good knee brace for running?
Hey guys,
can someone please give me some advice on a really great knee brace for jogging/running? I love to jog for hours and hours but I have a pretty bad knee from 20 years of ballet... any ideas? I know it's obviously a good idea to go to a store and ask for help, but I'd like to hear from some runners before I go talk to the salespeople!
Thanks in advance.
it's completely dependent on the nature of the injury. you need a brace that give the support that you need, not the one that has worked for someone else with a different problem.
and instead of going to a store, you should be going to a sports doctor or physiotherapist. not all advice is equal.
It depends on the specific knee problem. A physical therapist might have some suggestions that are very specific to your problem.
I don't know enough about the "deep" knee problems, like post-ACL-surgery or meniscus tears, to make informed suggestions about that. But, a simple band riding under your kneecap can help with patellar tendonitis, and sometimes with kneecap tracking problems. Pain on the outside part of your knee, that is due to IT band rubbing, can be helped by wearing a larger band above the knee. The big neoprene things that have a hole for your kneecap can help with tracking problems too, as can doing specific exercises to fix the imbalances that cause that.
Original Post by oldguysrule: .....as can doing specific exercises to fix the imbalances that cause that.
I'd start here if there isn't a physical injury like an ACL tear or something more serious - in which case you shouldn't run without consulting a doctor. Running requires a lot of leg strength and you'd be surprised how fast and how much of a difference strength training the supporting muscles can make.
Thanks, I appreciate all replies. I do a lot of resistance training already since that was part of what I had to do to get better in the first place, and then I just kept doing it 3-4 times a week, so I got that part covered. I didn't really injure my knee per se; it was more like it crapped out after all these years of dancing. I've been "healthy" for a couple of years now, but figured I should get a knee brace just in case.
Just wanted to know what to look for, as I know there are different ones for different kinds of exercise. Don't really want to go see my doctor again unless it's absolutely necessary, since I was just there for my annual and my insurance doesn't cover any extra visits.
Whatever kind Forrest Gump had, it worked great for him.
if you're not having any problems with your knee, you probably shouldn't use a brace at all. you'll be better off to develop the musculature to support the knee. focus on good form and build your endurance slowly.
Original Post by pgeorgian:
if you're not having any problems with your knee, you probably shouldn't use a brace at all. you'll be better off to develop the musculature to support the knee. focus on good form and build your endurance slowly.
+1 ^
Last year when I was training for the NYC Marathon I started developing some knee issues and I went to the local Sports Authority and bought a couple of McDavid knee braces -- one light duty and one heavy duty -- just to try them and see what worked. I used the heavy duty one for a while then over a couple months weaned myself off of it as my problem cleared up. Now I don't use a brace at all but I'm glad to have the braces just in case. Of course if it's a chronic or severe problem you need to see a doctor, but for occasional aches and pains I think self-diagnosis is fine. I probably need a new doctor who runs but I've had the same doc for about 25 years and I like him, although his running advice is usually limited to "don't run for six weeks." I can figure that out for free on my own. Anyhoo, the McDavid braces have been pretty good for me and they have a pretty wide variety to choose from.
