Ankle injuries are common, particularly among athletes. They can range from minor sprains to severe fractures and significantly impact an individual’s ability to perform daily activities or participate in sports. Given the prevalence of these injuries, it’s crucial to understand the role of ankle support in injury prevention.
Ankle support comes in various forms, including braces and wraps, and is a protective measure to help prevent injuries. It provides stability to the ankle joint, limiting excessive movement that could lead to injury. Here, you will learn the importance of ankle support, how it works, its benefits and limitations, and the role of strengthening workouts in enhancing ankle stability and preventing injuries.
Remember, while this article provides general advice and information, it is always best to consult with a healthcare professional for personalized guidance and exercise selection.
The Importance of Ankle Support for Injury Prevention
Ankle support is crucial in injury prevention, particularly for individuals with a history of ankle problems or those participating in high-risk activities (so if you love hoops, you might need ankle braces for basketball players). According to Seth Forman, M.Ed., Athletic & Sports Performance Trainer, CSCS, with Kayezen, “Ankle braces and wraps are meant to limit the range of motion in specific directions depending on an injury to soft connective tissues such as ligaments, fascia, and tendon.” Various types of ankle supports help prevent injury, such as braces and wraps, including compression, lace-up, hinged, and rigid braces, among others.
Types of Ankle Braces
- Compression sleeves: These tight-fitting, stretchy sleeves provide mild support and help with swelling and pain relief. They may be helpful for injury prevention.
- Lace-up: Lace-up braces offer more support than a neoprene or elastic compression sleeve, as they limit ankle movement in all directions. They may be most helpful for mild to moderate sprains.
- Hinged: Much like lace-up braces, hinged braces offer semi-rigid support. However, their hinge restricts side-to-side movement but allows up-and-down movement. These are best for people who want some flexibility but need support to promote recovery.
How Ankle Support Works
Ankle support comes in various forms, including braces and wraps. These devices stabilize the ankle joint, limiting excessive movement that could lead to injury. According to Forman, if the soft connective tissues sustain an injury, such as a sprained ankle, the ligaments will not sense the ankle’s position well, which results in instability. “The brace provides enough restriction to movement in the affected direction that the altered sensory receptor function in the soft connective tissues can operate on a slight delay without causing more instability,” Forman explains.
Ankle support can reduce the risk of sprains and other injuries by limiting excessive movement and providing stability. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals with a history of ankle problems or those engaging in high-risk activities. However, it’s important to note that ankle support is not a guaranteed safeguard against injuries.
Prevention of Future Injuries
Many people who wear ankle braces have been injured in the past and use them to support the ankle and prevent future injuries.
Benefits of Using Ankle Support
Ankle support can also be beneficial for individuals returning from ankle injuries. Forman explains, “Ankle support can be highly beneficial in the early stages of acute injury (1-4 weeks) depending on the issue.” By providing stability and limiting movement in the affected direction, ankle support can aid in recovery and help prevent re-injury.
KRU PT + Performance Lab Founder Dr. Kyle Krupa, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), further emphasizes the benefits of using ankle supports, especially for individuals with a history of ankle problems or those engaging in high-risk activities. “In most cases, ankle support is meant to be used as a short-term response to acute injury. Once healing occurs, degrees of external support should decrease as you go through the rehab process, making the ankle stronger and able to react to unexpected terrain changes,” he explains.
According to Dr. Krupa, if you engage in consistent high-risk activities (such as basketball and volleyball), you may benefit from the short-term added stability you get from bracing. Still, you should ultimately strengthen and improve your balance to decrease dependence on such devices. Using ankle supports, strengthening exercises, and balance training is useful as part of a comprehensive approach to injury prevention and recovery. Also, seek out shoes that provide good ankle support.
Limitations of Ankle Support
While ankle support can be beneficial, it’s also important to be aware of the potential drawbacks of overreliance on these devices. According to Forman, the longer one relies on a brace for support, the longer the process to develop functional stability becomes. “If the presence of a brace limits the ankle range of motion, the joint function will be compromised in ranges of motion greater than the brace allows, reducing stability and function during activities that require full ranges of motion,” he says. In other words, it’s crucial to use ankle support properly and not become overly reliant.
Importance of Ankle Strengthening Workouts
Ankle strengthening workouts are crucial for injury prevention and recovery. They help build strong ankle musculature, which plays a vital role in stability and balance. Strong muscles are better equipped to absorb impact and resist unwanted movement, thereby reducing the risk of injury. Forman explains it is a progressive process, starting with focused strength training and progressing to functional strength training.
Task one is to load the myofascial tissues in every direction possible, which can be accomplished through focused directional isometric resistance. This can progress to standing single-leg stance tasks and, finally, movements with body weight loads and direction changes to up-train reflexive stability for functional tasks.
Dr. Krupa explains that the ankle’s ligaments provide “primary stability” to the joint. Ligaments attach from bone to bone and cannot contract like muscles. Instead, they provide the glue necessary to keep the ankles together. Muscles crossing the ankle joint provide “secondary stability” by contracting when the ligaments nearby are damaged.
According to Dr. Krupa, it’s crucial to incorporate an ankle strengthening routine so the muscles can stabilize the joint, absorb impact, allow smooth motion, and then produce the necessary force again to run, jump, and cut. Ankle strengthening exercises help build strong muscles that can provide stability, absorb impact, and resist unwanted movement, reducing the risk of injury.
Sample Ankle Strengthening Exercises
Ankle strengthening exercises target different aspects of ankle strength, including range of motion, balance, and proprioception. Forman and Dr. Krupa recommend the exercises below. If you have a previous injury or feel an unusual discomfort, follow up with a podiatrist or sports medical physician for clearance.
Single Plane Strength Exercises
These exercises focus on strengthening the muscles that control the ankle’s movement in different directions. Start with 10-second holds and increase the time as you gain strength.
4-Way Ankle With a Band
This exercise targets the muscles responsible for dorsiflexion (lifting the foot), plantarflexion (pointing the foot), inversion (turning the foot inward), and eversion (turning the foot outward). You’ll need a resistance band to perform this exercise. Start with
Dorsiflexion:
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
- Loop a resistance band around your foot and secure one end near the floor.
- Pull your toes toward you for a two-count, engaging the muscles responsible for dorsiflexion.
Plantarflexion:
- Maintain the setup of the resistance band
- Slowly lower your foot down, as if pushing a gas pedal, for a four-count. This movement targets the plantar flexor muscles.
Inversion:
- Adjust and reposition the resistance band.
- Allow your foot and ankle to stretch laterally (inward), emphasizing the inversion movement.
Eversion:
- Using the resistance band, position it for eversion.
- Gently push your ankle outward against the band’s resistance, targeting the muscles responsible for eversion.
Isometric Squat
Verywell / Ben Goldstein
This exercise is an example of overcoming isometrics, which involves applying force against an immovable object. It’s a safe way to exert maximum effort, increasing muscle fiber recruitment at different joint angles. It also helps build tendon stiffness, allowing the muscle to absorb and exert force quickly.
- In a standing position, place your feet hip-width apart.
- Proceed to lower yourself into a squat position, like sitting in an imaginary chair.
- Push your feet firmly into the ground and maintain this position for a period of 6-10 seconds.
- You should feel your quadriceps and glutes activate during this exercise.
Isometric Calf Raise (Ankle Plantarflexion)
This exercise uses the yielding isometrics technique, which involves holding your position against gravity, preventing movement. It’s excellent for identifying unwanted compensation and building muscle endurance. To perform a calf raise exercise safely, stand close to a wall or a sturdy surface that can provide support.
- Rise on your toes, lifting your heels off the ground.
- Once you’ve lifted your heels, hold this position without moving up or down.
- Try to hold the calf raise position for 30-50 seconds to engage the calf muscle effectively.
For beginners, these exercises can be performed with less resistance or fewer repetitions. As your strength improves, you can increase the resistance or the number of repetitions.
Balance/Proprioception Exercises
These exercises improve your body’s awareness of the ankle’s position, which is crucial for maintaining balance and preventing injuries. For beginners, these exercises can be performed with both feet on the ground. As your balance improves, you can progress to standing on one leg.
Single-Leg Balance
Ben Goldstein/Verywell
- Start by standing on one leg on a stable surface.
- As your balance improves, you can progress to standing on an unstable surface, like a foam block or BOSU ball.
Auditory or Visual Reaction Exercises
Progess to maintaining balance while responding to auditory or visual cues. This increases mental focus and concentration as the body must tune into other senses to maintain balance.
- Find balance while standing single-leg and accomplishing tasks such as throwing and catching a tennis ball off the wall.
- Progressively increase demand, such as shuffling and changing direction randomly on auditory and visual cues to establish reflex function.
Consistency is key to improving ankle strength and stability. Start with exercises appropriate for your fitness level and gradually increase the difficulty as your strength and balance improve. Always consult with a healthcare professional for personalized guidance and exercise selection.
Consistency and Progression
Consistency and gradual progression are the basis of any successful exercise program, including ankle-strengthening workouts. Consistent exercise sets you up for achieving long-term benefits. Regularly performing ankle strengthening exercises will improve muscle strength and joint stability and reduce the risk of injury over time.
Dr. Krupa suggests performing initial rehab three to four times a week with varied intent each day. Once the ankle has reached a status ready for return to sport, corrective exercises are required once to twice weekly for lasting results and to prevent re-injury. The protocol can vary widely based on your injury severity and participation in high-risk activity. Below are Dr. Krupa’s guidelines for progression.
General Guidelines for Progressing Activity
- No movement or loading pattern should ever produce more than 2/10 pain. If it is, you can be doing more harm than good.
- No task should ever be so difficult that you cannot complete the assigned number of sets and reps. If you can’t do it, regress, practice, and return later
- You can manipulate variables to progress any exercise, including decreasing rest breaks, increasing volume, increasing intensity, and increasing frequency.
- Rest and recover. Use hot and cold contrast baths, near-infrared light therapy, vasopneumatic compression, and electrical stimulation to assist with pain and blood flow and facilitate healing.
Focus on your progress as you go rather than how much you do in one session. It’s helpful to track your success in a fitness journal or app so you can refer to how much you’ve gained from sticking to your routine. While it’s a good idea to challenge yourself, it’s equally important to avoid overtraining, which can make matters worse.
Gradually progressing difficulty and intensity can help prevent injuries and ensure your body has enough time to adapt to the increased demands. Start with exercises appropriate for your fitness level and gradually increase the difficulty or intensity as your strength and balance improve.
Bottom Line
When it comes to preventing ankle injuries, it’s best to take a well-rounded approach. This includes using ankle support, such as braces or wraps, which can provide stability, limit excessive movement, and potentially reduce the risk of sprains and other injuries. However, it’s crucial to remember that while beneficial, ankle support is not a fail-safe against injuries and should not be overly relied upon.
Forman stresses the importance of personalized guidance in crafting an effective injury prevention strategy. “The ankle is one of the most complex joints in the body as it provides a large range of movements and functions, making it very important to consult a healthcare professional for a tailored program to help you accomplish your goals.”
Regular and consistent ankle-strengthening exercises that match your fitness level and need also play a pivotal role in enhancing stability and balance. They build strong muscles better equipped to absorb impact and resist unwanted movement, thereby reducing the risk of injury.
Dr. Krupa emphasizes the need for a customized approach as there is no ‘one size fits all’ protocol for ankle sprains and rehabilitation. “Consult a healthcare professional right away when you sprain; the right clinician will help you create a plan to rehabilitate based on the injury severity, your degree of impairment, activity goals, and the timeline for return to sport,” he says.