Ankle brace while tricking

[-Envy-]

Over the past year I have twice sprained my right ankle pretty badly (both on aerials). I'm thinking of getting an ankle brace for tricking. Would wearing an ankle brace while tricking help to prevent another injury without impeding my movements much? Does anyone here wear one?

[Skilzat85X]

It might help, but it could also bring about other issues or accident possibilities since it will limit your range of motion.

[tricker383]

be more specific by what kind its like i sometimes wear an ankle support on both ankles but mine are just neoprane double strapped supports so i have full range of motion but they are like super stong

[Bryanimay]

I sprained my right ankle real bad about 2.5 years ago . I wore an ankle brace for the longest time [ a year or so] until I felt it recovered fully . I did some light conditioning and such to help it heal over that time period as well .

I lightly sprained my left ankle a couple months ago and still wear a small ankle brace when I trick .

Tendons and ligaments [soft tissue] take a long time to fully heal .

So yeah , ankle braces will definitely help - not just physically , but mentally . You will be reminded that you do have weak ankles if you choose wear a brace - you'll be more self-conscious and aware of what you're doing as not to re-injure yourself this way .

[Kou]

I felt more supported if anything. They're good but don't do it all the time or the above will happen.

[mike111590]

only prob is if you always where it your joints do get weaker and your ankle becomes dependent on the brace and when not wearing it they will not be as strong. So yes wear during a light injury to help to a speedy recovery, just not always.

[900rmk]

Mike is right, I wore an ankle brace every time I tricked for a couple months and whenever I took it off my ankle felt really weak.

[Skilzat85X]

To be honest if your ankle hurts while tricking you should be doing something easier, or better yet not tricking at all.

And a brace may make you feel more secure, the compression can provide some relief, nothing wrong with that. Will it make your ankle physically weaker? Well, if you're wearing it during a recovery period, not so much. If you're wearing it after the recovery period, it still will be rather insignificant. The difference will be in your mind.

Because after you injure your ankle, it's going to come back weaker than it was regardless of whether you were wearing a brace or not.


In the end, the brace is sorta like placebo. Because people don't sprain their ankles due to "weak ankles", they get repetitive stress injuries due to weak ankles. They sprain their ankles by freak accidents. And you could have the strongest ankles in the world, but if you put several times your body weight onto your ankle at an awkward position (IE, the side of your foot), it's going to sprain son.

This is why, while strengthening your ankles can do nothing but help you, it's also best to get your reflexes used to recovering from awkward falls, so you catch yourself instead of forcing a bunch of weight onto a joint at an awkward angle.

[loveisalie2]

I just wear sport tape around my bad ankle it works fine

[Tossman]

I just wear sport tape around my bad ankle it works fine
The problem with always using tape is that that shit is expensive. You buy a roll, it runs out after a few applications, you buy another roll.

I use a brace. I rarely trick without it.

[Tamonten]

I have strong ankles but managed to sprain it last january while landing completely on its side.

I use an ankle support when I trick not because it pains me (well sometimes, but I usually take that session easy if it is) but more as a sort of reassurance. I know it isn't affecting the state of my tricking or significantly protecting anything, but I feel some what safer when I have it on.

It's worth a try none the less if you ask me.

[A_Wilhelm]

I have ankleproblems since like ever, and wear ancle braces way longer than I trick. I think there are a few factors which are important to this subject.

At first, whenever your feet are in the air, no matter if it's walking, running, jumping, or tricking, your ankles are relaxed, and tend to be in a tilted position. If your feet reach the ground in this position, you will most likely twist your ankle.

Most of the time, you know when you will hit the ground, and your foot will change to the right position, but due to a fatigued nervous system, carelessness, or former injuries, it can happen, that you hit the ground in a false position and twist your ankle. Braces keep your feet in the right position, so it's unlikely, that your foot hits the ground in an awkward position. This effect is even caused by slight braces.

This braces won't prevent injuries when you actually hit the ground in an awkward position, and you'll twist your ankle nonetheless. So in sports, where you cant always influence how your feet hit the ground due to other players, uneven ground, or situations you cant totally control, like eg. tricking, you need much heavier braces to prevent an injurie.

I use one of this kind

http://christian.box4.net/zulassung/Bilder/Kapite23.jpg

plus some tape around it, and one of this stronger ones around it

http://christian.box4.net/zulassung/Bilder/Kapite64.jpg

on each foot. And I think this works quite well for me, because I had a few situations, were I twisted my ancle, but the braces prevented a real injurie, and it was only slightly injured for two weeks or so.

until a year ago I only used the slight one, and I have to say, I had less injuries, but when I twisted my ankle, it wasn't much less, than without a brace.

concerning the negative influences of the braces I have to say, that the feet start to hurt after an one or two hours of sports when I wear shoes, but it depends on how tight I lace them. I don't have any pain when I am barefoot.

For the range of motion, I think it's not that limitating in most sports. At first when you buy them, they are a little stiff, and you have a little problems with jumping to your full potential, but after wearing them a few times, there's no lack anymore.

For Rotations, they limit your range of motion a little, but to no extend which would be really hindering. You can still tilt them to the side enough, when you land unideal or on uneven ground, or when you have to place your feet beside of your body, and rotations are still possible as usual, and I hadn't any knee problems or stuff like that from them.

Concerning the strength of your ankles I have to say, that I have naturally relatively weak ankles, but it didn't get worse from the braces, and I work on strengthen them. Also you don't have to wear them for all sports etc, just for the ones with a higher risk, and there's no reason why you can't strenghten your ankles beside of your normal sport, which doesn't cost that much time.

It's more or less also a mental issue, because you can learn to tread more conscious and carefully, and have more body awareness.

On the other hand braces aren't only helpful for your body, but also for your mind, because you aren't that afraid to get injured anymore, which can effect your performance negatively. Or at least that's how it works for me. For other people it may works the other way around, and they feel reminded on the possibility of injuring yourself, and are more careful. This sure depends on the persons character to some degree.

This is a long text, you can read it or not, and there are plenty other opinions on the market. This is just what I experienced, and what works for me, and maybe it helps someone.

[Anima]

It worked for me. They're comfy to haha.

[Kalvin]

lol idk about ankle braces, but my knee brace doesn't affect me at all, makes my right leg feel tiny bit heavier but thats about it.

[-Envy-]

Thanks guys. I'll just get one and try it out. I don't really want one because my ankle hurts, but for support to prevent another injury since they suck.