Do Knee Braces Work for Runners?

I’ve had a bit of a nagging knee issue lately. I think it might be a patellar tendonitis caused by a muscle weakness and/or sleepy glutes. So, as I'm trying to self rehab some of those muscle issues, I decided I'd try a couple of different styles of knee braces to see if they helped at all.

0:00 intro
0:44 disclosures
1:20 my knee
2:52 patellar sleeve
4:04 patellar strap
5:30 knee brace
6:52 does it work?

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Running footage shot on:
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end card music:
Jim Yosef - Checkered

[SethJamesDeMoor]

that shirt tho...
knee brace did not work for me 9 months ago, but I had a pretty severe case of runner's knee and looks like you're still holding up well.... PT helped me so much. Went from knife pain 8/10 to 2/10 on pain scale in about 3 weeks with PT help
cheers Mike, onward you go

[levandmarthapolyakin-aaron]

Mike, are you icing your knee? That’s the first thing I do if I have pain anywhere that’s not simple soreness from a workout. It’s pretty universally advised for inflammation but should’ve been done in the earliest stages, ideally. I still think you should rest for at least a couple of weeks and continue to concentrate on the strengthening during that time. Like someone else here said, we'll all be here for you, and it’s more important that your running career not get cut short by exacerbating a persistent injury.

[mannyprays]

You may have a weak hip, weak hams or a tight quad. I been doing more squats and leg exercises, and it's been helping me with less knee pain. I needed more muscle 💪

[jamesphillips]

It sounds like you just need to take a break for a few weeks for that nagging injury to heal. I know that’s not ideal for a lot of reasons but we’ll all be here when you get back to making running videos. You make great content

[eduardohernandez]

I used the same knee brace with the lateral support after ACL reconstruction surgery. I found it helpful in reducing knee pain but more importantly feeling secure as I started running. Perhaps it was more of a placebo effect but it worked for me. Definitely runs hot and I found it slipping and annoying as I got faster.

After about a year and a half from surgery I switched to compression tights again to feel secure until I felt I no longer needed them.

Again, I’m not sure how well they work from a “physical” perspective but mentally I was happy with the purchase and would recommend people try it out if they have knee issues.

[scriptosaurusrex]

I had a knees injury years back, granted it wasn't around my patella, but both my physician and the physio I was referred to told me that knee braces don't really do much. The main purpose they serve is to remind you to not over do things and remain cautious.

[philortman]

Man, good luck. I've been dealing with patellar tendonitis for a full year now and of everything that I've tried, straps and braces have helped the least. Single-leg stability and hip strength exercises paired with foam rolling the quads have helped the most.

[scottr]

I had some knee pain early last year. I wore one of those straps and liked it. I ended up going to a PT who specializes in running and expecting to hear not to run. She had me keep running but doing exercises morning, evening and in the middle of the run. She also said the brace was more for my sense of comfort and really did t do anything except for giving my brain peace of mind. 🤷‍♂️ pain went away and brace is no more! I hope your issues subside and you can get back to fully enjoying your runs.

[DannyPimienta]

I'm the opposite....for the first mile my knee feels wonky. After a mile or so it feels fine. It mainly flares during ascents where I tend to brake.

[AncoraImparoPiper]

I have sprained my ankles too many times to remember, and the only place for ankle braces ( or any other braces of a similar nature) are in the immediate aftermath of an injury when the joint needs to remain immobilised for a few days. After that, it should be replaced by treatment prescribed by a PT or what we call a physiotherapist. I can vouch for this type of treatment because it has always worked for me.

If there is any pain anywhere, it should be appropriately assessed to determine its root cause and appropriate exercises implemented.

No need to waste money on these types of crutches. Instead, use the money saved to see a PT.

[nosoup]

I had the same symptoms you're having and I tried everything. And when I went to another doctor he asked me to do a vitamin D test. And the results came back I had severe vitamin D deficiency. I took a full course of vitamin D and now I feel really good. I wish you well and good luck champ cheers.

[EnvyTraxus]

I think they more so help relieve the pain without actually addressing what's causing the pain.

[el_arte]

No, they don't. The only thing they do is encourage you to continue running when you should address a muscle imbalance issue.

[TalkativeMime]

Totally agree. As a general rule I would stray away from braces unless a medical provider suggested it. The majority of pts don’t need them and braces are generally indicated with acute injuries to stabilize but wearing too long can cause problems. (2nd year SPT so just my clinical opinion)

[JimLarranagak]

K-Tape seems to be one of the best solutions for my running injuries. AplplyK-Tape to sore hot spots, muscles tendons, post run. It relieves pain almost instantly. Not sure of the voodoo science but I think taping improves the lymph fluid flow under the skin and or sends a pain blocking signals from the brain. Try taping your knees before a fun and you'll feel support and pain relief. If it works for you, you won't need knee straps or devices, just a little bit of tape. You can leave tape on post run too, or reapply . Super easy and for me highly effective. If it's a placebo affect, I'm cool with that too.There must be a reason Olympians use so much tape.

[engus]

I run in A CEP knee sleeve similar to the sleeve you covered in your video. I have run in it for over 5 years for 99% of my runs including a couple marathons. I used to get pain in my left knee once I reached a certain weekly volume. I have some structural issues with my knee including a very minor partial PCS tear. I have not had any issues with knee pain using the brace.

[kalemaguire]

A slant board is very helpful for dealing with patellar tendinitis. They are kind of expensive, but they are easy to build.

[sor]

After lots of googling and youtubeing, my issue was resolved by 1) resting first 2) strengthening my quads. What I started doing is squats with a weight jacket.

[jameswestmoreland]

Two years later. The big sleeve can help by keeping the joints and muscles flexible and pull less on the knee. Works for me except neoprene. Also I purposefully overpronate contrary to the running show company overpronation devil.Also do several exercises: toe raises, leg scissors, step upside, hip drops. As I fatigue later in runs, take very brief walk breaks 20-30 seconds to keep legs freah.

[kimwarner]

I have the same problem as you except my knee hurts the first mile and then goes away.I have a McDavid strap and it works great, but it's not addressing the real problem. I took two weeks off and began wearing Merrell vapor gloves as my normal shoe. The beginning of the second week one day I ran in circles in my house with the merrells on. I have hard wood floors so I figured it would be a good test. I went to dinner and when I came home I realized my knee wasn't hurting and I could bend and squat without any discomfort. Two days later I went for a one mile run with the merrells. My knee felt fine but my feet were killing me b/c these shoes have zero cushion. The next day I ran for a mile and half. Once again no knee pain. I decided to to then buy some Nike frees I'm not ready to completely transition to barefoot running shoes. I ran 7 miles yesterday my knee felt great. My plan moving forward is to run barefoot as a second run twice a week to help strengthen my feet and my ankles. I'll also continue to wear barefoot shoes as my normal shoes most of the time. Running in the barefoot shoes makes you become a forefoot striker, which distributes the weight naturally and corrects your stride. When I run my right shoe traction on the outside gets destroyed, even on a first run. After the 7 mile run I looked at the bottom of my shoes and there wasn't a mark of them. I'm a believer in the power of barefoot shoes to realign your body