Does knee support work?

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archiebold

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Hello weight loss fitness forum,

About 2 years ago I hit my heaviest weight of 146kg at 6ft tall. I can remember looking in the mirror and it was just horrible then I had to weigh myself for the first time in many many years, and it was shocking. So I decided to start taking up the gym and changing my diet a little. I stopped drinking fizzy drinks and started going to the gym 4 days a week. Now, 2 years later I weigh 108kg which is awesome but I am still wanting to get a little lighter.

Anyway, About a month ago I had a motorbike accident and injured my knee. Ever since I am unable to squat due to slight pain but more to the fact it's the fear my knee might just give way or worse. So I started looking through different training techniques to go around squatting and to be honest there is just nothing like it.
Now my last option by looks of it is the knee supports but when I am looking at them online, does that piece of material actually do the job? What are you guys experiences with knee supports? or even better have you got any ideas that might get my knee into good working shape again?

Really looking forward to speaking with you guys and hopefully getting my squat on again haha

Thanks
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It is very much possible to return to squatting after a serious knee injury.

What has your Doctor said about your injury, is there any remaining physical issues with the knee or is the fear of the knee collapsing just psychological ?

I have personally been in this position myself, pre knee surgery knee would collapse and lock at random unexpected times small amount of pain. Post surgery, psychologically it was very difficult to be convinced the knee was not going to collapse anymore.

Rehab is very much possible depending on what is physically happening within the joint. It takes time to rebuild strength in the surrounding muscles in a balanced manner. For me I was able to win national and state powerlifting titles post surgery.

There are differences in knee supports and they do work in many situations. The use of rigid strapping tape works well for general sport, commercial over the counter non specialised supports are good for keeping the joint warm but do little to prevent injury. For squatting there are two prime options, the first is powerlifting knee sleeves (SBD is a good brand) these are uncomfortable and expensive but provide a fair bit of support. The other option is high quality knee wraps which are only put on immediately before you lift, are worn very tight and may restrict depth in the lift if you are not lifting enough weight, this type of support works very well but takes practice to put on tight enough. For the wraps I use Inzer, but any of the well known brands will work equally well.

The biggest cause of knee pain when squatting is poor form, so the best advice for you is to get you form looked at by a qualified coach, not a personal trainer and most PTs have had minimal training or experience in this area.
 
this is all good news above! make me feel a lot better reading that, there is hope.
Thanks for the reply

I am going to get onto a qualified coach and get them to check my form because that could very well be the problem and then take steps after that. My next gym session is in a couple of days so I will get down there and get checked out. After I will be back here with the results and what I'm going to do next.

Thanks again for the reply! greatly appreciated
 
This knee sleeve is unlikely to have much effect and is not designed for lifting.
 
I have struggled with knee sport injuries over over 25 years. Ultimately I've had a total knee replacement. Knee braces tend to help support the knee & prevent further injury during the healing period. It has been my experience that typical GP doctors can do very little, other than prescribe rest & anti-inflammatory drugs, or physio therapy. Since you mentioned this was a month ago, you are still in the healing period, it takes a solid 6 week for soft tissue damage to repair & then a slow gradual return to exercise & heavy loads. You may have ligament or cartilage damage. I'd ask to be referred to an orthopedic specialist.
 
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