Do ankle braces help?

There are various ankle braces on the market now, which are suitable for people whose ankles are easily injured, such as basketball and football players, badminton players, tennis players, etc. In addition, people who are engaged in dancing should also pay attention to the protection of the ankle joints. There are many measures to protect the ankle joints, such as using ankle braces during exercise. So what is the role of ankle braces?

Do ankle braces help?

Professional ankle braces are still useful. There are two types of ankle braces, one is the wrap-around type and the other is the strap type. The wrap-around type can be worn when there is no injury (or no old injury), to enhance the ankle's ability to resist sprains and strengthen the joint strength. When using the strap type, you must pay attention to the tying method. It is difficult to teach how to tie it clearly here, but the strap type is better to use when there is an injury. It can enhance greater torsional resistance than the wrap-around type, but it will also hinder blood circulation when tied tightly. Only those who are used to it will choose it, otherwise they will wait until the injury is healed before playing.

However, I feel that wearing this affects my flexibility, but it helps protect my ankles.

In mild cases of ankle sprain, the ligaments are loosened or torn; in severe cases, the ligaments are completely ruptured, with subluxation of the ankle joint, or fracture and dislocation. After an ankle sprain, the patient will experience pain and swelling in the front or below of the outer heel, and ecchymosis may occur in the acute phase. At this time, inversion of the foot will aggravate the pain, while eversion of the foot will relieve the pain.

There are many reasons for ankle sprains, including insufficient warm-up; uneven sandy ground; wearing bad training shoes; lack of concentration during exercise; stepping on the ball when jumping or running.

The diagnosis is relatively simple, and an initial diagnosis can be made based on the history of trauma and symptoms and signs. But it is necessary to identify the severity and then make an appropriate diagnosis. Generally speaking, if you feel pain when you move your ankle, but it is not severe, it is mostly soft tissue damage and can heal itself. If you feel pain when moving your ankle, cannot stand or move, the pain is in the bone, there is a sound when you sprain it, or swelling occurs quickly after the injury, these are signs of a fracture and you should go to the hospital for treatment immediately.

For less severe ankle sprains, immediate cold compresses (soak in cold water for 10-15 minutes) can reduce the pain, prevent excessive swelling and help prevent bleeding in the tissue.