Ankle braces are a simple and effective way to provide additional support to the ankle joint.
People with arthritis or who have broken or dislocated their ankle typically wear ankle braces to aid in their recovery. But ankle braces can also help fend off injuries.
Below, our team of health experts have brought together the most important benefits of wearing ankle braces.
9 Benefits Of Ankle Braces
If you are wondering whether these kinds of supportive devices are for you take a look at our list of the 9 most important benefits of wearing ankle braces.
1: Ankle braces can provide necessary support for weakened joints.
Tremendous pressure is brought to bear on the ankle joint during even the most mundane activity (1). Ankle braces at their most basic are designed to help your body deal with these forces as you age, or when recovering from repetitive stress or traumatic injury. If a person has a tendency to turn their ankle on uneven surfaces a compression ankle brace can provide just enough additional support to allow the person to run or hike with confidence. If a person is recovering from an ankle injury a brace is an essential tool in the recovery arsenal.
2: Ankle braces can help correct posture.
Ankle problems have a tendency to project themselves up the leg and into the back. Sometimes people are not even aware that they have begun to change their posture in response to pain emanating from their lower legs. But it happens. While many people will default to corrective shoes to try an alleviate postural problems the issue may be directly related to a troublesome ankle. In that case an ankle brace can help right what’s wrong with your ankle.
3: Ankle braces can reduce chronic joint pain.
Chronic joint pain can be the result of repetitive stress, osteoarthritis (2), rheumatoid arthritis (3), gout (4) and more. It may also stem from an injury that was never given the opportunity to heal properly. In many cases people find ankle braces helpful in dealing with chronic joint pain. In most cases a simple compression ankle brace will be sufficient to alleviate this type of nagging pain. But in other cases there may be deterioration of the joint itself that requires something more stout.
4: Ankle braces can help fend off future injuries.
Those with a history of ankle injury or who have suffered high ankle sprains (5) may want to wear an ankle brace simply to prevent future injuries. A simple compression ankle brace can provide the little bit of extra support the ankle needs to keep it from turning again. Older individuals who hesitate to exercise because they fear the potential for things like ankle injuries can have their fears alleviated by wearing ankle braces. Athletes concerned that they may reinjury an ankle are often seen wearing ankle braces of every imaginable size and type.
5: Ankle braces can help reduce ankle swelling by removing pressure on the joint.
When the ankle joint sustains an injury it tends to swell. Sometimes dramatically. This causes pain and stiffness. And because of where it is located, it’s not uncommon for the swelling associated with ankle injuries to take considerable time to subside. This is because people need to get around and every time they stand and walk they aggravate the ankle injury a bit, prolonging the swelling. An ankle brace can help alleviate swelling associated with an ankle injury. This will help increase mobility, reduce pain and stiffness and facilitate overall healing.
6: Ankle braces can help manage chronic conditions.
The most common condition affecting the health and integrity of ankle joints is arthritis. But, regardless of how painful it can be people with arthritis still need to move around (6). Certainly there are medicines available that will help reduce pain associated with arthritis. But an ankle brace can be an important tool in helping people with such chronic conditions maintain their mobility. Exactly which type of ankle brace is right for a particular person will depend on the degree of degradation their joints have experienced.
7: Ankle braces can help with broken or dislocated ankles.
If you’re a fan of sports highlights you’re familiar with those broken or dislocated ankle videos where the announcer states with an ashen face “We have to warn you, the following video may be disturbing to some people.” And disturbing it is. Whether you’re a pro athlete or not a dislocated ankle can be pass-out painful and as can a broken ankle. Either one is a major trauma that will take months to recover from. And both will require the wearing of an ankle brace for most or all of that time.
8: Ankle braces can alleviate pain from achilles tendinitis.
Achilles tendinitis (7) – sometimes called ‘Achilles heel’ – is typically the result of repetitive stress placed on the achilles tendon by running, walking or jogging. Achilles tendinitis is characterized by pain at the back of the ankle joint and heel. This can lead a person to try and compensate by changing their normal gait. Which by itself can often lead to other injuries. Compression ankle braces are often recommended for Achilles tendinitis.
9: Ankle braces can help with plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis (8) is a condition named after the plantar fascia tendon – the large tendon that runs lengthwise through the ‘arch’ of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is the result of this tendon becoming inflamed, typically by overuse. But also sometimes because a person is overweight or because they have recently changed their running routine and started running on hard surfaces. Compression ankle braces are often recommended to help treat this condition.
Conclusion
If you suffer from arthritis, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis or another malady of the foot and ankle consider the benefits of wearing an ankle brace. Ankle braces are affordable, effective and can be used effectively by anyone.