Smiling man wearing sports clothes and a knee support does stretch exercises outside as a woman looks on

How to find the right knee support for your condition

Read about the common causes of acute and chronic knee pain and discover how to choose the best support product for you.

Knees are complex hinge joints that we depend upon for everyday mobility. They enable flexion and extension motions that help us to walk, run, bend and sit down. Our knees are formed between the patella, femur and tibia bones which are connected by ligaments and soft tissue – injury to any of these structures can be painful and limit our range of movement.

You may experience pain in your knees for many different reasons. If you fall over or twist your leg awkwardly during sports, this may result in an acute injury such as a knee sprain or strain.

Our knees are also prone to overuse injuries such as runner’s knee. Overuse injuries occur when we repetitively use the same parts of the body over and over again, usually by overtraining. Knee joints are also susceptible to degenerative wear-and-tear conditions such as arthritis.

Experiencing knee pain can have a negative effect on your quality of life, so it’s important to seek the advice of a medical professional, who will be able to provide an accurate diagnosis. Keep reading to discover more about how to find the right support or brace for:

Knee sprains
Chronic knee pain
Tendonitis
Ligament and tendon tears
Arthritis
Patellofemoral pain syndrome

Man on bended knee wearing a knee support sands a piece of furniture while a younger man watches him.

Deciding when to wear a knee support

If you are experiencing knee pain or managing a condition that affects your knees, wearing a support can be a helpful addition to your overall recovery plan. Pain in your knee joint can cause discomfort while walking or standing - wearing a support can help minimise pain during the healing process. Knee supports are usually discreet and can be worn comfortably under most items of clothing. Generally, knee supports are worn to help protect the knee joint while playing sports or during daily activities.

You can ask a doctor or medical professional to help you decide whether a knee support or knee brace is right for your condition. They will also be able to tell you when, and for how long, you should wear the device.

Supports for knee sprains

Knee sprains and strains can happen at any time during sports or an activity. They are usually the result of overstretching, overusing, or twisting the knee awkwardly. Symptoms of a knee sprain include pain, swelling, stiffness and occasionally bruising or discoloration of the skin around the joint.

When choosing a support for a knee sprain, look for an elasticated product targeted for minor injuries that provides a firm level of compression. These provide protection while still allowing a range of movement.

Actimove Sports Edition Knee Support provides compression and support for painful conditions and irritations of the knee – choose between the Open Patella or Adjustable style depending on your needs.

Sports Edition

Actimove Sports Edition Knee Support Open Patella

Provides fast, easy, and secure protection, relieving patella pain in minor knee injuries.

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Sports Edition

Actimove Sports Edition Knee Support Open Patella, Adjustable

Provides secure protection to help relieve patella pain. A wrap-around design supports easy application.

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Supports for chronic knee pain

If you experience chronic knee pain, a device such as Actimove Everyday Knee Support provides firm compression, giving you reliable support for pain management and everyday mobility. Choose between the Closed Patella or the Closed Patella with Stays style depending on your needs.

It includes a soft and smooth Motion-Comfort-Zone at the back of the product for the sensitive area behind the knee.

Everyday Supports

Actimove Everyday Supports Knee Support Closed Patella

Provides reliable and durable support for everyday mobility in the knee. Firm compression helps manage pain, while its seamless anatomical shape ensures a good fit around the knee.

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Everyday Supports

Actimove Everyday Supports Knee Support Closed Patella, 2 Stays

Provides reliable and durable support for everyday mobility in the knee. Equipped with two spiral stays to provide added stability and firm compression to support pain relief in the knee.

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Knee supports for tendonitis

Tendonitis is when a tendon becomes inflamed after an injury. Sometimes known as patellar tendonitis, this is an injury to the tendon that connects your kneecap (patella) to your shinbone. The patellar tendon works alongside the muscles in your thigh to enable you to extend your knee, so that you can run, jump, and kick. This condition, also known as jumper’s knee, is common in people who play sports such as basketball and volleyball.

Some of the symptoms of tendonitis include:

Pain between the kneecap and shin that gets worse with movement
Tenderness in the affected tendon
Swelling
A grating sensation when you move
A lump on the tendon
A decreased range of motion

Your doctor or medical professional may advise a course of physical therapy to strengthen the knee if you have tendonitis. In the meantime, you may find a knee strap useful for managing tendonitis symptoms. A device such as Actimove Sports Edition Patella Strap Adjustable is a durable knee support designed to help weak or injured knees.

Sports Edition

Actimove Sports Edition Patella Strap Adjustable

Provides targeted pain relief and supports the healing of the patella tendon. Stay comfortable no matter the activity by adjusting the level of support.

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Sports Edition

Actimove Sports Edition Dual Knee Strap Adjustable

Helps relieve pain and supports healing. The dual strap design provides additional support and stability to the patella tendon during activity.

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Knee supports for arthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis that can affect both knees simultaneously. While it can affect people of all ages, it is more common in older people. This degenerative condition causes inflammation and deterioration of the knee joint cartilage, a coating on the ends of bones that acts as a cushion, allowing the knee to bend and straighten smoothly. Symptoms include pain, swelling and stiffness.

There is no cure for arthritis, but it is possible to manage your symptoms. One tool may be the use of a knee support. If you have mild arthritis, a sleeve such as Actimove Arthritis Care Knee Support provides compression and soothing warmth from the ceramic yarns to help you manage everyday activities.

Arthritis Care

Actimove Arthritis Care Knee Support

Soothing knee support for arthritis designed with therapeutic warming technology to provide pain relief in the knee joint.

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Supports for knee ligament and tendon tears

It is possible to tear the soft tissue structures that belong to the knee, including cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. The most common types of knee tear are anterior cruciate ligament or ACL injuries and meniscus tears. These can be caused by injuries when playing sports or games, or from sudden impact injuries.

There are four main ligaments in the knee, with the ACL being the most commonly injured. Symptoms of a severe tear or ACL injury include:

Severely limited movement
Pain when standing
Instability
A popping sensation in the knee

Some people with a knee ligament or tendon tear can walk, stand, sit, and sleep without pain. Others find that the torn ligament or tendon prevents them from participating in daily activities.

Sometimes, ACL injuries may require a high level of support such as a knee brace to support healing and prevent further injury. You should speak to your doctor, or healthcare professional, about the full range of treatment options suited to your needs.

Sports Edition

Actimove Sports Edition Knee Brace Wrap Around, Polycentric Hinges, Condyle Pads

Helps manage knee pain and supports knee movement when walking, while ensuring pain-free application through front wrap closure system.

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Knee stabilisers for patellofemoral pain syndrome

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, in short PFPS, is a knee condition that causes pain at the front of the knee around the patellofemoral joint. This is the joint between the kneecap (patella), and the thigh bone.

Symptoms of PFPS include:

Pain at the front of the knee or behind the kneecap
Pain that increases during activity
Pain after sitting for long periods of time
Pain when walking downstairs

As part of your recovery and treatment for PFPS a doctor or medical professional may recommend wearing a knee brace to stabilise the knee. Look for a stabilising support such as Actimove Knee Stabiliser Adjustable Horseshoe to relieve pain and instability in the kneecap.