechanisms through which the braces minimize knee pain are not fully understood, athletes and people that are endorsing their usage both claim that the strap offers relief and more mental confidence especially for those who fear experiencing an injury yet again. The stripe does not only help ease the discomfort of patella-femoral pain syndrome, but it also takes care of the cartilage (that would otherwise prevent contact) by preventing it from degenerating any further.
Finally, for best results, the location of the application is also important so try to aim for right in the middle of the patellar tendon. The tightness of the strap is also important, so try to use an adjustable strap.
