Ankle Braces- How do you choose the right one for your ankle injury?

27. May, 2011 0 Comments

Ankle braces can help you steady your ankle after you’ve been injured. And chances are, if you’re looking for an ankle brace, then you’re already in pain. Well here’s how to get out of pain in a hurry.

The type of ankle brace that you choose depends a lot on exactly how you hurt your ankle in the first place. Usually, an ankle is hurt by stretching or tearing a ligament, usually on the outside part of the ankle.

That’s a problem because the muscles and bones are held together by these ligaments and limit the side-to-side movement of your ankle. That’s why you feel such pain when the ankle ligaments are stretched or torn — you’ve got bones moving around that just shouldn’t be!

Along with the pain comes a lot of swelling. Collectively, these kinds of injuries are called “sprains”. Sprains can happen during any kind of sport, whether high collision or low impact, and even from stepping in a hole and twisting an ankle.

For light ankle injuries, choose an elastic ankle brace or support, which are available for those who suffer from acute and chronic ankle injuries. You can also use these light supports if you have osteoarthritis of the ankle and foot.

There are other ankle braces that help you keep an ice back or gel pack on your swollen ankle. Cold often helps (your doctor will advise you when to use cold, but it’s generally a good idea.)

But don’t choose too light a brace if you’ve got a severe injury. The point of the brace is to reduce the movement inside your ankle so that it can heal quickly and avoid re-injury.

Click here to see a list of recommended ankle braces. Yes, there’s more than one good ankle brace. But that’s why we’ve taken the time to write these ankle brace reviews for you.

As a side note, we’ve arranged for discounts for you at BraceShop. There are probably a few Braceshop links on this page, so use one of them to buy your brace once you’ve selected one.

This video discusses the different stages of the rehabilitation process and fitting an active ankle brace.