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Do You Need an Ankle Brace?
So, you have just twisted your ankle and are in some pain, what should you do now. The key to successfully treating a sprain is to start working on it as soon as possible. If you try and walk it off, you could end up doing even more damage. Likewise, you can exacerbate the injury by doing nothing at all.
Your best bet here is to pay a visit to your doctor to get an idea of the severity of the sprain. In most cases, you will be looking at a non-surgical type of treatment, which usually means staying off your feet altogether, using crutches, or going with an ankle brace. If it’s the latter option that is recommended, then you have some decisions to make about what sort of ankle brace you should use.
Which Type of Ankle Brace is Best?
The type of brace you need will be dependent on the severity of your injury, which are measured in degrees. With a sprain, you will have ligament damage, while a strain involves damage to the muscles or tendons in the ankle. Sprains are the most common injury, and they usually also involve some sort of strain.
If you suffered a 1st degree sprain or a mild strain, you are probably looking at a couple of weeks of swelling and discomfort. A mild or lightweight ankle brace is all that you really need to help you through this type of injury.
The 2nd degree strain is the most common of the three different types, and you may well be looking at wearing an ankle brace for up to a month. Moderate or medium support ankle braces are used for these types of injuries. These ankle braces offer support when you are making lateral movements, which is when the pain with these types of strains is most severe.
The 3rd degree sprain is not particularly common, and is usually reserved for athletes. Surgical treatment may be required, and you can be sidelined for anywhere from 12 weeks to 1 year. Maximum support ankle braces are generally used for these types of injuries, and they can help the wearer to avoid reaggravation of the injury.
When to Wear an Ankle Brace
If you are recovering from an injury, then you should wear the ankle brace any time you need to be on your feet. It’s worth noting that you can also wear an ankle brace as a preventative measure when you are engaging in physical activity. If this is the case, look for one that offers great support, and which is also comfortable to wear.
