Knee Wraps and Support: HSA Eligibility

What are knee wraps and support?

Knee wraps and supports are a family of physical therapy and rehabilitative products that are used both to make physical activity safer, as well as safeguard the pivotal knee joints from re-injury in the event of a sprain or muscle pull. Knee wraps are traditionally worn by weightlifters who perform squat exercises, as the tightness of elastic wraps allows for more energy to be stored, which is then released as the lifter moves upward back into a standing position. Aside from their role in physical training, knee wraps and supports have myriad uses in the medical and rehabilitative fields. The most popular knee wraps and supports include:

• Knee Sleeve: A knee sleeve is designed to reduce pain during and after a workout by providing gentle compression to the areas around the knee. These devices are typically made of flexible materials like neoprene and aims to prevent major injuries to the knee and tendons without inhibiting the wearer's range of motion (Powerliftinguniversity.com).
• Elastic bandages: These bandages are made from various forms of flexible fabric, which allow them to be wrapped around a specific area to provide a form of compression therapy by creating localized pressure, which promotes blood circulation to eliminate swelling and promote the healing process (Active Wrap).
• Knee Straps: These devices are designed to provide non-restrictive compression to decrease stress on the knee without having the full coverage of a knee sleeve or elastic bandage. In particular, they focus on improving patellar alignment to provide additional protection to the patellar ligament and quadriceps (Mueller Sports Medicine).
• Knee Brace: Braces are constructed of varying materials such as metal, foam, elastic material and straps and are used to primarily as a result of a knee injury or chronic pain. They are the ideal option for those looking to prevent re-injury and to immobilize the knee joint and provide added stability to perform everyday activities (American Academy of Family Physicians).
• Therapeutic Knee Wraps: Knee wraps can also be used as a means of delivering Heat Therapy or cold therapy to an injured area to promote the healing process. Cold therapy is designed to reduce inflammation and pain, while heat therapy is ideal for muscle injuries by opening up blood vessels and supplying oxygen to reduce pain in joints, sore muscles, ligaments and tendons (PainScience.com).