Thread: Do you use knee bands/wraps. Are they beneficial?

I have heard physios say that wearing knee bands, wraps, and lifting belts might do more harm than good...Something along the lines as they are putting less work on the stabilizing muscles and giving the wearer a false feeling of being stronger than he actually is. Perhaps there are some other opinions on wraps I am unaware of as well. I tried searching the net for literature regarding this topic, but so far my research has proven very inconclusive.

So I defer to your guys knowledge and experience. Do you use knee bands/ wraps ? Do have a particular system of wearing wraps only for your heaviest sets? are knee bands better than wraps? Are either only good for certain knee injuries? If you decide to take off the knee wraps, how much is your form/strength compromised for that given rep/set/workout. Do people still wear wraps/knee bands out of some misguided belief that they are beneficial. OR do people use them as a crutch the same way people use straps to lift heavy deadlift/rows? I have seen lots of people on this board give advice to abandon straps to improve one's grip.

Anyways I realize that's a bunch of questions I just threw out there, but I wanted to to be as comprehensive as possible. Hopefully I can get some good knowledge from you guys!

In my opinion if you can get the job done without wraps or bands then do it without. That being said, I use wrist wraps on some exercises and neoprene knee sleeves when I squat only because I'm 48 years old and have had numerous injuries and surgeries to my knees. My wrists hurt when I do some movements such as dumbbell bench or hangs and cleans. If I could do without I would, but so goes it with age.

Just my .02 cents worth!