Old knees and trailer steps

[The_Dung_Beetle]

This is not a question - but I'm sharing something I've discovered.

I am no spring chicken, and I have noticed my knees really start to bother me after I've been busying making multiple trips in/out of the TT whether it's to load, unload.. clean after a trip.. whatever. My knees (mostly my right knee) feel fatigued, unstable and became annoyingly painful. I'm not in terrible shape, but that activity seems to be putting an unexpected stress on my knees (we have 3 steps up). I always ended up taking a few days of anti-inflammatories to settle things back down.

So, last spring I purchased 2 "Mueller Jumpers Knee Straps". You can find them for $6 - $10 bucks at various stores. TALK ABOUT A KNEE SAVER!! They stay up, don't slide around and I forget I even have them on they are so comfortable. Now, I put them on prior to my in/out chores in the TT and the issues are completely GONE.

Our neighbor commented to me that she was really having knee issues after they went on a trip late summer. So, I mentioned these straps to her. After suffering for awhile she tried one, and even she reports that her knee is feeling WAY better with the use of the strap during her recovery period. She's sold and is purchasing 2 to keep in her rig.

So.. I'm just sharing a tip that appears to be very helpful. If you have not had some specific injury causing the pain, but your knees seem to be an issue for you try one (or two) of those knee straps. You might be VERY surprised at the stability these simple straps give to your knees when making lots of trips up/down/in/out of the camper stairs.

Mueller's Jumper Knee Support

*I'm not affiliated with Mueller on any levels - just have had such great luck with these straps that I wanted to pass that little discovery on*
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[The_Dung_Beetle]

Here's what I found:

What is the Mueller Jumper's Knee Strap?


Use for painful conditions such as Jumper's Knee (Patella Tendonitis) and Osgood Schlatter's disease. This self adjustable strap relieves knee pain by providing compression and support to the Patella tendon below the knee cap.

When can I use it?
Use for the relief of mild to moderate Patella Tendonitis (Jumper's Knee).
Use for the relief of Osgood Schlatter's Disease.
Can be used in all sports, not just jumping activities.

Which size do I need?

The Mueller Jumper's Knee Strap can accommodate a knee circumference of : 25 - 55cm.

How does it work?

This one size fits all neoprene strap is adjusted with Velcro to apply pressure to the Patella Tendon. By reducing the girth (width) of the Patella Tendon, the pressure applied by the knee strap prevents maximum force being transmitted through the tendon. This reduces the strain on the Patella Tendon and helps to alleviate symptoms of Patella Tendonitis (Jumpers Knee) and Osgood Schlatter's Disease.
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.Go Dogs...

You described exactly WHEN/HOW/WHY my knees started bothering me. Going in and out of my camper repeatedly. I tried multiple other knee braces, and finally started to tight wrap my right knee with an Ace bandage before going out as it just felt eerily unstable. That gave me some relief. Then, I just happen to spot the straps at Walmart one day and decided to give them a try. My knees felt better as soon as I tested the theory on the camper stairs. The "I NEED TO SHARE THIS!!" light did not come on until my walking partner recently came back from a long vacation and she made several comments about her knees hurting something fierce. She has never once complained about her knees hurting when we were walking. So.. now she has them on all day until things settle down. She said she felt some relief right away... not full relief, but enough relief to make her a believer. They are out on the road again so I can't wait to hear how she feels when she returns.

Occasionally, when I'm walking I might feel like the strap might not be quite snugged up enough. I have reached down and gently tugged it up maybe 1/2" (only on the front)...and that was all that it needed or I tightened it. It takes seconds to adjust it.

If the strap starts to make the back of your knee itch from the Velcro just make SURE when you put it on that the attaching sides COMPLETELY cover the Velcro.
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[Go_Dogs]

Boy, you guys got yours fast! Does anyone know why they work?? I'm just assuming that they give tendon support to the knee.
My knee trouble is hard to figure. I'm not overweight, don't do high-impact sports, and have never had a big injury to my legs.
However, my left knee gets bad after going up/down steps, especially when carrying something. It takes a good week of rest to settle it down. I couldn't take my 1 year old grandson up the stairs to bed, last time I babysat. He was asleep on the floor when Mom got home. 😞
The doctor said it's arthritis and told me to get PT, and take Motrin. That didn't work at all. It doesn't feel like the bones are grinding, but there is a feeling of instability. When it's acting up, I have to plant my foot on the floor and twist my leg in the morning to get it in position for weight-bearing. I sure hope these straps help!

[Skylark]

The Dung Beetles wrote:
Yep.. I can only speak from experience, but the benefits I've reaped from taking 10 seconds to put the knee strap(s) on has been MORE then I had ever hoped to experience.

Again, I don't have any major knee injuries, but some nagging stress and fatigue at times.
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Thanks op! Ordered 2 and got them today. Appreciate the information. Got the straps on now hard to believe how much they help.

[Kit_Carson]

Got ours today. DW immediately put them on. We are going to watch grandson play a football game tonight and she plans to test them out. Wish her luck.

[Jim_Shoe]

I ran into a problem with just having one handhold next to the door when trying to use my arms to help my knees when entering my 'C'. I added a metal handle to the back of the dinette seat so that I could help pull myself up with both hands. It took a lot of pressure off my knees.

[Go_Dogs]

I ordered them this AM. I had a couple of other things in my 'cart', so it was easy enough to get. The last time my knee started bothering me, I had to take some OTC strength Motrin, just to sleep. I get bloodwork every 3 weeks r/t cancer follow-up-and my kidney labs were affected. Had a co-worker that nailed her liver from acetaminophen, (Tylenol). So, yea-be careful with everything!

[The_Dung_Beetle]

Go Dogs

I sincerely HOPE it works for you. I'm with you... too many OTC meds can be just as hard on your system as "big gun" script drugs. I had a neck injury many moons ago, and was on Naproxen for awhile. That OTC med clobbered my liver HARD - I was most relieved when it recovered! I took that as my wake up call, and I have to be pretty bad to start wolfing down any med.
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[Go_Dogs]

I'm going to try them. My left knee gets really aggravated from up/down steps, (even just 2!). I don't like taking too many OTC meds, so I hurt. Thanks!

[The_Dung_Beetle]

You're welcome everyone!!

I'm happy people are receptive to this. The straps are relatively inexpensive compared to other knee braces. I did try two other braces, and either they didn't give me the right support, or they would constantly slide down OR bunch up. The Jumper's strap snugs in right behind your knee joint and it stays put. If your knees are already inflamed it will take them awhile to settle down, but provided the pain is NOT getting any worse just KEEP wearing the straps. Ya have to be logical about this - if you have grinding bone on bone in your knee joint this is NOT going to help you out at all.

In the beginning I only took mine off to sleep, and shower. I wore them allll day, and most of the time I'd forget I even had them on. After awhile I could tell my knees were finally getting better. Now.. I mostly wear them to do our daily walk, get in/out of the camper and if I'm going to drive a long distance (that tends to bother my knees too). I don't really like MALL SHOPPING, but if I get conned into it I wear them there too. The concrete floors are known to tucker feet/legs out so I don't take any chances. In the past I have been on a few lengthy runs of Ibuprofen, but now that my knees have settled down (due to wearing the straps) I hardly EVER take Tylenol or Ibuprofen anymore.

I hope people post back after they've been wearing them a few weeks to let me know if you got as much relief as I did/DO from them. I sure hope so!

[Kit_Carson]

The Dung Beetles wrote:
Yep.. I can only speak from experience, but the benefits I've reaped from taking 10 seconds to put the knee strap(s) on has been MORE then I had ever hoped to experience.

Again, I don't have any major knee injuries, but some nagging stress and fatigue at times.
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I want to thank you for the recommendation. My wife has the knee problem that you describe. I showed her the link provided in your post and we ordered the 3-pack. According to the reviews that were posted on Amazon the product is valid for pain relief but certainly not a substitute for surgery if needed. Thanks again. Happy travels.

[deleted-2]

Hey thanks for passing this along!

I just so happened to be ordering things from Amazon this A.M. so I added your recommendation to the order.

My knees are killing me right now... 😞

[doxiemom11]

I'm not old either and found that when we use the steps on the motorhome, after a week or so my knees became painful. I have small feet and I can plant mine straight on the steps, it was the distance between steps and the amount of "lift" needed. We pull a trailer so DH made nice enclosed wooden steps that are a bit wider than the door with 3 steps and a final 4th step being the bottom step inside the door. We use them whenever we are parked for a week or more and it has eliminated my knee strain and pain.

[orlandimal]

I will definitely try them. Right now I am in the 1 step at a time mode with the better of 2 bad knees up first and the opposite going down. I am putting off the inevitable knee replacements but both of my parents had both knees replaced with absolutely no regrets.

[The_Dung_Beetle]

Yep.. I can only speak from experience, but the benefits I've reaped from taking 10 seconds to put the knee strap(s) on has been MORE then I had ever hoped to experience.

Again, I don't have any major knee injuries, but some nagging stress and fatigue at times.
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[beemerphile1]

That knee support looks suspiciously similar to the Cho-Pat knee strap that has been sold to athletes since 1980.
http://www.cho-pat.com/products/originalkneestrap.php

From the Cho-Pat website;
"Who We Are

Cho-Pat's philosophy is to provide the ultimate in sports/medical support devices – devices that are specific, effective, and dependable. George Gauvry, an orthotist, started the company in 1980 and used the principles of orthotics, the clinical treatment of injuries and deformities involving the musculoskeletal system, to create his first support device, Cho-Pat's Original Knee Strap.

Using a design to stabilize and strengthen the joint, the Cho-pat® Original Knee Strap helped to alleviate various symptoms associated with degenerative knees and/or inflammation/tendonitis of the kneecap. The idea for the Knee Strap eventually helped to revolutionize the treatment of certain knee disorders and was rewarded with U.S. and Canadian patents for its design and mechanic."