Pro-Tec Athletics Knee Pro-Tec Patellar Tendon Strap, Alleviates Patellar Discomfort, Tendinitis, Chondromalacia, Patello-Femoral Discomfort, Osgood-Schlatter's, Moderate Compression, Medium

Thanks to this little device, I can now walk. Almost a year ago I suffered a knee cap fracture. Months later, after I was no longer wearing an immobilizing brace, I started having all sorts of discomfort in my lower leg and foot, whenever I tried to walk. For about two months I couldn't go anywhere without struggling. I described my symptoms to my doctor, including a dull pain I'd described on previous visits: just below my knee cap. He seemed stumped. He talked about doing EMG nerve testing on my leg and expressed regret that the procedure would be painful. Later that day I looked up EMG (patient reviews) on the internet, and quickly decided I would rather serve time in a federal prison, than subject myself to this barbaric procedure. So I spent more internet time reading about various injuries and how to treat them. I typed in questions about everything that seemed pertinent, including the dull discomfort I sometimes felt, just below the knee. I soon learned that this was the location of the patellar tendon, and eventually read about patellar tendon straps, including this particular one on Amazon, which seemed to have good reviews. The whole idea of a tendon strap struck me as being kind of a long shot. After all, the larger, more substantial braces I'd ordered in recent weeks, hadn't eased my discomfort at all. Why should something that resembles a garter belt make a difference? Besides, I was only experiencing a very dull pain in the patellar tendon itself, and not all that often. Most of my distress was in the lower leg and foot...a sometimes painful, sometimes tingly, but always exhausting sensation when I walked -- almost as though I were trying to make my leg move in a manner that was unnatural. So maybe a tendon strap wasn't even what the situation called for. I wasn't too hopeful, but I didn't want to pass this possibility up either. One article I'd read, had said that sometimes a strained patellar tendon can cause discomfort in the lower leg and foot, so I figured it was worth a try. The afternoon the tendon strap arrived, I was feeling more down in the dumps than usual. It had been an especially bad day. I saw the package on the door step, picked it up, opened it, then sat down on a nearby chair to put the strap on, just below my right knee. I remember mumbling to myself about all the money I'd been wasting on gadgets that didn't even help. I stood up, tried to take a few steps... and soon realized that I was walking without the nagging discomfort I'd been dealing with for weeks. All of this happened INSTANTLY! I could barely feel the disquieting sensations at all! They were like faint echoes. I took the strap off and tried to walk...then put the strap back on. Yes...it made an enormous difference when the strap was on. HUGE! For the first time since my knee injury, I could walk in a natural manner, without having to struggle. After about an hour of strutting around the house in a state of utter elation, my calf started cramping like crazy. I took the strap off immediately. For about three days, I couldn't walk at all, except for a painful hobble... from the bed to the bathroom or kitchen, then back to the bed. I can't deny that my outlook was bleak at this point. I cried several times. But I kept thinking about the hour I'd so recently spent, walking without distress. Surely the patellar strap had been effective, at least for a while. After a few days of icing, heating, massaging, stretching etc. the cramping subsided. One morning I nervously put the tendon strap back on, then took a few steps. Instantly, the lower leg distress was gone, just like when I first tried the strap. Only, this time, I proceeded more carefully: I wore the strap for about fifteen minutes, then took it off and discontinued my walking efforts. I relied heavily on crutches. I repeated this pattern for several days, taking care to remove the tendon strap the moment I started to notice any kind of cramping at all. One time, the cramping came back and lingered for several hours. Another time, it lasted a couple of days. But always and eventually it subsided. All of this happened about 7 months ago. These days, I wear the strap whenever I'm up and about. I go to shopping centers, movies, grocery stores...on foot! (I don't have a car.) Cramping? Hardly ever! On the other hand, if I walk for more than 3 or 4 minutes without the strap, the lower leg distress comes back, although not as intensely as before. I feel so very grateful for having found this little invention. It still amazes me that something, so small, could make such an enormous difference in the quality of my life. This experience has been very humbling, and it has renewed my faith in life's possibilities. When I first showed my doctor the strap that had made such a huge difference for me, he said, "Oh, you found one of those." His response surprised me. "You know about these tendon straps?" I asked. "Yes," he replied, "We recommend them to our athletes sometimes." (I'm a senior citizen, a "non-athlete.") "I wish I'd known about this," I commented, "Why didn't you tell me?" "You never said anything about pain in your patellar tendon," he replied. Clearly it was time to find a new doctor.

I really like this brand. It’s stays snug under knee cap when running and sweaty. I tried another brand where the plastic support under knee would slip when sweaty. This material does not do that and it’s easy to wash as well.

Pro-Tec makes a good knee strap, BUT the XL knee strap is touted as fitting a 15.5"-17.5" knee. Measured a knee at 17" and this strap doesn't come close. Yes, I measured the knee in the correct place, just below the patella. I don't think this one would even fit a 13" knee and allow it to go through the buckle and attach to the Velcro. IF you are looking for a knee strap for a big knee, this one isn't it.

I've suffered on and off for years with exercise-induced knee pain which meant that several times each year I had to avoid any kind of impact training. Even getting up and down stairs became painful. I finally tried a patella strap a few years ago by Nike and it worked really well but was quite bulky and was consequently a little uncomfortable. After plenty of research, I decided to try this band and it's fantastic. Lightweight, comfortable, incredibly durable and very effective. My main exercise routine is circuit/ interval training so my knee gets a lot of varied range of movement and this thing really stays in place without me having to tighten it too much. One minor thing to note is that it stretches during the first month or so of use (I was using it 4 times per week for an hour at a time). I found that the stretch band across the back of the knee stretched by around 1/2 inch to 1 inch. I found that the size guide is very accurate based on the unstretched length, but bear this in mind when you order if you are close to the border between 2 sizes.

I sometimes have tendonitis on the outside of my knees. So I got this, hoping it would help. Indeed, it does. It seems to reduce or stop the pain when my tendonitis flares up. Also, its shape makes it really convenient to wear under the pants. The only caution is about its size. According to the maker's sizing chart, I got small, but it is really tight. After wrapping around, it barely has anything length left to secure it in place. A few hours of wearing leaves a deep red mark on my leg (though I didn't feel much discomfort from it, neither did my lower leg turned purple from the restriction). Some reviewers mentioned that it tends to stretch easily and loose its elasticity, and maybe it is meant to be really tight to secure the tendons/muscles, so I decided to keep the small size instead of exchanging it for a medium. So far, it has worked well.

I use this once a week to help give my knee stability when playing volleyball. Works perfectly for that!

It is ok...just ok. I also have the strap made by Mueller, so I can compare. With this strap from Pro-Tec, I found myself tightening and tightening until it was a little more uncomfortable than the Mueller strap. The reason is that the Pro-Tec strap has a very flimbsy tube that is embedded into the strap that is supposed to apply pressure onto the tendon to help relieve pressure. The Mueller strap is much more solid and therefore more effective (in my opinion). By the way, the Mueller strap is MUCH cheaper too! Check it out. Pro-Tec really needs to invest in the quality of the strap's insides before it would win my vote over.

ALIVIA BASTANTE LAS MOLESTIAS O DOLORES CRONICOS O AGUDOS DE RODILLA Y ZONA ALEDAÑA. ES MUY COMODO DE PONER Y QUITAR.

too big send back

Excelente calidad y sí ayuda a disminuir el dolor en la rodilla cuando corres. Las tallas si son confusas, en mi caso debería ser M pero compré la L y me quedó perfecta

I would never have guessed that this simple band could have saved my training schedule like it did. I love that it comes in the small size and is easy to adjust. For it me, it is a definite buy.

質感としっかりとした商品でした。