Owing a loan shark a lot of money is not the only way to severely mess up your knees. A number of sports and activities can also result in major knee injuries. One way to stave off those injuries and save your knees is with a pair of knee pads.
What They Do
Knee pads protect your knees from hard hits, blows and other violent impact. While the knee pads cannot necessarily stop a hit from coming, they can absorb some of the shock and stop major damage. Knee pads should fit snugly and comfortable above your knee cap. Knee pads that are too tight will impede your movements while those that are too loose will slip out of place or slide down your leg.
Styles
The general components for all knee pads are the same even if the styles are a bit different. Padding consists of a thick foam or gel insert, or both, and is covered by an outer shell. The outer shell can be a hard, tough plastic, thick mesh or other tough material. Some knee pads consist of an elasticized sleeve that slips over your entire knee while others strap onto your knee with Velcro straps. Still others combine both styles for ultimate protection. Different pads work for different activities.
Who Wears Them
Any athlete who participates in a sport that poses the risk of getting hit in the knee is best off with a pair of knee pads. Skateboarders, inline skaters, hockey players and BMX riders often go for knee pads with the harder outer shell. Wrestlers and volleyball players generally wear the sleeve-type pads. Football players have their own style of knee pad, a lightweight foam cup that slips into a pocket above the knee of their football pants.
Why Need Them
If you think kneepads sound like a pain to wear, wait until you hear about some of the pain athletes can receive without them. Medial ligament sprains, which is a rip or sprain in one of the knee's ligaments, are common in football, rugby and other contact sports, Sports Injury Clinic notes. The ligament tears when the outside of the knee joint receives a hard blow. Acute patella injuries, usually a result of a fall or direct hit to the kneecap, are another major risk in hockey, football or any other sport that provides a hard surface that is likely to meet your knee. Patella injuries run the gamut from a broken knee or dislocated knee cap to cartilage damage beneath the patella.
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