Ankle Supports & Ankle Braces

Ankle braces and supports have been demonstrated to significantly reduce the risk of sprained ankles in numerous research studies. Modern lightweight ankle supports and braces such as the Aircast AirSport and A60 and the Donjoy Rocketsoc provide fantastic ankle support for the treatment and prevention of an ankle sprain injury, which is one of the most common sports injuries there is. The Aircast ankle supports have been used by tennis star Andrew Murray in order to prevent recurrent sprained ankle injuries and ankle pain.

An ankle brace or support works by providing physical restraint and reinforcing the supporting action of the ankle ligaments such as the anterior talofibula ligament, calcaneofibula ligament, deltoid ligament, tolonavicular ligament and posterior talofibula ligament. Ankle supports and braces also provide sensory feedback to the sensory nerve around the ankle which improves a patient's sense of proprioception. Proprioception is the ability to know where a joint is positioned without looking at it. Compromised proprioception can lead to an ankle sprain so proprioception training forms a large part of sprained ankle rehabilitation during physiotherapy treatment of a sprained ankle.

Overall by wearing an ankle brace or support the risk of twisting an ankle or rolling an ankle is greatly reduced. Special ankle supports and braces for football are now available. The Mueller soccer ankle brace has a special high cut to provide protection from a sprained ankle, while still allowing foot movement that is necessary for football.