Living With Your Aching Knees – How A Knee Compression Sleeve Can Help

February 01, 2017 310 Comments

Every week, John suits up for his Friday night pickup hockey game at the local rink. It’s more than his inner weekend warrior showing itself; it’s about playing of the game that he’s loved since he was a little boy. Nothing beats hanging with the boys and reliving your youth. Whether it’s getting down to block a shot or taking out his man in front of the net, John takes his hockey seriously.  Maybe he takes it a little too seriously. You’ll go along with whatever keeps your husband happy. And sometimes that means watching him act out his boyhood dreams.

Hockey can be a physical game. Bumps and bruises are part of the sport. But ask any hockey player and he’ll tell you that it takes a toll on your body. And that’s how it was with John. A cut from an errant high stick or finger sprain happened every other week. But sometimes the injuries can become more serious over time. One night he came home and he wasn’t able to walk or bend his knee. He tried rubbing it with antiphlogistine while taking over the counter pharmaceutical pain relief products. Icing his knees followed by hot baths didn’t improve the pain. And the pain that he was in in was unbearable.

Knee pain has many causes. It could be a sudden injury like taking a body check while you’re in a vulnerable position. Or it could be caused by overuse. Ask any baseball catcher or goaltender about their back and you’ll be greeted with a stare followed by a groan. Sports or any jobs or that matter that require being in a kneeling position for long periods of time affect the lower back and impact the knees causing sharp knee pain and knees to hurt frequently. There are also many underlying conditions that cause knee pain, such as arthritis. Symptoms of knee injury can include pain, swelling, and stiffness and treatments will vary depending on the cause.

 

It wasn’t always that way with John. When he first started playing five years ago his aching knees came and went. A little ice and a couple of days later, he was back on his feet installing junction boxes and running wire for a homeowner. He was an avid runner and even ran in the local half marathon. But after a recent hockey game he started experiencing more intense pain and he wasn’t able to walk without limping. It could have been caused by the osteoarthritis that many of his family members have been experiencing over the years. But days have turned into weeks and then he can’t get up in the morning to go to work.  His knees hurt constantly. And when his knee pain starts, it hurts you to see him this way.

Want to relieve your knee pains? Try our Knee Compression Sleeve.

Most people experience knee pain at some point in their lives. Sports and exercises require that we force and stretch, sometimes when we haven’t properly warmed up, causing knee sprains. In more serious cases, cartilage tears can occur after a severe trauma. Patellofemoral pain syndrome or chondromalacia patella or runner's knee occurs over time from you guessed it running. It’s very common and feels like it's coming from behind or under your kneecap causing you to feel pain and stiffness especially from  been sitting in the same position for a long time. It might get worse after you've gone up or down stairs or you've been running.

The knee is the largest joint in the body with the upper leg bone (femur) and the lower leg bones (tibia and fibula) connected by ligaments, tendons, and muscles. The knee cartilage is made up of a hard but flexible tissue that covers the end of your bones. There are two menisci that can be found on either side of the joint; the medial meniscus, located on the inside of the knee and the lateral meniscus which is on the outside of the knee.  They act as pads to disperse friction in the knee joint and lower leg acting as shock absorbers. A meniscus tear in the knee cartilage is a quite common amongst athletes and typically requires surgery.

There are many and other activities that can cause muscle strains and tendonitis in the knee joints and ligament injuries.  We all have four ligaments in each of our knees. These strong tissues hold all of the bones in our knees together on the inside and outside edge of your knees and within the joint. When we stretch too much during a physical activity or tear a ligament in an accident or while playing a sport we might hear the sound of a pop. This isn’t a good thing. Sometimes a damaged ligament doesn’t cause immediate pain. It depends on the ligament that's damaged. Other times we might not be able to put any weight on a knee that has damaged ligaments for a few days. Chronic knee pain suffers know that the debilitating pain can limit their daily activities and ruin their quality of life. In less severe cases mild knee pain may be a minor inconvenience and only hinder them slightly. If you have knee pain you’re most likely dealing with a knee problem that shouldn’t be ignored as it can only get worse over time.

Most of the time regular body movements don’t cause knee problems. However, everyday wear and tear, overuse, or injury can have an impact on our knees. . Overused joints can become long-term chronic knee injuries. An overuse injury refers to the effects of repeated, minor trauma caused over extended periods of time to the knee joint. Caused from sports that require running the injury occurs gradually and the symptoms may not be noticeable at first. Symptoms usually appear within 24 hours of the trauma to the knee occurring and can range from a knee ache or slight discomfort to a burning sensation or shooting pain, and sometimes pain when the affected area is touched or pressure is applied to the leg.

 

Arthritis is a common cause of severe knee pain and disability. It is a chronic degenerative condition that affects body joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness, redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. Physical therapy, medications and surgery are the only known effective treatments. Alternative medicines that use Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy have shown tentative evidence that supports improved functioning but there is no evidence of improved pain in osteoarthritis. While the three most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis; there are more than 100 types of arthritis.  

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects the tissue around the joint causing them to become inflamed and thickened. Rheumatoid arthritis represents 10 percent to 15 percent of all arthritis cases. But chronic inflammation can often lead to damage and loss of cartilage requiring surgery in many cases.  In those cases, Mosaicplasty is used to replace cartilage on the surface of the knee joint that has been damaged by trauma or arthritis by implanting osteochondral plugs.

Post-traumatic arthritis is a common form of osteoarthritis that is caused by a previous injury or other form of trauma that can occur in any joint, including the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle. Unfortunately for many athletes the cause for their arthritis can be attributed to post-traumatic arthritis.

Osteoarthritis which occurs more frequently in individuals 50 and older is worsened because of the wear and tear of the cartilage over time. Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint on the body and symptoms have been known to occur following physical exercise. Joint swelling and a limited range of motion are some of the symptoms but when the knee tenderness, deformity and weakness can also be symptoms. Osteoarthritis can be caused by sports injuries but the wear and tear on joints from those who perform physical work and those who work in the building trades can also bring it on.

Knee pain usually becomes worse as arthritis progresses. Many people turn to weight loss programs, strengthening exercises as well as body wrapping for additional support.  Pain relievers including acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can offer short term relief but are known to have side effects.

Most of the time when we are experiencing aching knees we’ll us just rest or perform some basic first aid treatment like keeping the knee elevated and applying ice. It’s important that you   contact an orthopedic specialist if the symptoms persist or they can’t be reduced.   Many orthopedists agree that in some cases, we can modify our activities to lessen the effects of the trauma on the affected knee.  They also recommend that special equipment such as knee braces or knee sleeves be used to provide additional support to the joint. 

Knee Compression Sleeves Can Help

Knee compression sleeves are not the same thing as knee braces provide some support, but function differently than a knee brace. While knee braces are designed and used to protect a previous injury from further damage; compression knee sleeves are designed to protect the knee from future injury or risk of damage. This form of knee protection is essential to those athletes that put their knees under great daily pressure (Crossfit, basketball, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, field sports like rugby and football and other sports that require running and jumping such as track and field).

One of the major differences of knee brace as compared to a knee compression sleeve is the additional support that is provided by a knee brace in the form of additional cushioning in order to protect the anterior knee and patella. A compression sleeve for knees does not provide the same type of stability and support making it an inadequate solution if additional support is required.

The benefit of a knee compression sleeves is that it also adds a valuable compression element that increases blood flow and reduces pain, both during but also after performance. A compressed knee stimulates blood flow through the blood vessels of the knee allowing for a better recovery. Using a knee sleeve results in less pain and swelling during and after performance. Less swelling and discomfort goes a long way when you work out regularly. There’s nothing that can discourage working out more than general muscle soreness or knee pain.

What are Knee Compression Sleeves Made From?

Most knee compression sleeves, also known as knee wraps, are generally made from neoprene material and slide on over the knee, keeping it warm, limiting patella movement, and increased proprioception (which is the ability to feel the position of a joint in space). A neoprene material knee supports and improves proprioception. While synthetic materials such as neoprene can support knees and increase mobility there are other materials that are made of more breathable materials while providing the same level of support and flexibility.

Camel Hug offers a unique natural knee support solution made from 100% camel de-haired fully combed virgin yarn, and blended with an appropriate percentage of elastane (spandex) yarn to provide mild compression and retain stretchability.

The knee compression sleeve combines the softness of the material and the moisture-wicking and self-warming attributes of camel hair transforming them into natural therapeutic garments designed for all day comfort. Sold as singles, this therapeutic knee supports that provide joint pain relief and all day comfort   can be worn in pairs as well. Seamless knitting that’s contoured to your knee; it has an optimal fit to support joint & muscle movement.

Some of the features of the Natural Knee Wraps include breathability, moisture wicking, warmth, soft and lightweight, non-restrictive design allowing for full range of motion, easy to remove and put on and they come with a handy carrying bag.

One of the advantages of using the is the warmth it provides in cold weather. Adding warmth to the leg area during the cold winter months can make a big difference especially when joints aren’t as flexible.

A good hockey wife knows how to take of her man. If your husband suffers from hockey knee like John, pick up the Knee Compression Sleeve, Camel Hug’s unique natural knee support solution made from 100% camel de-haired fully combed virgin yarn that provides both mild compression and retains stretchability.

 

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