knee/ankle support.

***kwun*** · 07-06-2003, 06:51 PM

thanks Traum and Dill.

Traum, i too am using the nylon/elastic type after a recent injury. while it is less comfortable, it helps the support needed for me to recover. put it another way, if i were not injured, i will not be wearing the ankle brace.

some has mentioned that the extra support restricts breathing, i only find that to be marginal and wasn't affecting that much.

as for janet, after one year, she started experimenting with not using the ankle support. and she said she has find that she doesn't need the support anymore. she has gained enough strength to support herself.

Dill, we are doing many more footwork drills now than before, and Janet has mostly stopped using the wrong foot now. i hope she will finally forget all the bad habits she get from playing tennis...

**gil g.** · 09-08-2003, 03:28 AM

Hi. I've injured my ankles a couple of times and my knees already generate a popping sound whenever I bend them ( all not ENTIRELY due to badminton). As a result, I've resulted to wearing ankle guards and a patellar wrap on my left knee. Some people would tell me to avoid using these as they just decrease flexibility and hamper my movements on court. But it seems that I can't do without them for fear of getting injured...and not being able to play for weeks

. I'd like to know if wearing these neoprene wraps are indeed unadvisable.
Also, I've seen pictures of eye injuries and am considering wearing protective goggles also. Will these affect my view of the bird/court players etc? Comments?

**Traum** · 09-08-2003, 04:06 AM

Here's a link that should provide you with some information on braces and stuff:

http://www.badmintonforum.com/vb/sho...ighlight=brace

I play with an elbow and a knee brace all the time, and quite frankly, I don't find them intrusive at all. However, I use braces that are made from polyester and rubber, as I find that the neoprene braces traps a lot of heat/sweat, thereby making it very uncomfortable to keep the brace on for a long time.

-Rick

**elvinlwj** · 09-08-2003, 06:43 AM

Hello.
Neoprene ankle guards and knee guards are very good.
I wear them ever since I sprained my right ankle a few times.
They do not hamper movement and instead give you more confidence to retrieve and go for difficult shots.
One more thing is that neoprene type IMHO do not lose their elasticity that fast so the protective wear last long.

I suggest that anyone who has a "loose" ankle should invest in an ankle guard. It is very worth it.

**graphite** · 09-08-2003, 07:09 AM

Hi guys! My knee has been acting up lately. After I play badminton or do other physical activities, my knee cracks or pops a lot when i bend them and after the playing has finished, i feel a little ache on my right knee. The thing that confuses me is that its my right knee that's acting up, but I'm left handed and do have the proper footwork (always ending up with my left leg (racket leg)

I have a knee pad but its the full, elastic type that makes my knee part sweat a lot. Will the open type knee support like the one Sigit is wearing provide enough support for my knees?

**wilfredlgf** · 09-08-2003, 09:20 AM

I am right handed and I have soreness in my left foot! Is this a coincidence or is it a trend?

This began to happen to men when I started doing body rotation and I had been wearing a knee guard for quite some time now.

My theory in this may have to do with improper landing, but since that you do have good footwork (which I don't), then it may be something else.

Anybody out there?

**gritngrind74** · 09-08-2003, 01:23 PM

the kind of support you need depends on the kind of pain you have. if the pain is coming from the bottom of the knee cap you need the thinner support. I don't know exactly what it's called but it's supposed to prevent the knee cap from "falling down". it sort of looks like a thin strap usually with a piece of metal or hard plastic in the front. if the pain is coming from the sides of the knee cap you should use the big wrap around support. this prevents the joint from rolling side to side.

youe must use the proper support for it to be effective. take care of those knees if you want to be playing a long time. hope this helps.

**gritngrind74** · 09-08-2003, 01:37 PM

the people who tell you to not wear the protective equipment are the lucky ones who don't need them. when you're feeling pain in your joints you should take action to protect them from further harm. I've been using ankle braces in all the sporting activities i engage in, even the lace up ankle braces with rigid supports for basketball. at first it feels funny but you'll get used to it and later on you'll thank your self when you feel that it actually prevented your ankle from a potential twist.

i use a garter strap for my ankle when playing badminton but i don't recommend it if you want it to last (only good for a couple of months but is cheap and is the thinnest support around)). neoprene is good but is a bit thick and hot. nike has a strap which looks good but i haven't tried it yet (can't find my size). it's black and feels like lycra. it has round bumps all over it and isn't too thick to warrant a bigger sized shoe. let me know how it feels if you get to try it

.

USE PROTECTIVE GEAR WHEN YOU'RE HURTING! you'll get used to it eventually and end up having more confidence because you know that you are protected when your going for a shot. besides if you want to be playing badminton 'til a ripe old age you have to save up your body coz it's the only one you've got

peace!

**JChen99** · 09-08-2003, 03:49 PM

Personally I think all those "guards" are not the best solution to your problem. I've had injuries on both my knees, me right ankle, and almost all the joints on my right arm from the shoulder down.

Giving them rest (anything from a week to a few months, depending on the seriousness of the injury) I find actually is the best solution, however, if you're not keen on resting, guards are the second best thing. But besides wearing guards, I suggest you go work out and increase your muscle strength because that will take away strains on your joints when your muscles are stronger.

Good luck finding a good guard, and hope you get better

**wilfredlgf** · 09-08-2003, 07:37 PM

As I went to work this morning, I think there could be one possible explaination for me, dunno if it applies to grahite or not, which is I get my knee sore from driving ie using manual gear, clutches etc.

Possible?

***kwun*** · 09-08-2003, 07:50 PM

Originally posted by gritngrind74
the kind of support you need depends on the kind of pain you have. if the pain is coming from the bottom of the knee cap you need the thinner support. I don't know exactly what it's called but it's supposed to prevent the knee cap from "falling down". it sort of looks like a thin strap usually with a piece of metal or hard plastic in the front.

the pain at the bottom of knee cap is called petella tendonitis (or "Jumper's knee"). it is popularly believed to be an inflamation of the tendon going from the quad to the shin. but the more research i did on it, the less it points to inflammation. you can look at the following link and search for it in google for more references:

http://www.macrocap.com/Tendonitis/

anyway, i have been experiencing this pain in my left knee recently, and the pain is there all the time even during everyday activity. it gets worse after a long badminton session.

i have used the Pelleta wrap/strap and that seems to help a little bit. we regularly see pro who has a similar wrap on their knee as well.

other treatment recommended is rest and icing.

**Matt Ross** · 09-08-2003, 07:59 PM

Originally posted by kwun
other treatment recommended is rest and icing.

Kwun, i thought icing was for cakes

**Quan** · 09-08-2003, 09:17 PM

hey guys i'm back for now! haha

well my knee had that problem during my junior year in high school... and below the knee cap on the tendon... my chiropractor said i had a stressed tendon and i had to go 4 times to him during a month for electroshock therapy... it helped... but if the pain was as bad as mine, i say you should go to a doctor and check it out and maybe they can temporarily fix it... altho my pain comes back every so often that i pick up my racquet... i need to play more T_T

**gil g.** · 09-08-2003, 09:28 PM

Hi guys. Thanks for all your reply. One good thing about getting injuries though is that you get to be more careful and selective with your movements/foot work thereby increasing the efficiency of play. No one has said anything about goggles yet. Maybe it's because it isn't advisable? I actually don't see many players wearing them.

**Mame32** · 09-08-2003, 09:50 PM

how about shoulder guard? i've injured by shoulder from swimming (butterfly stroke) few years back, and i'm still nursing the pain whenever i do hard smashes.

is there a support out there that can remove or lessen the pain? i'm not keen in having my shoulder undergo surgery. thanks!

**graphite** · 09-09-2003, 05:45 AM

Yes, the pain is right at the bottom part of my knee cap so it will most probably be petella tendonitis. Can anyone post pictures on the kind of knee support or brace I should get? Does it look like the black one Sigit is wearing in this picture on his right (racket) leg or is it the one on his left leg (the white one)?