Will knee wraps help with my knee pain?

Medically reviewed by Dr. Sean Leo

MBBS MRCS (Edin) MMed (Ortho) FRCSEd (Ortho) Orthopaedic

Knee wraps can be considered a subset of knee support sleeves. They are favored by strength athletes and can often be seen in the weightlifting sport.

Knee wraps are made of similar soft elastic material as soft knee support sleeves. Instead of a tube which fits over the knee like the knee sleeve, wraps are flat bands that are applied around the knee is a spiral manner.

knee wrap

They are akin to wrist wraps and are believed to reduce stress and pulling forces on the quadricep tendon when the knee undergoes heavy and strenuous work. Additionally, because of the spiral way that they are applied, many weightlifters may feel that they are able to squat with heavier weights because these bands stretch as the athlete performs the squat and then contracts when they rise up thereby helping the knee straighten.

Lake, et al. showed in their research that the application of knee wraps likely increased the mechanical output of the athlete when they were performing squats. However, the same research also cautioned on the use of knee wraps as they may alter the way that the squat is performed and thereby possibly compromises the integrity of the knee when the exercise is performed using heavy weights.

Before selecting knee supports, one should get diagnosed accurately by a medical professional as there are many other causes (eg. Fat pad impingement, patella tendonitis etc) that can also produce similar discomfort but would be less likely to improve with a patella control sleeve.

If you are in doubt of your particular condition, it may be preferable to discuss it with a medical professional to help you make the decision.