[at-l] Cho-Pat and knee issues

[Jan Leitschuh]

>From: "Teresa French" <AT03Wench at comcast.net>
>Of those that have used Cho-Pat (with or without good results), can you give me 
>some info?
>Will you describe the knee issue(s) you were having, including type and location
>of pain, any diagnosis you received, which Cho-Pat product you used, and how the
>Cho-Pat helped or didn't help?
>I had knee pain at the end of my thruhike, ...

Who doesn't?
;-)

I used the Cho-Pat. Both. The simple band under the knee that you can get at WalMart gave me a little relief, maybe 30-40 percent. The Dual-Action strap was the best - a black ugly thing, but I honestly don't think I could have done my thruhikes without it.
Apparently the use pressure to change the angle of insertion of some important knee-tissue thingie, and help tired quads to keep the kneecap tracking. But I might have just made that up - who can say after all these years?
;-)
I can't get past Day Three of a backpack with any significant elevation gain or loss without serious, hike-halting, ibuprofen-gobbling, moaning knee pain (IT band, I THINK; on the outside).
I never had a doctor diagnose me. I just kept trying braces until I found one that allowed me to backpack interesting country. Some folks swore by braces that did nothing for me, so Cho-Pat may or may not help your aging condition, oops, I mean condition.
;-)
When I put on the Dual-Action Cho-Pat, it feels like a hand cupping my patella. I used them on the LT, and at the start of my AT hike, shipped them up to Hanover with my winter gear as my legs became strong enough to backpack on milder elevations of VA and the mid-Atlantic. I put them back on just before the Whites and still had knee pain, but based on my past experience I have no doubt they let me complete my hike.

Don't know about beezball. Are you the catcher?