Apparatus for, and method of, reducing knee pain and/or increasing levels of athletic performance

An apparatus for reducing knee pain, increasing athletic performance or stabilizing a knee, comprising:

• a compressive element configured to fit over a thigh of at least one leg;
• an elastic strap configured to fit tightly and circumferentially over and around the compressive element at a location over a mid portion of the thigh and above a knee joint adjacent to the thigh;
• and
• a hard actuator positioned beneath the elastic strap at a location that will place the hard actuator over an anterior side of the mid portion of the thigh upon proper placement of the compressive element on the thigh and that will press against the anterior side of the mid portion of the thigh upon wrapping the elastic strap around the mid portion of the thigh.

An apparatus for reducing knee pain, comprising:

• a thigh component configured to fit over a thigh of at least one leg;
• an elastic strap configured to fit circumferentially over the thigh component, around a mid portion of a single thigh and above a knee joint adjacent to the thigh;
• and
• an actuator with a side configured to face the thigh and to press against and to apply localized pressure against an anterior side of a mid portion of the thigh by the strap at a location that will reduce or eliminate pain in the knee joint.

An apparatus for reducing knee pain, comprising:

• a compressive element configured to fit over a thigh of at least one leg without extending over opposed lateral and medial sides of a knee joint adjacent to the thigh;
• an elastic strap configured to wrap circumferentially around the compressive element on a single thigh, above a knee joint only at a mid portion of the thigh;
• and
• a hard actuator positioned and oriented to face an anterior side of the mid portion of the thigh and to be pressed by the elastic strap toward the anterior side of the mid portion of the thigh to apply a localized pressure to the anterior side of the mid portion of the thigh and to reduce or eliminate pain in the knee joint.