About Ankle Braces
One of the areas prone to injury in an athlete or a person with pre-osteoporosis is the ankle joint. Ankle braces allow individuals to maintain an active lifestyle while protecting their ankle joints against injury.
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Function
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An ankle brace is used to keep a broken or sprained ankle from moving in a way that would prevent the injury from healing or re-injure the bones and joints of the ankle. It also supports the ankle joint while it is healing. An athlete engaged in his sport may wear an ankle brace to avoid injury of a weak ankle joint. Ankle braces also prevent edema and swelling by compressing the area around the Achilles tendon and joint.
Types
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In most ankle braces, the wearer inserts her foot into a stirrup-like, open-toed shell. The method of keeping the ankle brace on the foot can be through nylon and Velcro straps that are criss-crossed, a front boot part that is laced and tied, a wide Velcro band at the top, or a combination of these. Some braces have rigid shells and hinges in the ankle joint area. Ankle braces provide different levels of support. Some companies rate their ankle braces with numbers, 1 being the mildest support and 4 providing range-of-motion limitation for people who require maximum protection from re-injury. Other companies rate the levels of support with words like mild, moderate or intense.
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Features
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All ankle braces surround the ankle with some type of supportive material. The ankle brace is usually kept on the foot with elasticized bands with Velcro on them. The sides of the brace may have rigid or semi-rigid stays, or air cushions to increase support.
Benefits
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A brace can assist a person who has had an ankle injury to feel secure in walking. With older individuals, that confidence can help them become ambulatory again. Ankle braces also allow a person who is prone to ankle injuries to participate in his favorite sport without the risk of getting a sprain.
Warnings
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When putting on an ankle brace, the individual should follow the manufacturer's directions carefully. In ankle braces with compression bands, the band should not restrict blood circulation to the foot. If it does, the band should be loosened or the individual should lie down with the foot raised to a level above the heart until swelling is reduced in the ankle and the band no longer cuts off circulation.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Sandra L. Petersen
