If you work in the flooring industry, you may fall victim to frequent back-and-knee pain. Consistently utilising kneepads on the jobsite is one preventative measure that can help this issue, but what type is best? Lee Richards, president of ProKnee Corp, gives his view.
Ergonomic advancements in kneepad design have paved the way for more comfortable solutions that actually maintain optimal knee health, so understanding the mechanics of your knee joint on a typical workday plays an important role in choosing a high-performance kneepad.
When the weight of a person is concentrated to the knee area, there is friction between the bones at the joint. Sandwiched between the bones lies a thin layer called the meniscus, that acts as a cushion, which allows pain-free movement of the joint.
Without much natural support to hold it together, the joint continuously works on this thin layer until it starts to wear out. Thereby, kneepad designs that evenly distribute weight and support the meniscus by stabilising the area around the joint from excessive movement as weight is applied are key to keeping knee joints healthy.
After more than 30 years of customer feedback, Pro Knee Corporation developed a fully engineered kneepad, the model 0714/0714E, that does exactly this.
Specifically designed for the flooring industry with straps located well below the knee joint to help eliminate uncomfortable pinching and circulation issues, Pro Knee’s patented shin support system is key to taking pain and stress off knee joints by spreading weight across the length of the kneepads. This even weight distribution creates a centre of balance at the midpoint of the shins (rather than directly on the knees), which reduces pressure on the knee joint and forces the wearer to use proper kneeling techniques enabling your knees to respond to the therapy they create.
The knee cup shape surrounds the knee joint area to hold the joint tight and create stability as you kneel, while safe, resilient, and replaceable cellular urethane cushions absorb shock out of day-to-day wear and tear from kneeling.
Additionally, Pro Knee kneepads can be rebuilt many times over through their complete offering of replacement parts and rebuild kits to maximise your investment in this professional grade product, while further sustaining your knees and career for many years to come.
This custom-made, custom-fit kneepad comes in 18 lengths to ensure the right fit to your personal shin length; two knee seat widths in standard and wide to best match your knee circumference; and two cushion thicknesses in 5/8in and 1in for your choice of desired comfort level.
