The Truth Concerning Ankle Injury Prevention Braces

By Jenny Tai

What is an ankle brace exactly? A brace is also known as an "orthodontic" support. Braces are generally used to prevent injury as well as speed up the healing process and rehabilitation of ankle-based injuries. They are a lot more effective in injury prevention than using tape as tape can stretch and wear out over multiple uses.

Go to any sporting health store and you will probably find a huge variety of different brands of ankle braces available. There are many models of foot supports available and each caters to specific types of ankle injuries that you might encounter.

These ankle braces are not the same as those you might see people wear when they are recuperating from a broken ankle (the big and bulky ankle casts are such an example). A sports ankle brace is basically designed to be worn over your foot and within your shoe and a good quality one will not only feel comfortable but give you added support and strength to your mid and lower foot, as well as your heel.

For more high impact type sports, you will notice many players wearing protective braces. The Aircast brace as well as the ASO ankle brace are of the most popular amongst serious sports people. The prices of these can range from very affordable (under $100) to expensive ($400) where the upper range comes with additional features such as shock pads.

It's important to avoid further injury caused by wearing inappropriate ankle supports. You will need to pick one that fits you like a glove in order for it to be affective.

Choosing the right brace will depend on your circumstance: have you recently twisted your ankle badly? Have you torn a ligament and had reconstructive surgery? If both the above are true, you need to get advise on the most appropriate foot wear from your doctor first.

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Comfort should be the next most important thing, as you won't want to be throwing the money away on something that feels awkward to wear. Go for a fitting as most stores will have a pair of demo ones available for you to put on. Remember to put your shoe on as well to make sure the sizing is correct.

A final word of caution: after you get your brace and put it on, give yourself a few days to get accustomed to it as initially it might feel a little uncomfortable. At the same time, go slow and don't over-exert yourself in your sporting activity until you get a feel for the amount of support you're going to get from the ankle brace. - 31493

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