compression knee braces for running??

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kayla7303
kayla7303 Posts: 154 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all! I love running and used to be able to do it without stopping. I have gained weight and now cannot because I get out of breath (not unusual) and my knees hurt. I work a job that requires standing and walking for 8 hours and since i have started this job (two months ago) my knees hurt badly on the outsides.

My question: Would compression sleeves help my knees at all?

I know that losing weight will relieve some of the pressure on them, but i need to start working out to help aid the weight loss. Thank you!

Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    It's a band aid solution......they may help relieve symptoms but you need to address the underlying cause of the pain.

    It could be a problem with your shoes but it's more likely weak hips / glutes and there are a number of fairly simple exercises that can help strengthen them.

    runnersworld.com/workouts/glute-strengthening-workout

    knee-pain-explained.com/glute-stretches.html

    Losing weight may also help but the truth is you don't need to exercise to lose weight, it's calories in - calories out. If your knees continue to bother you it may be advisable to have a physical therapist assess you before starting to run.
  • kayla7303
    kayla7303 Posts: 154 Member
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    thank you for your advice! I will start looking into all of that! :smile:
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    I'm not really qualified to tell you whether they would help with your specific issue, but I use a compression brace for my post-ACL knee whenever I exercise and it helps quite a bit - feels more stable while I'm wearing it and I rarely have pain after workouts.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    i wear knee sleeves for some things for support , but i can't wear them for extended periods or all my exercises. and i don't think i could run in them. Try icing them throughout the day. I have bad knees, and sometimes i carry an ice chest with me with an ice pack if i'm gonna do something strenuous. And i always have ice packs at my office and at home in case i need to ice down. its just a way of life. Sometimes it just takes your knees time to toughen up whe you start a new activity, such as standing all day or running.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I wouldn't wear a random brace/sleeve. Find out what the problem is and fix it or have a medical professional tell you what type of brace/sleeve is needed.
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 791 Member
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    This may seem an odd question but bear with me im a waitress. What kind of shoes and inserts are you wearing to work in? Because I can tell you there is a very big difference in the $25 El cheapos I buy at Walmart and the really nice ones I buy when I can afford them. This difference also translated to how I felt during my attempt at c25k ie I didn't hurt quite so much since I wasn't beating my feet legs and back up in bad quality shoes and orthotics.
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    edited July 2015
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    The pain is around your kneecap on the outside of your leg, maybe sort of above it (but could be underneath it, too, since that's where the IT band attaches)? That's likely (obviously see a doctor/PT to be sure) IT band syndrome.

    When I wound myself into ITBS so bad it hurt to *stand*, heck, it hurt to *exist*, much less think about running, I wore the Pro-Tec IT band compression straps under my skirts/jeans. They really, really worked to limit the pain while I was rehabbing my legs.

    For that, I did a lot of work on flexibility and strengthening my core--glutes (as mentioned above) but *especially* my hips. I like the myrtl exercises plus hip hikes:
    http://www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf
    http://strengthrunning.com/2011/02/the-itb-rehab-routine-video-demonstration/
  • svirds
    svirds Posts: 57 Member
    edited July 2015
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    There are all kinds of things that can arise in your knees from running. A good sports doc can help you with your specific pain (diagnosis and treatment), vs relying on internet opinions. Weight loss will for sure help with the impact that your knees take on with running. Also strength training - building up your quads, hamstrings, and glutes - all of these will help add strength to your knees. As far as compression sleeves - can be beneficial for some people with calf issues or shin splints. While everything in your legs are connected, compression sleeves wont help with knee issues. Hope that helps!

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