Ankle Brace
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| henry barry | Mar 9 2018, 9:15am | Hi, I have been advised to wear an ankle brace whilst running esp trails . Three sprains in 2017 and one grade 3 in 2018 so far :-( Have any members experience of using a brace and which one worked well for them . thanks |
| Conor O'Farrell | Mar 9 2018, 10:49am | I have found the ones in Boots to be the best, not too bulky. Just be sure to get the right size, too loose and they are ineffective, too tight and they cut off the blood flow to the foot and can be quite painful. |
| Angus Tyner | Mar 9 2018, 11:08am | I got these https://www.ossur.com/injury-solutions/products/foot-and-ankle/ankle-braces-and-support/form-fit-ankle years ago and they work really well. I did think they are bulky and heavy but never compared them to others. For races I want to be competitive in I tape my ankles, but my ankles are not extremely bad, just prone to twisting, so probably don't need as much support as you. |
| Dimitri MEFFRE | Mar 9 2018, 11:09am | Hi Henry, Sorry to see you have had so many sprains. Repetitive injuries such as ankle sprains may originate from dysfunction in your foot, ankle, knee...hip..etc? and/or return to activity too early, without enough rehabilitation after the first sprain. Ankle braces can give you some support, but in some cases strapping might be more efficient, and you can also adapt it better to your sprain. It depends on the severity of the injury, grade 3 sprain this year should have you start with very basic rehabilitation exercises and very progressive return to activity. But to get back to bracing, if you haven't done enough rehabilitation, it might not be the best option. I have had sprained ankles at multiple occasions, on both ankles, finally had a double fracture(maleoli) of the right ankle. This was followed by months of crutches and lots of rehab and no more injury since. I have used the slip on type ankle brace and it gives some support I guess but i'm not convinced that it gives that much protection. If your ankle is unstable, the ankle brace won't be enough, I still think strapping is safer. Rambling on, take good care of your ankle, any good physio or physical therapist would give you a good rehab exercise plan for optimum return to the hills. I hope this helps. |
| Brian Fennessy | Mar 9 2018, 10:13pm | Hi Henry sorry to hear you are having problems with your ankle. I goosed mine fairly badly last July, about 9 weeks before the Ben Nevis Race after a fall from scaffolding. I had about 4 sessions on physio and the physio advised me to wear an ankle brace on the day just for extra support given the tough race that it is. Ive included the link so yo can check it out. Its very similar to the one Angus posted. https://www.vivomed.com/en/Aircast--A60-Ankle-Support/m-7418.aspx |
| Caroline Reid | Mar 10 2018, 9:25pm | Hi Henry, Sorry to hear about the ankle. I've a bad ankle for almost 40 years. I've been using an ankle brace from Physio needs in ringsend for the last 10 years https://physioneeds.biz/atlas-lace-up-ankle-brace.html Once I wear the brace, I have never sprained my ankle and I have used it over very technical terrain. The problem with the brace is it makes your footwear feel a bit loose which can cause other problems. Therefore it is best to try make your foot as strong as possible (wobble board, rehab, strength and conditioning etc) to get away with using the brace as little as possible. I'm the opposite to Dimitri. Experience has thought me I can trust the brace 100%. The same can definitely not be said for supports or strapping. I've used all types of supports and strapping over the years - they were all ineffective. Even KT tape, when it gets wet, looses its strength. A life changer for me has been PRO tape...well that's what its called in GAA circles. Basically its the tape used on horses legs and then GAA players started using it :) Over the last two years, its become very popular with even lidl, aldi and discount stores selling it (careful their brands aren't as good but it is grand for training runs in dry conditions). I get it in the vet section of my local pharmacy for about €3.00 a roll - its usually blue. This seems to be the physio needs version: https://physioneeds.biz/powerflex-7cmx5-4m-cohesive-bandage.html The advantage of this tape is when it gets wet, it gets stronger. Unfortunately while this tape is excellent, the brace is still the best if you are racing. Last month I chanced using just the tape in an ultra and 8km in I sprained my ankle as the terrain was just too technical for my ankle. One last thing, apart from twisting my ankle on technical terrain, mostly I sprain my ankle when my hip/pelvis goes out of alignment - hence my knees starts to rotate which causes me to sprain my ankle. Just something to look out for yourself.... The good news is with the rehab exercises, the ankle can come good again quickly....most effective exercise, stand on bad leg, close eyes and try balance for a minute or two ...doing this every day, even when you just brush your teeth...you'll be amazed how quickly your ankle will build up again :) Very best of luck with the ankle. |
| John Oflynn | Mar 11 2018, 8:20pm | Hi I use Muller soccer ankle braces for both my ankles whenever I run on mountain or trail. I also play tag rugby and five aside soccer, anytime I don't wear the braces I go over on my ankles These braces are lace ups which are a bit of a pain to put on and off but I can't recommend them high enough I was on the point of packing everything in and buying a bike untill I bought these braces 2 years ago ,but happily for me I have had no ankle problems since I started wearing them |
| henry barry | Mar 12 2018, 11:24am | Many thanks for the info , advice and positive feedback. I'm going to rehab with exercises a wobble board and buy a lace up brace for the trails . see youse out there :-) |
