Advertorial · The Aplomb Game Day Journal

Netball · Knee pain

Rested for 6 weeks. First game back, it hurt again. Here is why.

If the pain sits just below your kneecap and bites when you land, rest alone was never going to be enough. Here is what the research says, and how players keep playing while their knee gets stronger.

By the Aplomb team · 4 minute read

The Saturday pattern

It starts as a small ache just below your kneecap. You feel it when you land from a rebound. Then on the stairs after the game.

So you do the sensible thing. You rest. 1 week. Then 2. Maybe 6. It feels better.

Then you play again. And in the first week back, the pain is there again, in the same spot.

If that sounds like you, you did nothing wrong. You were only given half the plan.

You are not the only one

We read 50 forum posts from people with this pain. The same story came up again and again.

"It never completely went away. Sure, resting it made it feel better, but every time within the first week back of running I would feel it again."

Runner, LetsRun.com forum

"...have taken six weeks off, and I'm still not 100% pain free."

Runner, LetsRun.com forum

"the moment I increase the intensity they will start hurting again"

Martial arts athlete, Sherdog forum

"i love dancing very much and i thought, what if i can't dance anymore?"

Dancer, TMS Wiki forum

Real posts from public forums, quoted as written. These people did not use Aplomb.

Why the pain keeps coming back

The pain comes from your patellar tendon. It is a thick cord that joins your kneecap to your shin. Every time you land, it gets pulled hard.

Rest calms the pain down. But rest does not make the tendon stronger. So when you go back to court, the tendon is as weak as before, and the pain comes back.

Rest: calms the pain, but the tendon stays weak.

Ice and pills: dull the pain for a while.

A sleeve: squeezes the whole knee, but does not make the tendon stronger.

Research reviews say slow, steady exercise that loads the tendon a bit more each week is what makes it stronger. A physio can show you how.

The new plan: keep playing while you get stronger

You do not have to choose between resting and playing. Split your week in 2.

Rest of the week

Get stronger

Do slow, steady strength work, a bit more each week. This is the part that changes the tendon.

Game day

Keep playing

Wear a patellar strap to take some of the sting out of landing while you play.

See the Aplomb strap

Meet Aplomb, the game day knee strap

Aplomb is a small strap with a soft silicone pad. You wear it just below your kneecap, so the pad presses on the tendon.

That press changes the angle of the pull a little, so the sore spot gets pulled less when you land. It helps while you wear it.

  • Soft silicone pad sits just below the kneecap
  • Adjustable tension for a snug fit
  • Small design, so your knee can bend freely
  • 5 colours: beige, black, blue, gray and pink

Less pain when you land

The pad takes some of the sting out of each landing while you wear it, so you can go for the next rebound.

Stays where you put it

A textured grip helps it stay in place, so you are not fixing your strap between quarters.

What the research found

Straps like Aplomb have been tested in studies. Here is what they found.

97

athletes tried a patellar strap like this in a study

14 points

less pain on a hard squat, out of 100, with the strap on

60

people had less pain when they landed a jump with a strap on

These studies tested patellar straps of this type, not Aplomb itself. The help lasts while you wear the strap.

What Aplomb will not do

  • It will not fix your tendon. Strength work does that.
  • It is not made for arthritis or a worn knee joint.
  • It does not replace a physio. If no one has checked your knee yet, see one first.
  • If your pain gets worse, stop wearing it and see a physio or doctor.

How to wear it on game day

Step 1

Put it on before warm up. Place the pad just below your kneecap.

Step 2

Pull it snug, not tight.

Step 3

Play your game. Take it off when you are done.

Try Aplomb at your next game

$29

  • 1 Aplomb GameDay Knee Strap
  • Pick from 5 colours
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Get my Aplomb strap

If it does not help on game day, send it back within 30 days and get your money back.

Questions players ask

Will it fix my knee?

No. It helps with pain while you wear it. To make the tendon stronger, you need slow, steady exercise.

Should I see a physio first?

If no one has checked your knee yet, yes. Aplomb is made to go with a physio's plan, not to replace it.

When should I wear it?

For games and training. Take it off when you are done.

What if it does not work for me?

You have 30 days. Send it back and get your money back.

Rest didn't fix it. Try a new plan.

Wear Aplomb on game day. Get stronger the rest of the week.

Get my Aplomb strap

This page is an advertisement for Aplomb. It is general information, not medical advice. Aplomb does not diagnose, treat or cure any condition. If your pain gets worse, stop and see a physio or doctor.