Customer Reviews

Cho-Pat Dual Action Knee Strap

5 star:		(102)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

First prescribed and issued to me by my physical therapist. Worked well enough that I stopped going to the doctor and therapist. Lost it, knee worsened, found best price at Amazon. This thing seems to take the place of weakened ligaments, tightens-up the knee and kneecap. Problems with walking and stairs are gone. Comfortable to wear, easy to put on. Have tried several over-the-counter braces, none match this for comfort and effect. Thinking about one for the other knee.
Seller delivered on time and as described.

This device seems to help alleviate pain during exercise. Typical of neoprene appliances, it stretched somewhat; this leads to the velcro overlapping such that not all surfaces contacted for full hold, but it still stays on. Perhaps ordering a size smaller than is recommended might compensate for this. I noticed while hiking in territory with lots of debris at knee level that it tended to get undone and pull off; might require a wrap of some type over it. I'm buying a second one because the pain relief aspect does seem to work...for me.

I have patellar tendinitis from playing too much volleyball on hard gym floors, and I started wearing Cho-Pat straps a long time ago. They are simply a must-have for anyone who has patella problems, and the dual action strap is both comfortable and extremely supportive. It is simply the best knee device of its kind on the market.

I'm a 43 year old runner (well, runner wannabe) who gave up running about 6 years ago due to recurring Runner's Knee (PFPS). I started running again this year and within 1 month, the painful symptoms returned. How painful? Well, my kneecaps would 'pop' out of place -- not fun.

So, I decided to buy the Cho-Pat Dual Action strap in June 2008 because I had some success in the past with the single, below-the-knee Cho-Pat strap.

For the last 2 months, I've been using the dual action strap and I have had zero pain or symptoms. I'm now running 5 miles a day pain-free and I'm thrilled that I may actually be able to run in the Disney Half-Marathon in January.

I'm not sure exactly how it works but I can't argue with the results.

Some specific comments:
-- be precise with your measurements; my knee diameter is 15" and the medium fits perfect.

-- it is a little bulky and some adjustment time is needed. Please note that it will not fit well under most pants (which I like to do because my knee problems occurred after exercising, not during my workouts).

-- it may slip while exercising due to sweat or repetitive movement, so you may need to experiment with the tightness. I have been able to run for 5 miles without it moving, so it is possible -- but it may take some time to find that right amount of tightness.

A great product! I highly recommend it!

I have Runner's Knee (Chondromalacia or Patellofemoral Syndrome)from a combination of over-pronation and playing Tennis on hard court surfaces. Previously, I have been using the open-kneecap patella stabilizer brace like the Tru-fit brace which really worked well. I had no pain during or after physical activity. The only con with this brace was the bulk and heavy sweating inside the brace due to the heavy insulation. As it became worn over a period a time, I wanted to replace it with something smaller and less restrictive.

Initially, I tried the single patella strap which didn't work out. After reading a lot of recommendations for the Chopat dual-action knee strap on Amazon, especially runners who had PFS, I went for it. Over a period of 5 months, I have been tweaking how I use it support my knee. I have tried a variety of positions of the strap on my knee and different loose or tight fittings, but I still get nagging knee pain every time after running, walking or tennis. The intensity of the pain also varies from the intensity of the activity. Sometimes it a grinding pain which lasts for a day or two and sometimes just minimal pain. But the location of this pain is on the medial side or somewhere around the knee cap which is a lot different from where the Runner's Knee pain usually occurs - just under the kneecap. That being said, the strap does provide stability and support during physical activity with minimal pain.

Finally I went to a sports medicine doctor who informed me promptly that its for Jumper's Knee and not Runner's Knee. She said it was quite obvious from the design. Even though the design of the dual-action knee strap has some elements to support a knee with PFS, it may not be sufficient enough for all active people. Its quite safe to say after 5 months, I was terribly frustrated with my choice of knee brace and puzzled how it worked for some with PFS. I only wished I had visited the doctor sooner. I think the brace did offer some patella tracking as it says in the description during physical activity, but overall not enough tracking and support for the kneecap in my specific case. Hence the three stars.

I have 3 different types of knee braces, and this one is the most comfortable and useful. My Rheumatologist suggested that I purchase a brace because of tendonitis of the patella tendon. He printed a couple of pages off of the Amazon site to show me examples of which type of brace would be the best for me, and they included both this dual-strap version, some 1-strap versions, and some more complicated supports. In my wisdom and pain, I wanted to get something right away, so I stopped at the Medical Clinic's store and bought what they had there, which was rubber, and had a hole cut out for the knee. The saleslady told me that it was recommended for patellar tendonitis. It was too hot and slipped down my leg so that I had to pull it up constantly. The one-strap version felt like it cut into my knee, rather than supporting it. This 2-strap version has become the one that I put on when I'm going to be out walking. The top strap holds it up enough that the lower strap doesn't need to be tightened more than "snugly", as recommended. The measuring and sizing chart on the site gave me a perfect fit, even if my knee is more swollen or less swollen, and the quality is good.

This product is supposed to hold your knee in a positive position. The problem for me is that I'm not able to leave it on long enough to feel the effects. When you strap it on it hurts the back of you knee as you use it for biking or weight training and minimizes the full range of motion. It probably would be better if the mfg cut a relief area behind the knee.

My son has had knee pain while playing and practicing for basketball for the high school team. A friend of mine told me about the Cho-Pat dual action knee strap and after reading the reviews on Amazon I bought one for him. His knee stopped hurting during and after practice and games. This really works! I asked him what felt different while wearing it and he said it just supports his knee and kneecap and it does not hurt anymore to play. He had pain just above the patella (kneecap) after playing. I highly recommend this if you are having pain in the knee from instability. I doubt it will work if you have arthritis but most knee pain seems to be from poor form while moving. If you are trying to make the decision to buy this or not I hope this helps.

I unfortunately started to get "runner's knee" this year after doing a 10-mile race and a half-marathon. In reality I need to do some strengthening of the muscles near my knee but I didn't have time to accomplish that before my next race. I purchased this knee strap plus two others that are single strap based.

The single straps did not help me at all and kept slipping either up or down my leg.

The Cho Pat Dual action knee strap enabled me to finish the race and also provided great support. One thing I discovered after the race was that I had wrapped the strap too tightly around my leg. I could have had it much looser but I had been afraid it would slip up and down my leg based on my experience with the single straps.

Straps are no substitute and should not be used to overcome lack of proper muscle development/training, but in a pinch, this strap worked very well and allowed me to run a 13.1 mile race -- I would not have been able to get through a mile without it.

I have knee tracking issues in my left knee, and even walking up a slight incline causes pain. I've worn a whole slew of different knee braces to allow me to continue running pain free, but ALL of the braces I used, would slip down my leg or impede the proper tracking of my knee. I've been wanting to purchase the Cho Pat dual strap for some time now but figured the $20 knee brace at the sporting goods store would suffice; no way. This is extremely comfortable compared to all other braces I've worn. You don't have to pull the straps so tight that they cut off circulation, just to get it to stay in place.

I just went running with it on, and it made a world of difference with my knee tracking. It did feel like it was slipping every now and then, but once there's moisture underneath the strap, it's pretty locked in place.

I feel like I've been given a second chance at running with this on. Just make sure if you order one, you get the size right. I'm right at a 16" circ. on my knee and thought the Large size would make the most sense; now I have some extra length of strap hanging off.