An active lifestyle and a passion for sports benefit the entire body. But, unfortunately, such an energetic existence is rarely without injuries. During exercise in mobile sports, the greatest physical activity falls on the knee joints. As a result of sudden movements, bumps, falls, excessive twisting or extension, knee injuries occur that force you to reduce the intensity of your classes or completely interrupt your workout.
A knee support has been specially developed to protect against possible damage, which helps to additionally fix the joint during physical exertion, thereby preventing any displacements, dislocations, sprains or muscles. The bandage not only helps prevent possible injuries, but is also often used during the treatment and rehabilitation of athletes after serious injuries to the knee joint. Let's consider in more detail what a knee support is , what it is intended for.
Operating principle
The caliper is specially designed to protect against damage during active sports. It reliably and gently fixes the joint, additionally supports excessively loaded and tired muscles, while maintaining good mobility and not interfering with the circulation of blood circulation in the limb. The support helps reduce the load on the knee during sharp accelerations, turns, jumps, which are inherent in many sports or other sports (volleyball, basketball, soccer, handball, pionerball, martial arts, etc.).
Knee brace is a good protection for the joint and hamstrings with serious loads in bodybuilding, powerlifting, weightlifting. The caliper reduces the likelihood of muscle strain, damage to the meniscus and ligaments. It helps not only protect against injuries, but also increases the effectiveness of the workout, creating an additional cushioning effect during exercise.
Sport knee support promotes full joint function during intense physical exertion. It has an excellent warming effect, causing an active flow of blood to the joint. Thanks to this principle of exposure, the working capacity of the muscles increases, the flexibility and elasticity of the ligaments increase, pain and fatigue with excessive physical exertion are reduced. If you are actively involved in sports, the caliper will help maintain your knees in a healthy state for many years.
Benefit
Sports bandage retains the mobility of the knee joint without restricting freedom of movement during active physical activity. Using a caliper will help you increase your workout efficiency by avoiding the negative effects of overload. Knee brace brings tangible benefits, as it allows you to:
- reduce pain;
- reduce muscle tension and fatigue;
- relieve part of the load from the knee joint;
- reduce swelling;
- protect the knee from injury and damage;
- improve the performance of muscles and ligaments;
- increase knee flexibility.
Wear a knee support during intense training or competitive events. This will allow you to improve your athletic performance by protecting your knee joint from possible damage. On training days with normal workload, it is recommended to engage without using a knee brace so that the muscles and joints receive a full physical workout.
Contraindications
Knee brace is an excellent protection for a healthy joint from possible damage. When buying a support, remember that this is an auxiliary tool for active loads. Constant wearing of a bandage negatively affects the functioning of a healthy knee joint. As a result of abuse, weakening of the muscles, joints and ligaments occurs. In addition, there are no special prohibitions on the wearing of knee pads. It is not recommended to wear a knee support when:
- allergies to the bandage material;
- skin diseases;
- joint inflammation when thermal procedures are prohibited;
- diseases of the veins of the lower extremities.
If the support is used for rehabilitation of the knee after serious injuries (ruptures of tendons and joints, displacement of the patella, dislocations, etc.), then it is necessary to consult your doctor before use. Remember that the caliper will not cure the injury. He is only able to ease pain in the injured knee and stop further disturbances. Use the bandage as a supplement to the main treatment and during the rehabilitation period after injuries or surgeries.
What types of calipers are there?
A wide assortment of calipers is presented on the sports goods market, subdivided in their functionality and degree of fixation. For the manufacture of bandages, various materials are used: elastic fabrics, plastic, metal parts and mounts, Velcro, adjusters, hinges. Sport knee support is divided into the following categories: soft, semi-rigid, hard. Consider each type of knee braces in more detail.
Soft calipers
This category includes all types of bandages made of dense elastic fabric. The main purpose is to prevent diseases and reduce the load on the knee joint during sports. Soft knee support, reviews confirm this fact, it stimulates blood circulation well, reduces pain during inflammatory processes, and reduces swelling.
A completely soft knee pad will help reduce physical activity while running or when performing strength exercises, but will not protect you from injuries in the fall. If your exercise involves a high risk of knee injury, then choose an elastic model with an additional seal on the cup of the joint.
Semi-rigid calipers
This category contains all the models that somehow limit the functionality of the knee joint. They are designed in such a way that, avoiding undesirable movements, protect and stabilize the knee, while simultaneously allowing you to perform the permitted actions.
Such calipers have a more complex structure than soft ones. The elastic material of the models is complemented by various fasteners, adjusters, hinges, side tires, depending on the intended purpose. Semi-rigid products are recommended for wearing during the recovery period after mild or moderate injuries, with exacerbation of joint diseases or with chronic knee instability. The most popular model for such cases is the LP 708 knee support, developed by the world leader in sporting goods, LP Support.
Hard calipers
Rigid fixed calipers are designed to recover from a serious injury or surgery. Such models almost completely limit the mobility of the knee joint to allow damaged tissues to recover. The design has stiffeners, articulated volume control and retractable tires. Rigid calipers allow you to limit the amplitude of limb movement with the possibility of increasing it as you recover.
When choosing a knee brace, you must first determine its purpose, and then select the type of knee pad. If you want to buy a model for sports, while your knees are not injured, then the product from the category of soft calipers is suitable. In all other cases, you should consult your doctor before purchasing.
Production material
The knee support is made of various materials that provide excellent dynamic protection and compression during sports. Manufacturers pay special attention to breathability and the ability of the fabric to moisture, to ensure maximum comfort and convenience when using sports knee pads. In the manufacture of calipers mainly use:
- Nylon, polyester, elastane and other synthetic fibers are durable materials that are resistant to tearing and abrasion. They have good elasticity, do not wrinkle, hold their shape well, have light weight, but poorly absorb moisture.
- Neoprene is a rubber sheet with microscopic holes that is used to increase the thermal insulation of the caliper. Most often used as the inner layer of the knee pad to provide breathability and flexibility of the bandage, while increasing the warming effect.
- Cotton and other natural fibers of knitting. It is used for the manufacture of the inner layers of the caliper to ensure good moisture absorption and breathability of the knee pad. The main disadvantages - they easily crumple, quickly wear out and lose their shape.
The use of one or another material in the manufacture depends on the functional purpose of the knee brace. The most durable to wear are products made of synthetic fibers, but they do not allow air and moisture to pass through well. Natural materials have good absorbency and breathability, are more pleasant to the body, but quickly wear out, tear and lose their shape. When choosing a caliper, be sure to pay attention to the composition of the material of manufacture, which is indicated on the product label, in order to understand how convenient and comfortable it is to wear a knee pad.
How to choose a knee support in size?
When choosing a support, it is important to correctly determine the size so that the model fits the knee well, without interfering with the blood circulation in the lower limb. To do this, measure the circumference of the lower thigh with a centimeter tape. Keep in mind that the length of the caliper depends on the volume - the larger it is, the longer the bandage. In stores, knee pads are presented in four sizes, divided by the parameters of the circumference of the lower thigh: S - 33-35 cm, M - 36-38 cm, L - 38-42 cm, XL - 42-46 cm. When choosing the right size, be sure to try on product.
Manufacturers
Many sporting goods manufacturers are developing their own knee caliper technology. The most famous in the Russian market is the American company LP Support, which produces sports goods under the brand name LP. It specializes exclusively in the manufacture of sports medicine products and technical protective equipment.
Jowners is a voluntary association of manufacturers and distributors, jointly producing sports products under the Torres brand. The knee support of this brand has gained popularity among Russian athletes for its affordable price and high quality. Products with the following brands have an excellent reputation: Pharmacels, Mueller, Cramer, Medi, MedSpecs, ASO, OPPO, Push-Braces, issued by companies specializing in the production of sports goods or orthopedic protective equipment.
Price
On average, the price of a knee brace ranges from 200 to 7,000 rubles. Simpler models made of synthetic materials, designed to reduce the load during sports, will cost up to 2,000 rubles. More complicated knee pads - over 2,000 rubles. According to numerous positive user reviews, the best in terms of price-quality ratio is the LP knee support.
In the article, we examined in detail how to choose the knee support correctly, what remedies are there and what to look for when buying. Knee brace is a great assistant for active sports. If the model is selected successfully, then the caliper will serve you for a long time, will be comfortable to use and will perfectly fulfill its functional purpose.