Ankle Brace??

Hi All,

A long time ago I sprained my ankle real bad and since then it has always been prone to rolls, twists and pops. I've been to the doctors and they suggested several exercises to strengthen the area and techniques to work on balance. I do these but the ankles still gives way on occaision. I'm now considering the possibilty of getting some sort of ankle brace to help prevent this from happening. The doctor suggested a few, the kind that lace up, but I'm not sure how they wll work with hiking boots. My question is do any of you wear an ankle brace and if so which kind and how does it feel if you wear it with your boots.

-MEB

I find taping that taping offers the most support with the least interference in shoe fit. The below site has a good diagram.

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/life/taping.htm

However, try to get a referral to a physical therapist or other professional that can recommend a brace or other support method that is targeted to suit your specific problem.

I would say that your doctor is right about strengthening your ankle. If you have exhausted your exercises, you need to change them or add weight to them to further your recovery.

Relying on a brace will only make your ankle weaker, and more reliant on the extra support.

What kind of exercises is he having you do? I recommend getting one of these:
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=bosu ball&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wf
and practicing standing on one foot with it, and then switching feet. When that gets too easy, you can use dumbells and do step-ups. Other manuvers like touching your toes, or hamstring stretch can be added. If you go to a gym, they may have the Bosu ball, or a core-board. Either work well.

Another game I like to play on the trail when hiking with my son is rock-hopping. I try not to touch the trail in rocky parts, instead hopping from rock to rock. Since my son is usually slow in these parts, I get enough time to give my ankles a thourough work-over.

Just my own thoughts. The brace would be a good thing to put in your first aid kit for if you twist your ankle.

-percious

Hi Mary Ellen,

I'm with Dugan. I see a lot of guys taping their skates for better support especially as they (not me) get older.
Tape the ankle to see if it works or helps during the bad days. You should still be able to wear your socks and boots. With a brace, it might not be as comfortable and your boots might not fit right or cause other problems like blisters.
But please continue with the doctor as they hopefully know best.
Are you using poles too? If not, it might help a little.

Good luck,
Bill

An alternative to percious' suggestion would be standing on a thick pillow, or two if one isn't thick enough. It gives you that unstable feel that makes all the muscles around your ankle work like crazy and it worked for me...

I also had a bad ankle sprain once which left me with a weak left ankle. I find that taping my ankle and wearing hiking boots with stong ankle support do it for me. Just be sure to tape your ankle properly and with the proper tape;many people do it wrong. The following link is a lengthy page but it has pictures at the bottom on how to properly tape the ankle.

Taping my ankle, wearing a knee brace, must be getting older. Whatever it takes to hike I'll do it. Best wishes to you with this.

http://www.emedicine.com/sports/topic143.htm

I'm in exactly the same position you are, and my physical therapist found a "brace" I really like and I can run/hike/ski with it on very easily. It's an elastic ankle sleeve with four elastic straps attached, each with velcro at the end. You wrap each of the straps around your ankle in opposite directions and it simulates a taping of the ankle, but you can use it over and over again, obviously. I'll try to find the info on it, who makes it, etc. and post it if I can.

MEB: I hiked all last year in the "AirSport" Ankle Brace. I was able to wear it comfortably under my low cut New Balance MA900 trail shoes. My doctor prescribed it for me, and it was coverd under insurance. I found out after about 250 miles using this that I had 2 torn ligaments and a torn tendon (we won't mention the stress fractured tibia and metatarsal ). None of this had shown up on X-rays, but further tests found them! I had no issues whatsoever wearing this, and the fit was excellent. I will likely start the year with this.

WhiteMTHike: I hear you. This is my knee brace

poles?

Do you hike with poles? If not, that might be something you'd want to consider. The poles will relieve a lot of stress from the ankles and knees. You might still turn an ankle from time to time but the poles would help temper the severity of the strain.

thanks,
denton fabrics

thank you!

Hey Everyone,

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I do the standing on one leg but I think I'll give it a try with the pillow. I also have a big rubber band that I hook around my foot and use that for strenghtening. Hiking poles are a must but I still manage to stumble even when I'm using them!

I think I'll try taping it this weekend and see how that works before I go out and purchase a brace....I also think I need to do a bit more research on them as well. The one the doc mentioned seems cumbersome and I can't see how it would work with my boots.

-MEB

SherpaKroto said:

"AirSport" Ankle Brace

Click to expand...

I had a similar brace after I broke my ankle, and it seemed to work pretty well. I was able to comfortably wear it with hiking boots. While it definately is a good idea to try and strengthen your ankle, it's probably not a good idea to mix this with hiking until it's improved.

I have a tendency to turn my ankle and once sprained it. I preferred taping over an ankle brace because it was more comfortable and how I taped it determined how well it fit within my boot, which I like snug but not tight up near the ankle.

I wear an orthodic so that aggravates the tendency to turn ankles. The closer your foot is to the ground the less likely you are to turn an ankle so to the extent that effects your decisions on boots or inserts, keep it in mind.

Here is the exercise I was prescribed to help strengthen the ankles. It is a variation on the standing on a pillow theme. Stand on any surface and pull the opposite ankle up to your butt ... this stretches your quads in the other foot while you're strengthening your ankle. Now, close your eyes and start reciting the alphabet ... this improves your balance as well as strengthening your ankle ... and, your knowledge of the alphabet becomes very intimate, too.

I don't know whether this is good medicine or not but I figure even if I strenthen my ankle, wear good boots etc., I'm still likely to turn my ankle on rocks, roots and whatever else I come across while I blithely skylark along. Therefore, I also stretch my ankle periodically to make sure it retains flexibility for the inevitable.

I was given the aircast last spring while rehabbing an complete ligament rupture and teeny fracture. Unlike others here, the only shoes I could wear it with were big and loose, completely inappropriate for hiking.

The other thing I like about taping is its adjustability. You can vary the tension in different pieces until you get what suits you best.

I hiked with the same brace last summer that SherpaK used. I hike in Montrail Torre GTX's and I was able to get decent closure. As a matter of fact SherpaK and myself were on a backpacking trip with matching sprained ankles and both had alot of success with the brace. If you are doing the one foot stand without a wobble board, do it with your eyes closed. It is much more difficult. ALso remember to do the opposite foot while you are at it.

I have a similar problem with my ankle. I use an ACE elastic brace that pulls on like a sock. I've had good luck with them - they cost less than $10 and can go through the laundry (big plus). The elastic does wear out over time and they need to be repaced every so often, but they're inexpensive enough. I'm sure taping would work well too and the Airsport brace looks interesting as well...

After breaking a bone in my ankle & previous other fractures in vicinity thanks to tsepping on people's feet over the course of 30+ years of basketball, volleyball & soccer, after the last break I went with tape & a neoprene brace plus big boots.

Now almost nine years later, just in stiffer boots than most people, now that eeryone is in trail runners UI may get down to Day hiking boots which would be a far cry from my mountaineering boots. May even where trail runners in TN this summer as terrain is different than the rockpile.

I would have thought the lace up ankle braces would be more popular. I frequently twisted my ankles playing basketball then would want to go hiking soon after of course. Sometime I would wear the brace and other times I would carry it with me in case I felt I needed it. The lace up braces are relatively cheap, light, not very bulky and are so easy to put on compared to taping up properly.

That reminds me to make sure I put one in with my med kit again.

my thought is laces would feel bad under tongue of boot while taping does not change fit too much

the aircast sport brace that sherpa linked to is the most comfortable with the best ankle support , the other aircast are very comfortable but they do not fit well in a boot,

Hey MEB,

It sound like you've gotten a lot of good advice. If none of the braces etc. work, try the Heat Moldable Footbeds by SOLE. (got mine at EMS) My right foot was rolling in (pronating) and I found myself limping a little towards the end of the day. I was skeptical at first, and they were pricy, but they really worked great. I know yours is a different problem, but alignment may help!