Knee Protection: Types, How to Wear, and When to Use

How Do You Wear Knee Protection?

Properly wearing knee protection involves selecting the correct type for your activity, ensuring a snug yet comfortable fit that aligns with the knee's anatomy, and adhering to manufacturer guidelines to maximize support, compression, or impact absorption while preventing injury or aiding recovery.

Understanding Knee Protection: Why It Matters

Knee protection serves a crucial role in both injury prevention and management across various physical activities, from high-impact sports to heavy resistance training and daily occupational tasks. The knee joint, a complex structure involving bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage, is susceptible to various stressors. Different forms of knee protection are designed to address specific needs:

• Compression and Warmth: Enhances blood flow, reduces swelling, and keeps the joint warm, which can improve elasticity and reduce stiffness.
• Proprioception: Increases sensory feedback to the brain, improving joint awareness and stability.
• Support and Stability: Provides external reinforcement to ligaments and tendons, limiting excessive movement or offloading stress from injured areas.
• Impact Absorption: Cushions the knee against direct blows or repeated contact with hard surfaces.
• Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation: Reduces the risk of certain injuries during strenuous activity or aids in the recovery process post-injury or surgery.

Types of Knee Protection and Their Application

Understanding the distinct purposes of different knee protection types is fundamental to wearing them correctly and effectively.

Knee Sleeves (Compression Sleeves)

Purpose: Primarily provide compression, warmth, and proprioceptive feedback. They are not designed for significant mechanical support or to prevent hyperextension but rather to enhance joint awareness and reduce discomfort during activity. How to Wear:

• Sizing: Refer to the manufacturer's sizing chart, typically based on the circumference of your thigh a few inches above the knee. A good fit will be snug but not restrictive.
• Application: Roll the sleeve up and pull it over your foot, guiding it up your leg.
• Positioning: Center the sleeve over your patella (kneecap), ensuring it covers the entire joint, extending slightly above and below.
• Fit Check: The sleeve should feel uniformly compressive without bunching behind the knee or digging into your skin. You should be able to move freely without significant slippage. When to Use: Weightlifting (squats, deadlifts), CrossFit, running, general athletic activities, or for mild knee discomfort.

Knee Wraps

Purpose: Offer maximal support and elasticity for heavy lifting, particularly in powerlifting. They store elastic energy during the eccentric (lowering) phase of a lift, providing a "rebound" effect during the concentric (lifting) phase, potentially allowing for heavier loads. They are not for general use due to their restrictive nature. How to Wear:

• Sizing: Wraps come in various lengths (e.g., 2m, 2.5m, 3m). Longer wraps offer more revolutions and support.
• Starting Point: Begin wrapping either directly over the patella or slightly below it, depending on personal preference and desired support.
• Wrapping Technique: Wrap tightly in an upward spiral or figure-eight pattern. Overlap each revolution by about half the width of the wrap.
  • Method 1 (Spiral): Start below the knee, wrap upwards, covering the patella, and finish above.
  • Method 2 (Figure-Eight): Involves crossing the wrap behind the knee and over the front, creating an "X" pattern over the patella, offering more direct patellar compression.
• Tension: Maintain consistent, high tension throughout the wrap. The tighter the wrap, the more support and rebound, but also the greater the restriction of blood flow.
• Securing: Secure the end of the wrap by tucking it under a previous layer or using the integrated Velcro closure. When to Use: Maximal effort squats, leg presses, or other heavy lower body lifts, primarily in powerlifting or strongman contexts. Due to blood flow restriction, they should only be worn for the specific working sets and removed immediately afterward.

Knee Braces (Hinged, Patellar, Post-Operative)

Purpose: Provide significant mechanical support, stability, and often limit range of motion, particularly for individuals with ligamentous injuries (ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL), patellar tracking issues, or during post-operative rehabilitation. How to Wear:

• Manufacturer Instructions: Always follow the specific instructions provided with your brace, as designs vary widely.
• Positioning: Most braces are designed to align with anatomical landmarks. Ensure hinges are positioned correctly with the knee joint's natural axis of rotation.
• Strapping: Secure all straps in the recommended order and tightness. Straps usually involve a combination of velcro and buckles. Ensure they are snug enough to prevent slippage but not so tight as to cause discomfort or impede circulation.
• Fit Check: The brace should feel secure and stable without pinching or rubbing. Test your allowed range of motion to ensure the brace functions as intended. When to Use: Following ligamentous injuries, for chronic knee instability, patellofemoral pain syndrome (patellar straps), or as prescribed by a medical professional for post-surgical rehabilitation.

Knee Pads

Purpose: Provide impact protection and cushioning against direct contact or repeated pressure on the patella and surrounding areas. How to Wear:

• Positioning: Place the padded section directly over your patella.
• Straps/Sleeve: If it's a sleeve-style pad, pull it up until the pad is centered. If it has straps, secure them snugly, ensuring they don't dig into the skin or restrict movement.
• Mobility: Ensure the knee pad allows for full, comfortable movement relevant to your activity. When to Use: Sports involving ground contact (volleyball, wrestling, skateboarding), manual labor requiring kneeling (construction, gardening), or activities where direct impact to the knee is a risk.

General Principles for Proper Fit and Wear

Regardless of the type of knee protection, adhering to these general principles will optimize its effectiveness and comfort:

• Accurate Measurement: Always measure your leg circumference at the specified points (e.g., above the patella, around the calf) and consult the manufacturer's sizing chart. Do not guess your size.
• Snug, Not Constrictive: The protection should feel secure and supportive without cutting off circulation, causing numbness, tingling, or excessive discomfort.
• Proper Alignment: Ensure the protection is correctly aligned with your knee joint and covers the intended area (e.g., patella, joint line).
• Test Mobility: Perform the movements you intend to do while wearing the protection (e.g., squat, walk, run). It should not significantly impede your natural movement patterns or cause awkwardness.
• Check for Bunching or Slipping: Ill-fitting protection that bunches behind the knee or constantly slips down can be uncomfortable and ineffective. Adjust or consider a different size/type.
• Hygiene: Regularly clean your knee protection according to manufacturer instructions to prevent skin irritation and odor.

When to Seek Professional Guidance

While knee protection can be highly beneficial, it's essential to recognize when professional medical or rehabilitation guidance is needed. Consult a healthcare professional (doctor, physical therapist, kinesiologist) if you experience:

• Persistent knee pain despite using protection.
• Signs of poor circulation (numbness, tingling, coldness, discolouration) while wearing protection.
• Uncertainty about which type of knee protection is appropriate for your specific needs or injury.
• Increased pain or instability after starting to use knee protection.
• Any new or worsening knee symptoms.

Properly selected and worn knee protection is a valuable tool in supporting knee health, enhancing performance, and facilitating recovery. By understanding the nuances of each type and adhering to best practices for fit and application, you can maximize its benefits and safeguard your knee joint.