Warm: covering a piece of cloth will basically keep you warm. As the temperature increases, the blood vessels dilate, and the blood circulation improves. Some sheaths will add materials that can release far infrared rays, and their function is also to increase the temperature to promote circulation.
Compression: most knee protectors are made of elastic materials. Even if they are self-adhesive, they need to be pressurized to fix the position (but the greater the pressure is, the better). The main function of pressurization is to increase the blood flow speed, and the blood circulation will increase when the blood flow is fast. In addition, pressurization can avoid local swelling (thermal effect, micro tear, etc.) and reduce discomfort!
Less pain: because of the pressure, the tactile stimulation increases more, which will have partial analgesic effect.
Proprioception: because of the increase of tactile stimulation, the brain will know more about and determine the relative position of the knee joint. In the August 2010 study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used. It was found that the stimulation of proprioception can enhance brain activity after wearing knee sheath. Therefore, compared with the mechanical support of the knee sheath, the main function of the knee sheath is to enhance the proprioception of the knee!
In addition, for patients with patellar syndrome, in 2010, some scholars also found that after using the knee sheath, it can change the compression position of the knee joint and reduce the pressure, so it can reduce the pain.
In 2007, the study found that wearing knee sheath can improve the static and dynamic balance of patients with degenerative knee arthritis; in addition, in 2011, the study found that the use of elastic knee sheath can increase the performance of functional movements and reduce pain in patients with degenerative knee arthritis. So although the knee sheath for patients with degenerative knee arthritis, although the support is relatively poor, there is no effect of reducing knee joint pressure, but it can still use other effects such as enhancing proprioception to improve symptoms.
Generally speaking, if you are an injured person who wants to use the knee sheath to strengthen the support, the support strength is absolutely insufficient, and it is more appropriate to use the knee protector. In contrast, if you want to prevent injury and reduce the probability of injury by wearing a knee sheath today, the knee sheath may be the right choice! If you are a patient with degenerative knee arthritis, if you can't use decompression kneepad, the use of knee sheath is still helpful!
However, it should be noted that the part below the knee sheath may be swollen due to the decrease of lymph or venous return due to the compression of the knee sheath, so it is not recommended to use it for a long time during inactivity / exercise, and it is better to consult a professional before using it.
