It is almost inevitable that every runner will experience “runners knee” at least once during his or her running career. The medical term for runners knee is “chondromalacia,” and this injury involves inflammation and pain in the area of the knee cap. Usually this condition is caused by running too many miles when the quadriceps muscles are not developed enough to handle the increased workload. Without strong quadriceps, the kneecap is unable to track properly and pain quickly follows.
One way that many runners treat runner’s knee is using knee bands for runner’s knee, also called “Cho Pat (sometimes incorrect referred to as a cho pad). The cho pat knee band fits snugly around the patellar tendon below the knee cap. The pressure applied by the cho pat knee band helps keep the knee cap from sliding out of the groove in the knee, which assists in reducing irritation.
In a sense, the cho pat does the work that the weak quadriceps muscles should be doing: supporting the knee cap. There are studies that support the beneficial effects of a cho pat band in injured runners. At lease one study has found that knee function increases in athletes with knee pain who use a cho pat band.
Is the cho pat knee band a cure-all for all runners? No. Runner’s knee comes in many shapes and sizes and people respond differently to the pressure applied by the cho pat to the patellar tendon. The best cure for runner’s knee is to ice and take time off. However, if you are desperate for a method that might help your knee pain, you might want to give the cho pat a try.
