Everything You Need To Know About Ankle Braces
- Edan Anonuevo
- Apr 2, 2017
- 4 min read
Ankle Braces are used to support an athlete's ankles after an injury. There are three main types of ankle braces: lace-up, post-injury and rigid. But do you know everything about ankle braces? Is it really worth to wear them? We are here to tell you all you need to know about ankle braces.
Many different athletes in many different sports wear ankle braces. These sports include basketball, football and netball. The main purpose of wearing an ankle brace is to help heal the ankle after an injury, such as ankle sprains. Ankle braces immobilise the ankle so it doesn't move around or move awkwardly. This basically prevents movement in the ankle.
(Ankle sprains are caused when the foot is twisted or rolled, which moves the ankle joint out of place. This causes the ligaments around the ankle to stretch or tear, swelling up or bruising around the ankle. Pain is associated with ankle sprains, and athletes will need time to rest and heal the sprain. Sprains can be treated by elevating the ankle and applying ice to reduce the swelling. Do not apply a lot of weight on your ankle and get plenty of rest. You can wear ankle braces, once the pain has gone, when playing sports.)
The one benefit of wearing an ankle brace is that it helps prevent any ankle injury occurring again. Athletes are scared that an ankle injury may happen again and even create a worse situation. By immobilising the ankle, it will stop your ankle from rolling over when switching direction quickly, preventing an ankle sprain from happening.
In the NBA (National Basketball Association), many athletes who young aspiring players and fans too up to, wear ankle braces. Wardell Stephen Curry, a two-time MVP and NBA Champion who players for the Golden State Warriors, wears an ankle brace on both his ankles. The reason for this is that in previous years, Stephen has had many ankle injuries, which took time to heal, leaving him out for a few games. He wears ankle braces to prevent injuries occurring again and to let his ankles fully heal. His signature shoes with Under Armour are custom made to form around his ankle braces. The material at the top of his shoe is thinner to allow room for the Japanese ankle braces he wears. Many young basketball players who look up to Curry are wearing ankle braces too, not because they have had ankle injuries in the past, but because they think it looks cool and really just want to be and play like Curry.
But there is a downside to wearing ankle braces if not necessary is that your ankle may weaken. This is because the ankle now relies on the ankle brace and does not move properly and naturally. If you take off your ankle brace after wearing it regularly in games, you may be prone to another ankle injury, because of the weakness in the ankle.
Another downside to wearing ankle braces is immobilisation. Ankle braces that are very solid and rigid, like the lace-up or rigid type ankle braces, immobilise the ankle. This basically means that the ankle has no freedom to move in its natural range of motion. The ankle is made to move and not to stay in one place. Thus, in return, the energy that is supposed to be absorbed by the lower parts of the leg, including the ankle, are directed to the knee. This is why athletes are told to bend down after landing from a jump, so the energy is distributed evenly between the leg and not only at one area.
When the energy is taken into the knee, it can result in injury to the knee. The knee is not meant to move and is not a mobile part of the body. When the knee moves, as the energy is transferred to the knee, there is a chance that the knee will move, causing more serious knee injuries than a basic ankle sprain. Knee injuries may include knee sprains, strains or a ligament tear (torn ACL - anterior cruciate ligament). Normally, when a professional athlete has torn their ACL, especially in the NBA, their professional career to said to be over. They will no longer have the explosiveness and motion they had at their peak and will play worse, even if the ACL has healed. Torn ACLs take a long time to heal, so is it worth to wear an ankle brace if you do not have an ankle injury only to have a more serious injury?
To conclude, ankle braces are helpful in preventing ankle injuries and to heal the ankle after an injury. But it is not necessary to wear an ankle brace if you have no injury. If you do, it may result in a more serious injury like a torn ACL that will take longer to heal, which is not worth it. Only wear an ankle brace if necessary.
If you want to learn more about ankle braces, watch this video here.
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