Knee support for backpacking

Hi all!
I am going on an extended backpacking trip and need a knee support. Does anyone have any favorite knee braces/supports that they used in the past?
Please share your opinions on them.

thanks

I use a wrap around one of neoprene with velcro. It does get hot tho.

Lee

you might want to try some superfeet or spenco inserts for your boots or hiking shoes too. i swear by the superfeet in all my shoes. they tend to keep your arch supported and keep the foot level which keeps undue pressure off the knee. proper foot alignment has made a night and day difference for my knees.

After 6 knee surgeries this is what I use. knee brace
What you should use depends on the injury. If you call these guys they can help.

Junky

In addition to the knee supports, you might consider using a pair of hiking poles. They seem to take some of the stress off of the knee joints, particularly going downhill. They also help provide some extra stability, which is handy with a backpack.

6 surgeries... you must have torn a ligament or a miniscus.
That brace looks good, but OUCH $169!
Is it really worth the money?

I'd definitely recommend trekking poles, maybe even before some sort of brace. I have bad knees and weak ankles, but I can still do some strenuous hikes because of the poles.

As Be_Prepared mentioned, they take a lot of the stress off the knee while hiking, plus they provide a lot of stability while hiking so you don't twist or tweak anything trying to recover your balance with a heavy pack. Just make sure you learn how to use them properly, it's basically just a stick, but there's still some techniques that make it a lot more efficient, like how to hold them, how to set the right height, etc.

Any input on where to learn to use them properly?
If you have any tips that you learned yourself, would you mind sharing them?
thanks in advance

If you do a google search for "trekking poles + technique" or something similar, you should get a lot of good articles. Here are a few.

http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles.htm

http://www.backpacking.net/trekpole.html

I'm no expert, but I have used them a while and have learned a few things. Probably the most important thing you want to learn, is how to properly use the strap on the pole. Most people i see using these poles aren't holding them correctly. If you thread your hand from under the strap, and then grip the pole so the strap runs under your palm (hard to describe, but easy to do) then all the weight will be supported by your wrist and the strap. This way, you actually don't have to hold on to the grip at all, the only time you need to actually grip the pole is to lift it off the ground to swing if forward, not to support your weight. Doing it this way, your hands won't cramp up, your palms won't get sweaty, and you won't have to worry about blisters.

I started out with just using one pole to try it out, but I would recommend getting two poles from the beginning, because you really don't get as much of a benefit from just one pole. I bought some cheap $20 ones from Target (Walmart carries them for $10 each now), I figured if I like them I'd upgrade to Leki's or something better. But after about 5 years of using the same ones, I've never really felt the need to upgrade to anything better. If you're using them right, all the fancy cork grips and anti-shock tips don't really seem necessary, although I still want a pair of carbon fiber poles just for the weight savings.

Once you start using them, you'll probably find your own style. I just do whatever feels comfortable, and it seems to work. I know I've avoided a at least a few serious sprains or torn ligaments with these things, especially when hiking with a heavy pack. Plus they work great when crossing streams or logs, it's just like having another set of legs. about the only other thing I would recommend is don't be afraid to adjust them frequently, it only takes a few moments, but having the right height helps a lot. And you don't have to adjust them equally either, if you're walking along a slope, make the downhill one longer and the uphill shorter. If you want more info just PM me.

I recommend going to an orthopedic surgeon and getting a prescription for customized orthodic supports for your shoes. They provided tremendous relief for my knees and hips because they realigned the bones to put less stress on the ligaments and muscles.

Do not go out and buy generic supports, nor anything offered by an infomercial. The customized supports can be made specifically to your unique requirements.

- Brian

I discovered I had knee problems getting ready for a backpacking trip. After 5 miles on a practice hike, they became extremely painful. One hiking pole didn't help, but two made a huge difference. It took the weight off on the downhills enough that I could finish.

I tried Patella bands that go around the knee, below the kneecap and a wrap around neoprene support, with a kneecap hole, that fastened with velcro. Neither helped. The magic bullet was an ACE neoprene knee support that pulled on over the foot, had a kneecap hole, and had two flexible tubular side supports on either side of the knee. They are found in most drug stores.

I bought a pair of Leki collapsable hiking poles for the trip. Don't waste money on anti-shock. They are a nuisance and noisy. I used them during practice hikes and never could tell that it helped, so I ended up locking the anti-shock off for the main hike. Mountainsmith makes a reasonably priced aluminum collapsible hiking sticks without antishock. My son used those and was happy with them.

Between the knee supports and the hiking poles, I completed a Philmont trek with the scouts, pain free. The knee supports are hot, but worth it.

THE 2 OZ. BACKPACKER by Robert S. Ward, published by TEN SPEED PRESS P.O. Box 7123 Berkeley Ca. 94707 ( 800) 841-2665 The information on walking alone is worth the price.

Interesting that you should bring that up Chris... I've got a copy that I forgot about 'till you mentioned it... you're right, it's well worth the price. And as a side note, while reading his stuff on leg stress relief, I realized that I was already doing most of it without realizing it. Amazing what the body will come up with all on it's own, if you'll just listen <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

I would second going to an Orthopedic Surgeon to get checked out. I went to one that was highly recommended. Unfortunately for me, after x-rays and an MRI, he told me that there was nothing wrong that was operable or that could be corrected with the orthodics. He understood the stress I was going to put on my knees and recommended experimenting with over the counter knee braces to try to find something that worked. I did feel a lot better after I saw him that I didn't ignore a potential problem that might have prevented me from completing my trip.

If you are having knee problems, there might be something an orthopedic surgeon could do for you that might correct a long term problem before it gets worse.

Thanks to everyone for great responses! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
I will definitely check out the hiking poles, knee brace and sole inserts. Then I'll see how things go.