Knee Compression

Knee braces and compression sleeves provide support for and protection against a variety of knee injuries. Compression helps relieve pain while running or playing sports and during everyday activities that may be affected by joint inflammation. Braces provide stronger support for injuries such as a meniscus tear or an ACL tear. Whatever your need, all our anti-slip knee supports have been designed for mobility and comfort. They don’t hinder movement and feature our high-quality breathable materials that are moisture wicking so you stay dry and comfortable.

Knee braces are normally worn when there’s already an existing injury, whereas knee sleeves are used for compression, support, and mostly preventive measures. You may be looking for a knee brace for running, but you actually need a knee sleeve. While both provide support to knee ligaments and muscles, there are quite a few differences between them.

2 Main Differences

1. Knee braces are for injury recovery
2. Knee sleeves are for support to prevent injuries

What is a Knee Brace?

Knee braces are made for people who suffer or have suffered a serious injury such as an ACL tear (Anterior Cruciate Ligament), an MCL (Medial collateral ligament) tear, a PCL (Posterior cruciate ligament) tear, a meniscus tear, a luxating patella, or other similar injuries. They’re usually made of neoprene with additional support such as metallic hinges to support the knee during movement. There are several types of knee braces.

4 Different Types of Knee Braces

1. Prophylactic Knee Brace: This type of knee brace is used by athletes who participate in high-risk contact sports such as basketball and football. It’s best used as preventive support by people who already have a history of badly damaged knees. Prophylactic knee braces help prevent reoccurrence of an injury.
2. Functional Knee Brace: These knee braces are highly recommended for patients whose ligaments have already been damaged and torn. Functional braces lessen instability in the knees, which helps injured athletes who do a lot of leaping, pivoting and twisting. The functional braces serve as an “external ligament” since they substitute for a functioning ligament. These braces are usually worn for 6-12 months, or for as long as the athlete is under treatment.
3. Rehabilitative Knee Brace: Like functional braces, rehabilitative braces are worn during rehabilitation and treatment. The biggest difference is that rehabilitative braces are worn for several weeks immediately after the injury. These braces limit the movement of the knee to allow it to heal. When the patient is off the crutches, they can move on to functional braces while still continuing treatment.
4. Unloader Knee Brace: These are lightweight braces that alleviate knee pain for people who are suffering from osteoarthritis.

What is a Knee Compression Sleeve?

While knee braces basically act like a “substitute knee,” knee sleeves do not limit or replace the function of a normal knee. Knee compression sleeves are mainly used for regular knee support to prevent injuries. They’re generally used by athletes in sports and by active people during running or workouts. The purpose of using a prophylactic (protective or preventive) knee sleeve is to reduce the occurrence or severity of injuries to the knee joint ligaments without inhibiting overall knee mobility.

4 Knee Compression Sleeve Benefits

1. 1. Compression – The most highlighted feature in an knee sleeve is the compression it provides. Compression restricts muscle oscillation and narrows blood vessels, which translates to less stress on the muscles and faster, more efficient blood flow to and from the knee area. Muscles, ligaments and tendons endure a lot of stress during rigorous workouts.
   2. Faster Recovery – Efficient blood flow is needed to eliminate the waste produced by the muscles (e.g. lactic acid) and to bring oxygen and necessary nutrients to the muscles, which facilitates faster recovery. As a result, you’ll experience reduced discomfort, pain and swelling in just a matter of days.
   3. Stability – The compression also reduces muscle vibration and knee instability, providing you with a more stable foundation. This is very valuable during jumps, twists, and lifts.
   4. Great for Warmups – Knee sleeves serve as a very helpful aid during warmups since they warm and lubricate the joints.

Knee compression sleeves do not need to be worn all the time, but there are some great benefits for those who wear them during workouts. When running, jumping, or doing knee-centric weightlifting like dead lifts or squats, a knee sleeve can be the perfect companion to not only help you perform safer and longer, but to prevent that familiar post-workout soreness.

CrossFit Knee Sleeves and Compression Sleeves for Other Sports

Knee compression sleeves can be used to support an injured knee or to prevent injury. You can used knee sleeves for support in a variety of sports such as basketball, soccer, tennis or CrossFit. CrossFit knee sleeves are popular, especially for those workouts that involve lifting heavy weights or jumping.

New and Veteran Athletes can Benefit from Using A Knee Compression Sleeve

New athletes may not find the same relief from knee sleeves as those with a couple of years of training already under their belt. This is because as time goes on and you run longer or lift heavier weights, the increased mass progressively grinds the knee more and more against the tendon, causing pain and joint weakness. That’s why veteran athletes are quicker to praise the benefits of a knee sleeve rather than those fresh on the field.

How Knee Sleeves Can Help Support Proper Training & Technique

Unfortunately, while knee compression sleeves can help, they’re no replacement for proper training and technique. Years of training with improper technique can be disastrous for athletes and their knees. However, for those looking to retrain their muscles to do things using the correct technique, knee sleeves can provide good support and limit the pain during that process. Simply put, when you combine the right equipment with proper technique, you will more quickly gain strength and efficiency in the long-term.

Knee braces offer strong support for various knee injuries. For example, you can use a knee brace for a meniscus tear or an ACL tear. A patella knee brace can be used to prevent tracking issues from a luxating patella or dislocated kneecap.

There are many types of knee issues that can affect the kneecap. Some of these include patellofemoral malalignment (where the kneecap is not aligned properly) and patellar subluxation (where the kneecap gets pulled as you move). In severe cases, these issues can cause kneecap (patella) dislocations.

A Patella Knee Brace: What Does a Patellar Stabilizer Do?

Wearing a patellar stabilizer or patella knee brace can help your knee move properly and decrease the wearing down of the knee joint. It can also help prevent kneecap dislocations and fight against unnatural knee movement caused by patella tracking issues.

Patellar stabilizers and patella tracking braces help do this by providing compression all around the knee and “lifting” the knee into proper position. They also help give added support around the kneecap. Our AllyFlex Sports® Patella Knee Brace is the best patella stabilizer on the market.

A Knee Brace for a Meniscus Tear

Participating in activities that involve aggressive pivoting, twisting, or sudden stops puts you at risk for a meniscus tear. Playing football, basketball, soccer, or tennis puts you at higher risk for a meniscus injury. If you’ve sustain this type of injury, a knee brace for a meniscus tear would support your knee and allow it to heal properly.