If you are looking for a quality running knee support you need to consider several important features that not all bracing products will have and these are critical to getting the results you are looking for whilst exercising. To relieve pain or add additional stability and support for your knee is the key. Read below and see how the EX-701 knee support could be a good choice for you.
There are many knee supports on the market, some are designed as specific patella brace style bands for targeting ‘runner’s knee’ and also ‘jumper’s knee’ these conditions revolve around the soft tissue structures of the knee and will most certainly respond to correct applied pressure through some form of bracing. The problem lies within the pain and inflammation itself and to what degree you need additional pain relief for your knee.
Degree of pain and level of support needed
If you have significant inflammation of the knee structure for example both the patella tendon and supporting ligaments are injured or weakened you will need more support than just a patella band across the knee, you will need lateral ligament support if the patella tendon can be braced at the same time this would be also advantageous. Look for a knee brace that can do both, you want good flexible lateral stabilizers which will brace the knee for the side to side aspect of the forces implied when running and also if you have the soft tissue inflammation from the patella tendon you will benefit from cross-over strapping which can track the patella and add pain relief by targeted compression in this area.
Feature checklist
1. Nonslip fitting – The very nature that you are looking for a running knee support means you expect it to add functional support in the midst of exercise. Sadly many knee supports are not designed with this in mind, made more so for sedentary or injured individuals where the primary use of the support is to aid in the acute phase of recovery, but we know individuals may have chronic long-term need for additional pain relief or stability and this can also mean during exercise, being able to move around is part of any rehabilitation of an injury and of course a normal expectation for people with chronic knee pain requiring consistent support.
The EX-701 Performance knee support has been designed to be used not just for recovery but also during exercise as an aid to improve discomfort. The key features which help achieve this is the 4 way – compression system using individual fully adjustable velcro straps:
Two dedicated large straps secure the knee support correctly so it will not slip down, an elastic inner sleeve also adds additional grip and correct fitting to further keep the knee support in place whilst running or exercising.
2. Lightweight and non-obtrusive The support should be as light as possible and certainly cannot be bulky to wear this will make any kind of running whilst wearing a brace for you knee very cumbersome. Look for a weight no more than 200g and whilst it is difficult to see online if you are looking to buy a support specifically to use whilst running how bulky or big the support will be you can be assured that the EX-701 from Exous Bodygear is one of the lightest and low profile products on the market which achieve the goals of being able to hold its place and add functional support in the right areas during any kind of exercise.
3. Patella compression – Isolating the patella tendon will give immediate relief from pain and discomfort should you have the soft tissue inflammation located in this area, you may in fact need a more comprehensive knee support for the lateral ligaments and general weak knee situation but having good customized compression around the knee cap and patella will never be a bad thing if you don’t need it. The important aspect here to look for is can the knee support really give a snug compression which both holds the kneecap in place and aids pain relief through adding support and compression on the patella tendon which in the case of jumper’s knee and patella tendonitis will feel better as one of the reasons the patella tendon gets in flammed is that it is stretched beyond it’s normal range and applying pressure to the tendon resets it so there is relief when bracing is done correctly. Other considerations for the usefulness of isolating the patella is when tracking injuries have occurred from adjacent muscle structures or fascia pulling the patella of its natural groove. IT bands and imbalanced vmo muscles can cause this very easily and is a common syndrome for runners and also can occur in cycling where these large muscles and structures get very tight.
Summary
For the best knee brace for running you need to consider all of the above features which will give you the best results. Common feedback from many generic and even market-leading general knee supports are that they are too loose and that they, therefore slip down which in itself mean that functional support cannot be present during exercise. The other problems that arise is do these supports do a good job bracing the patella and soft tissue aspects? Again with loose fitting and slipping down they will not be able to isolate and secure the patella region for optimum support. Your buying options may not necessarily have to be based on a dedicated patella brace and an overall knee brace but on which can do both without compromise and for that the EX-701 is an ideal knee support for running and general exercise.