"as an avid runner, i suffered a painful it band (iliotibial band) strain on the outside of my left knee.  went to the doctor after a week of pain and not much healing taking place to make sure i didn&#039;t suffer any major ligament damage.  he diagnosed the it band issue and gave some samples of flector patch and as more of a comic relief, stated that &quot;these really shouldn&#039;t work, but actually do&quot;.  was a little skeptical at first, but these patches do provide wonderful relief.  four patches later i am feeling much improvement in the mobility of my knee strain.  definitely worth a try."