Knee sleeves recommendation

scrubplayer said:

Rating: 2125

I'm getting at the age where my knee is bothering me as I go full power rotation. I'm right handed, when I do a FH my left knee will need to go under some strain as I go full rotate. What kind of knee sleeves or knee equipment can lessen that strain so I dont have left knee pain all the time after i finish a session?

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Not good enough to say : the knee hurts, you have to establish which part of the knee gets painful this will then determine what kind of support is needed

Hey @scrubplayer,

I hear you. I started tennis several times a week to make sure I am not muscle imbalanced... The hardcourts tear up my knees, especially my MCL. 2022 was not a good year for this personally, I have had several MCL tears 2 each grade 2 and grade 1... one on each knee at different points in the year.

I got a pair of some cheepo knee sleeves that are thick. I got one size smaller than I need to ensure I get the pressure I wanted (tighter than normal) Nowhere in the description it said MCL, but these things do a great job of stabilizing the entire joint and allowing movement. I have used them in my rehab as I tried to exercise within the limits of my injury. I am turning the corner on those injuries now, can play without them, but they are great preventative during sport IMO.

Amazon.com: Copper knee braces for knee pain (2 pack) - Knee Compression Sleeve Support for Men and Women, Knee Pads for Meniscus Tear, ACL, Arthritis, Joint Pain Relief : Health & Household

These things will not help you avoid the laws of physics, but will help you out during sport. The MCL, PCL, and patella tendons feel a lot more supported.

I'd look at rest and recovery if you can. Like the other gents have said work out what the problem is. Be it strain, overuse or a more involved injury.

​​​​You may find tweaking the technique works slightly if it's an injury that going to take time to fix so you can play more pain free.

There's alot of great supports out there so might be good to know a bit more about the area of pain a bit more and support type you need.

Cheers

GZ

I have been using Bauerfeind since last 2 months after an accident where I tripped and twisted my right knee during a match. Honestly, it doesn't cures the symptom but it prevents it from getting worse.

How old are you if you don't mind me asking? I might be a new table tennis player but I am a long time athlete. Braces might help but they are a "mask" to the problem, not the cure. You definitely need to investigate the problem further and not just chalk it up to old age. Here is a great resource that can help you identify what type of knee pain you might be having:

https://squatuniversity.com/2017/05/14/what-kind-of-knee-pain-do-you-have/

Once you have identified the problem (whether you do it yourself or from the help of a medical professional), then you need to start working on fixing the problem with isometric exercises:

https://squatuniversity.com/2018/01/04/fixing-patellar-quad-tendon-pain/

https://squatuniversity.com/2017/05/30/how-to-fix-it-band-pain/

There's a ton of great resources online for how to strengthen and fortify your knees. I also recommend checking out "Kneesovertoes" guy on youtube and instagram. I do his knee strengthening routine every day so that I can have "bulletproof" knees.

Good luck!

Vantelin knee sleeves have worked really well for me. They're made in Japan, lightweight and easy to wash. I feel zero pain after I play with them. You can find them on Amazon and eBay.

I don't have any knee (ACL, MCL) injuries, but I started to feel some knee pain in my 40s. The sleeves (and basic strengthening leg exercises) have been good enough to minimize the pain.

Every case is different and maybe you should consult a knee specialist doctor first.

I have no knee problems but have weak knees due to aging. I use the one below as a preventive measure.
(Similar for elbow to prevent backhand loop TT elbow)

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20221024134156&SearchText=knee+support&spm=a2g0o.home.1000002.0

rehband 7mm

There's also another possible way to attack the issue besides a bandaid like a knee brace. If you are overweight, it's time to consider cutting out all the simple carbs and reducing the complex ones in your diet to lose weight. If you don't think the extra weight is messing up your game, try lifting the equivalent amount in weight to what you are over your ideal weight. I have an idea how heavy 35 lbs (my small bass guitar cabinet) is and figured out real quick what that is doing to my knees and table tennis performance to be lugging that around my waist. It was a tough starting 3 weeks where it was all pain and little gain but I've lost 10 lbs so far in about a month and half or so and it gotten much easier as the stomach got used to the smaller portions and I don't have those carb high/hunger rollercoasters anymore.

Many years ago I played several matches with this one on both knees...