What causes Pickleball ankle injuries?
With explosive movements forward, backward, and side-to-side Pickleball can place incredible stress on the ligaments that hold your ankle joint together. Moving laterally or accidently stepping on your double’s partners foot can cause the most common ankle injury in Pickleball – the inversion ankle injury. An inversion ankle injury involves the ankle excessively rolling inward either stretching or tearing the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. Once the ligament is stretched from excessive ankle turning, it remains stretched causing the ankle to become loose and often unstable, making you more susceptible to suffering from another ankle injury. The only way to stop this cycle of ankle sprains is with a proper rehabilitation program and a functional ankle brace that allows full natural ankle range of motion while providing support and stability to the ankle joint.
Which ankle brace is the best for Pickleball?
Some pickleball players wear the lace-up style ankle supports primarily because they are inexpensive and work like a reusable ankle tape job. A lace-up is basically a corset that restricts all ankle range of motion which is not ideal when you are trying to keep the ankle strong and maximize performance. When you’re restricting normal up and down motion the ankle joint is working against the lace-up brace causing it to lose 70% of its effectiveness during the first 20 minutes of activity. Additionally, most lace-ups take too long to put on and take off and are now being replaced by more advanced technologies.
Rigid plastic ankle braces are another style of ankle supports that you may see when researching ankle braces for Pickleball. These types of ankle braces have a hinge and allow free up and down ankle motion to maximize performance and keep the muscles strong. They will provide much more ankle stability than the lace-up support because the brace moves with the ankle, not against it, so the straps stay securely in place. The downside to these braces is that the rigidity can be uncomfortable and bulky in the shoe which Pickleball players typically do not like.
A third style of ankle brace that offers the performance aspect of the hinged brace with the softness and low profile of the lace-up is the Ultra Zoom. The brace shell is made of an advanced flexible material called Performathane that uses body heat to custom-fit to the ankle. The hinged-cuff design allows your ankle to move in all the natural ways while helping to prevent any excessive movement that may cause an injury.
For those athletes who prefer a hinged ankle brace with easy application I’d recommend the Ultra High-5 as it requires only one strap to secure. With the Ultra High-5 the bottom of the brace goes under the insole of the shoe, making the ankle brace and shoe work together to help protect you from ankle injuries.
To sum things up, the best ankle braces for Pickleball players are the ones that are designed to move with the ankle joint and not restrict natural ankle motion. These types of ankle braces will have a molded plastic shell with a hinge that will enhance performance and provide long-lasting ankle support.
If you’re a Pickleball player with a history of ankle injuries and want to speak with one of our certified athletic trainers about your specific situation, give us a call or send us an email and we’d be happy to help.
SHARE WITH FRIENDS
RECENT POSTS
ULTRA ANKLE AMBASSADORS
POST BY TOPIC
- Acute Ankle Injuries (3)
- Ankle Bracing (25)
- Ankle Injuries (5)
- Ankle Injury Prevention (4)
- Ankle Instability (1)
- Athletic Trainers (6)
- Athletic Training (18)
- Basketball (4)
- Football (4)
- Hiking (1)
- Mild/Moderate Ankle Injury (2)
- News (2)
- Osteoarthritis (1)
- Soccer (1)
- Softball (1)
- Sports (14)
- Tennis (1)
- Ultra CTS (6)
- Ultra Zoom (4)
- Uncategorized (2)
- Volleyball (7)
An ankle fusion is the last thing anybody suffering from ankle arthritis wants to go through but sometimes the pain is so debilitating that it’s the only choice. An ankle fusion is a type of surgery that fuses the bones of your ankle into one piece. This allows for new bone to heal across the fused ankle joint. After surgery the patient is placed in a walking boot or cast and is instructed to remain non-weight-bearing for up to 8-12 weeks even though complete healing can take up to five months. With this aggressive surgical procedure and lengthy recovery time many ankle arthritis sufferers will exhaust all efforts searching for an alternative to ankle fusion before committing to the surgery.
Ankle arthritis occurs when the cartilage is either damaged or worn out which creates a condition where bone is rubbing on bone. With no shock-absorbing cartilage between the bones, osteophytes (bone spurs) develop and cause irritation to the joint. This may result in in ankle pain, swelling and stiffness. For this reason, patients with ankle arthritis typically find it difficult to stand or walk without being in pain. The result is limited mobility and a reduction of normal daily activities.
Through our website I correspond with ankle arthritis suffers who are facing a potential ankle fusion and are searching for an ankle brace that can help delay the surgery or eliminate it all together. For these individuals I recommend our Ultra CTS (Custom Treatment System) ankle brace. While most ankle braces are designed to help prevent excessive ankle turning, some ankle braces are designed to also reduce weight-bearing pain. For an ankle brace to reduce weight-bearing pain it must be able to “unload or offload” the ankle. “Unloading” means the ankle brace will absorb some of the impact from standing or walking that would normally be transferred to the ankle joint causing irritation and pain. The Ultra CTS works by absorbing a portion of the impact created from standing or walking and then applies that impact “or energy” to the lower leg thus bypassing the ankle joint.
Less impact means less pain and joint irritation.
Since ankle arthritis is mainly caused by a history of ankle trauma, which could include multiple ankle sprains or fractures, it stands to reason the ankle may be unstable which is contributing to the joint wear and tear. The Ultra CTS will stabilize and firm up the lower leg and ankle – helping control unwanted joint movement that results in excessive irritation and pain. Since the Ultra CTS has a hinge, full up and down ankle range of motion is encouraged to help keep the muscles strong and the joint flexible.
Learn More About the Ultra CTS Ankle Brace →
Our goal when treating ankle osteoarthritis (OA) with an ankle brace is to reduce joint irritation so the condition doesn’t worsen. Wearing the Ultra CTS is a great way to reduce or slow down the effects of ankle OA so you can maintain a healthy and mobile lifestyle.
If you have any other questions about ankle braces for your ankle osteoarthritis, leave us a comment below or send one of our certified athletic trainers a message.
- Rick Peters
- September 21, 2020
- 1:40 pm
- 3 Comments
SHARE WITH FRIENDS
RECENT POSTS
ULTRA ANKLE AMBASSADORS
POST BY TOPIC
- Acute Ankle Injuries (3)
- Ankle Bracing (25)
- Ankle Injuries (5)
- Ankle Injury Prevention (4)
- Ankle Instability (1)
- Athletic Trainers (6)
- Athletic Training (18)
- Basketball (4)
- Football (4)
- Hiking (1)
- Mild/Moderate Ankle Injury (2)
- News (2)
- Osteoarthritis (1)
- Soccer (1)
- Softball (1)
- Sports (14)
- Tennis (1)
- Ultra CTS (6)
- Ultra Zoom (4)
- Uncategorized (2)
- Volleyball (7)
While ankle braces fit comfortably in most traditional athletic shoes or sneakers with a tongue and laces, there are some shoes that don’t work well with braces.
If you purchase an ankle brace and can’t fit it inside your shoe, or its uncomfortable while you’re wearing it with your shoes, it may be due to the design or style of the shoe and not the ankle brace. For that reason, it’s a good idea to know up front which shoes you should avoid when wearing your ankle braces.
The style of sneaker that works best with ankle braces have a traditional tongue and laces design so you can spread out the opening of the shoe and easily insert the ankle brace. Low-top athletic shoes work best with ankle braces because they don’t apply undue pressure over your ankle bones like a mid- or high-top shoe will.
Athletic shoe styles are changing all the time. It’s important to know how these new styles impact the fit of an ankle brace inside the shoe. In recent years athletic shoe companies have been introducing sneakers that deviate from the traditional shoe design. Rather than having a traditional tongue and laces, this new style of shoe has a collar or sleeve design that makes it almost impossible to fit the brace in the shoe. These shoes typically are of the mid- or high-top design and are hardest to fit an ankle brace inside.
We have found that our customers with these newer types of shoes can usually wear a hinged ankle brace if their foot size is above a women’s size 9 or a men’s size 7 – it all depends on how large the opening to the sleeve of the shoe is.
For those without a traditional tongue and laces design, a smaller shoe size, or a high-top shoe a lace-up ankle brace will most likely be the best option for you. The Ultra 360 locks your ankle in place while the figure-8 straps provide 360º of ankle support to help prevent excessive ankle rolling. The multi-adjustable design allows you to customize your level of support.
Athletes
If you’re an athlete who is planning to wear an ankle brace and you want it to fit in the shoe properly and be comfortable to wear for long periods of time stick with a traditional, low-top sneaker designed for the sport you play.
No high-top shoe is going to prevent an injury in sports that have a higher risk of ankle sprains (such as basketball or volleyball) where the mechanism of injury is coming down from a jump and landing on an opposing players foot at a high velocity. Therefore, we recommend wearing a low top athletic shoe with a high performance ankle brace, like the Ultra Zoom, which is designed to help prevent ankle injuries or lessen the severity should an injury occur. The Ultra Zoom will fit easily in a traditional low top sneaker and provide a comfortable fit all season long.
Conventional wisdom is that high-top athletic shoes or tall work boots can support the ankle more effectively than low tops primarily because the high-top shoe is higher and therefore has more leverage to grab the ankle and hold it in place. However, todays high-top sneakers are not your parent’s high-tops.
These new high-top designs use flexible and stretchable materials with the goal of being comfortable to wear for long periods of time. And if the material stretches it’s probably not going to provide much in the way of ankle support. While high-top shoes are advertised to provide additional ankle support, the truth is that no shoe can support the joint and help prevent ankle injuries like an ankle brace can.
Tall Work Boots
Let’s say you are a construction worker and you suffer from ankle osteoarthritis, so you like to wear a sturdy work boot to help stabilize your ankle. Let’s say recently your ankle started hurting on the job site and you’re thinking about getting an ankle brace for additional support.
Two things happen when you try to wear an ankle brace in a tall work boot:
- The ankle brace is very difficult to fit inside your tall work boot, or
- If you get the brace to fit in the boot it may not be very comfortable. This happens after you lace up the boot, which pushes the sides of the brace against the ankle bones, potentially causing pain and irritation.
In general, we recommend a low-top work shoe where you can spread out the laces enough to easily fit the brace in the shoe. Since the sides of the shoe are below the joint there is no potential for irritation over your ankle bones. A low-top work shoe combined with a good professional ankle brace can provide more ankle support than a tall work boot worn by itself by far.
For those looking for an ankle brace that will fit in a high-top work boot, the Ultra 360 Lace-up will be your best option. This flexible, fabric brace fits in almost any shoe – providing extra support and compression to help protect your ankle.
If you have questions about which ankle brace would fit best inside your athletic shoes or work boots you can send one of our athletic trainers a message. They will be able to take a look at a photo of your shoe and help you determine the right ankle brace for your situation.
- Rick Peters
- August 27, 2020
- 12:07 pm
- 8 Comments
SHARE WITH FRIENDS
RECENT POSTS
ULTRA ANKLE AMBASSADORS
POST BY TOPIC
- Acute Ankle Injuries (3)
- Ankle Bracing (25)
- Ankle Injuries (5)
- Ankle Injury Prevention (4)
- Ankle Instability (1)
- Athletic Trainers (6)
- Athletic Training (18)
- Basketball (4)
- Football (4)
- Hiking (1)
- Mild/Moderate Ankle Injury (2)
- News (2)
- Osteoarthritis (1)
- Soccer (1)
- Softball (1)
- Sports (14)
- Tennis (1)
- Ultra CTS (6)
- Ultra Zoom (4)
- Uncategorized (2)
- Volleyball (7)
A common question I get several times a week from people inquiring through our website portal is, “which ankle brace is best for me, the Ultra Zoom or the Ultra High-5.” Which I reply with several questions about their current ankle condition and injury history.
Ankle osteoarthritis (OA) can be a very painful condition that can limit your activity level causing a negative impact on your quality of life. Ankle OA occurs when the articular cartilage in the ankle has worn away resulting in bone on bone irritation.
Most often, the OA condition is a result of previous ankle trauma such as ankle sprains or fractures. Although ankle sprains or fractures might fully heal, the trauma can eventually lead to joint deterioration and ultimately OA. Underlying medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis can also be debilitating to the ankle joint.
For the most part, ankle osteoarthritis is a result of wear and tear on the joint from years of activities that put strain on the ankles. OA does increase with age causing the ankle cartilage to wear thin providing less cushioning between the bones.
SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT
Symptoms of ankle osteoarthritis include:
- inflammation and swelling around the ankle joint
- ankle pain and stiffness
- pain when standing, walking, or bearing weight
When it comes to treating your ankle osteoarthritis, your doctor may recommend a number of options:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs to help reduce joint swelling and pain
- Physical therapy to aide in reducing joint inflammation and regaining ankle range of motion.
- The use of an ankle brace to reduce weight bearing pain and help prevent excessive ankle movement that can cause further injury
THE BEST ANKLE BRACES FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN
While long term physical therapy can help a patient with their ankle OA, the quickest option to reduce joint irrigation and pain may be the use of an ankle brace.
While most ankle braces are designed to help prevent excessive ankle turning, some ankle braces are also designed to reduce weight bearing pain associated with ankle injuries. For an ankle brace to reduce weight bearing pain it must “unload or offload” the ankle. “Unloading” means the ankle brace will absorb some of the impact from standing or walking that would normally be transferred to the ankle joint causing irritation and pain.
Our Ultra CTS (Custom Treatment System) ankle brace is designed for individuals that have an acute ankle injury and weight bearing pain, but it is also equally effective for OA sufferers who need relief from the bone on bone irritation which is causing their OA. The Ultra CTS works by absorbing a portion of the impact created from standing or walking and then applies that impact “or energy” to the lower leg thus bypassing the sore ankle.
Less impact means less pain and joint irritation.
Since ankle OA is mainly caused by a history of ankle trauma which could include multiple ankle sprains or fractures, it stands to reason the ankle may be unstable which is contributing to the joint wear and tear. The Ultra CTS will stabilize and firm up the lower leg and ankle which will help control unwanted joint movement which causes excessive irritation and pain. Since the Ultra CTS has a hinge, full up and down ankle range of motion is encouraged to help keep the muscles strong and the joint flexible.
With ankle osteoarthritis the goal is to reduce joint irritation so the condition doesn’t worsen. Wearing the Ultra CTS is a great way to reduce or slow down the effects of OA so you can maintain a healthy and mobile lifestyle.
If you have any other questions about ankle braces for your ankle osteoarthritis, leave us a comment below or send one of our certified athletic trainers a message.
- Rick Peters
- October 19, 2018
- 2:47 pm
- 2 Comments
SHARE WITH FRIENDS
RECENT POSTS
ULTRA ANKLE AMBASSADORS
POST BY TOPIC
- Acute Ankle Injuries (3)
- Ankle Bracing (25)
- Ankle Injuries (5)
- Ankle Injury Prevention (4)
- Ankle Instability (1)
- Athletic Trainers (6)
- Athletic Training (18)
- Basketball (4)
- Football (4)
- Hiking (1)
- Mild/Moderate Ankle Injury (2)
- News (2)
- Osteoarthritis (1)
- Soccer (1)
- Softball (1)
- Sports (14)
- Tennis (1)
- Ultra CTS (6)
- Ultra Zoom (4)
- Uncategorized (2)
- Volleyball (7)
In the 1990’s athletic trainers were spending considerable time and money taping the ankles of their players – a practice that some are still dedicated to today. During this time, lace-up ankle braces were introduced to reduce cost and save time, acting as essentially a reusable tape job that the athlete could apply themselves. As a result, lace-ups became popular as a low-cost alternative to taping the ankle. Now, lace-up style braces are inexpensive and readily available at all sporting goods stores – but are they the best option to protect your ankle from potential injuries?
Lace-Up Ankle Braces Lose Support Rapidly
When we are at sports tournaments we hear the same thing over and over from athletes, “why do I keep spraining my ankle if I wear a lace-up or tape my ankle?” Both tape and lace-ups feel so tight when you first apply them that you think, “wow, this is really going to support my ankle!” Then 30 minutes into a game you land on another players foot and sustain a grade 2 ankle injury. All that support that was felt when you first applied the brace is gone.
Some studies have shown that tape loses 70% of its effectiveness in the first 15 minutes of activity. The reason for this is that tape restricts the natural up and down movement of the ankle that is needed to run and jump. By restricting the natural joint movement, tape loses support rapidly. The same logic can be applied a lace-up brace acting as a reusable tape job – during activity it quickly stretches out and loosens as any fabric would, greatly reducing the level of support it can provide.
You’re Basically Binding Up Your Joint
Ankle taping and lace-up ankle braces restrict the natural up and down
movement of the ankle which is needed to perform at the highest level and keep your muscles strong. If the goal is to jump the highest or run the fastest,
the last thing you would want is something that binds, or ties, up your
ankle and restricts the very motion you need to perform.
We would never restrict knee or elbow range of motion with a brace during athletic activity, so why would we want to restrict the ankle?
Better Alternatives
Ankle braces are no different than any other product in the sense that you get what you pay for. If you feel you must wear a lace-up because of the feel of the brace or that it is low profile in the shoe, we suggest our Ultra 360 Lace-Up™. It will provide a mild support level while still maintaining moderate mobility.
A better solution for everyday use to help prevent the ankle injury is a hinged ankle brace. Our hinged Ultra Zoom® ankle brace allows you to move in all the natural ways and none of the bad ones. You’ll play better and play more losing less time to injuries.
If you have any questions about ankle braces, including more info on transitioning to a new brace from your lace-up, send our certified athletic trainers a message. We’re here to help you make the best ankle brace decision for your situation.
SHARE WITH FRIENDS
RECENT POSTS
ULTRA ANKLE AMBASSADORS
POST BY TOPIC
- Acute Ankle Injuries (3)
- Ankle Bracing (25)
- Ankle Injuries (5)
- Ankle Injury Prevention (4)
- Ankle Instability (1)
- Athletic Trainers (6)
- Athletic Training (18)
- Basketball (4)
- Football (4)
- Hiking (1)
- Mild/Moderate Ankle Injury (2)
- News (2)
- Osteoarthritis (1)
- Soccer (1)
- Softball (1)
- Sports (14)
- Tennis (1)
- Ultra CTS (6)
- Ultra Zoom (4)
- Uncategorized (2)
- Volleyball (7)
One thing is certain with volleyball, every year you play the sport it becomes more and more competitive, aggressive, and intense. With the increased level of play comes an increase in injuries, which are oftentimes more severe due to the higher level of intensity athletes are consistently performing at.
Most volleyball players, parents, and coaches have come to accept that the ankle is the most injured body part in volleyball – especially for those of you who play at the net. With the jumping, cutting, and diving in volleyball a tremendous amount of stress is put on the ligaments that hold your ankle joint together. This, in addition to the dangerous environmental factors at play – such as jumping and landing on another players foot – means that the risk of hurting your ankle while playing volleyball is extremely high.
Once an ankle injury has been sustained, you are 70% more likely to re-injure your ankle. Each time your ankle ligaments get stretched or torn from excessive twisting or turning, they never regain their integrity and tightness making it easier to get another ankle sprain. This cycle of injury is common amongst competitive volleyball players and if you’re one of the people who suffers from constantly twisting or spraining your ankle then you’re probably all too familiar with this process.
As a certified athletic trainer, the best advice I can give young competitive volleyball players is to help prevent the cycle of injury before it starts by wearing a preventative ankle brace that is built for athletes and optimized to enhance their performance. Soft, lace-up ankles braces can’t provide the level or length of support serious athletes need and hard plastic ankle braces are too rigid and bulky for many players to tolerate. At Ultra Ankle, we work with some of the top competitive volleyball clubs in the country for their ankle bracing needs. Here are some of the common questions we often hear from parents or players learning more about why ankle braces are important in volleyball –
Do all players need to wear an ankle brace? Or only certain positions? While most teams require all of their players to wear preventative ankle braces due to the constant threat of jumping and coming down on another player’s foot, some teams only require those playing at the net to wear ankle braces. Since our Ultra Zoom preventative ankle brace uses a material that form fits to the ankle, it only restricts any excessive movement that causes injury while allowing you to move in all of the natural ways needed to play your sport. It’s flexible enough for defensive specialists while being supportive enough for those playing at the net.
Do ankle braces limit my vertical jump? After training hard to maximize your performance and improve your jump height, it’s crucial that your protective gear doesn’t limit you in any way. The only ankle braces that limit your vertical are those without hinges. Any ankle brace that laces up, wraps around, or binds up your ankle is restricting your natural range of motion and therefore limiting your performance. If you play at the net its very important that you choose an ankle brace that is not going to negatively impact your vertical jump.
Will ankle braces weaken my ankle? Currently there is no clinical research that confirms wearing a preventative, hinged brace every practice or game will weaken your ankle or cause injury to another body part such as your knee. If you wear a hinged brace your ankle can move through its full range of motion keeping your joint flexible and your muscles strong.
Aren’t all hinged braces big and bulky or made of hard plastic that is prone to breaking? If you’ve been playing volleyball for awhile you may have noticed that some of the hinged ankle braces players wear are big, bulky, rigid and have a tendency for the hard plastic to crack. And you’re right. It’s because of those outdated designs that we developed the first performance based, hinged ankle brace that uses your body heat to form fit to your ankle for a low-profile, comfortable fit that will never crack or break. It’s not too soft and joint restricting, and it’s also not too bulky and hard. When it comes to volleyball ankle braces, the Ultra Zoom fits just right. It’s on your ankle in seconds, protects you consistently for hours, and lasts for years.
Will the Ultra Zoom ankle brace work for my specific ankle condition? Since every volleyball player and their ankle injury history is different, we offer the ability to message our certified athletic trainers directly to receive a customized bracing recommendation. If you’re interested in learning more about which one of our Ultra Ankle braces would be best for you, send our athletic trainers a message.
- Rick Peters
- August 14, 2018
- 7:42 pm
- 2 Comments
SHARE WITH FRIENDS
RECENT POSTS
ULTRA ANKLE AMBASSADORS
POST BY TOPIC
- Acute Ankle Injuries (3)
- Ankle Bracing (25)
- Ankle Injuries (5)
- Ankle Injury Prevention (4)
- Ankle Instability (1)
- Athletic Trainers (6)
- Athletic Training (18)
- Basketball (4)
- Football (4)
- Hiking (1)
- Mild/Moderate Ankle Injury (2)
- News (2)
- Osteoarthritis (1)
- Soccer (1)
- Softball (1)
- Sports (14)
- Tennis (1)
- Ultra CTS (6)
- Ultra Zoom (4)
- Uncategorized (2)
- Volleyball (7)
While hinged braces might not be the most exciting topic in the world to discuss, it’s definitely an important one. Whether your joint has been injured, or you’re trying to prevent an injury from occurring, it is crucial that the brace you wear is effective in supporting and stabilizing your joint.
Two major components of a brace that dictate its effectiveness are the design features that set it apart from similar products and the materials in which it’s made.
IMPORTANT FEATURES OF A BRACE
One of the most common design features in modern bracing is the use of a hinge. You might think that the purpose of a hinged brace is to keep your muscles strong and enhance performance by allowing for full range of motion. While this is a perk of using a brace with a hinge, it’s not the main reason why the most advanced elbow, ankle, and knee braces are designed this way.
The main reason a hinge is used in knee, elbow and ankle braces is to achieve sustainable, long-lasting joint support. When the brace can move freely throughout a non-injury range of motion, the straps that hold the brace to the joint stay securely in place resulting in support throughout an entire practice or game.
Lace-up braces restrict all joint range of motion and since they aren’t working in conjunction with the joint, like a hinged brace, the laces and straps end up migrating, stretching, and rapidly losing support during activity. For this reason, tie-up elbow and knee braces that limit non-injury range of motion haven’t been used for decades, however, when it comes to ankle braces people continue to bind up their joints and limit their performance for minimal support in a lace-up ankle brace.
QUALITY AND EFFECTIVE MATERIALS
While ankle braces were finally catching up with knee and elbow braces in the design department with the addition of effective hinges, they were still lacking in the materials used to create braces. When hinged braces first came on the scene in the late 1980s, they were big and bulky and consisted of a hard plastic that had a tendency to break and crack within a couple of months. Up until the late 1990s, this rigid plastic was the only material hinged braces were made out of. This forced people to choose between a soft, comfortable brace that provided minimal support or a hard plastic brace that provided ultimate support with full range of motion but could be very uncomfortable.
When it comes to wearing an ankle brace – people choose the more comfortable version almost every time. This, along with a lower price point, led to a resurgence in lace-up ankle braces, despite their minimal support and performance restricting design.
Knowing there was a better way, the innovators at Ultra Ankle set out to develop a new material for hinged ankle braces that is flexible and form-fitting, yet just firm enough to provide ultimate support to the joint. The Performathane soft shell found in the multi-patented Ultra Zoom and Ultra CTS ankle braces uses body heat to form-fit to your ankle creating the most comfortable ankle brace you will ever wear.
This premium material in Ultra Ankle’s hinged-cuff braces is a thermoplastic resin that will never crack, break, or tear resulting in multi-season protection from injury causing ankle inversion and rotation. When you invest in Ultra Ankle braces, you’re investing in long-lasting ankle protection – not a short term fix that you’ll soon have to replace. Instead of buying 2-3 ankle braces to last you one sports season, you can now buy one Ultra Zoom to last you multiple years.
You Get What You Pay For
When it comes to sports medical devices, especially braces for the knee, elbow and ankle, the old adage “you get what you pay for” is completely true. When evaluating the best ankle braces for your situation, make sure to consider the latest in ankle brace research, design, and materials to choose which is best for you. A premium hinged-cuff ankle brace that provides the comfort, support, and durability you need to protect your ankles will be worth the investment every time.
Our product specialists and athletic trainers have over 40 years of experience in ankle bracing and hold the most ankle brace design patents in the world. We’re here to help and answer any questions you may have – just send us a message.
- Rick Peters
- July 20, 2018
- 7:56 pm
- One Comment
SHARE WITH FRIENDS
RECENT POSTS
ULTRA ANKLE AMBASSADORS
POST BY TOPIC
- Acute Ankle Injuries (3)
- Ankle Bracing (25)
- Ankle Injuries (5)
- Ankle Injury Prevention (4)
- Ankle Instability (1)
- Athletic Trainers (6)
- Athletic Training (18)
- Basketball (4)
- Football (4)
- Hiking (1)
- Mild/Moderate Ankle Injury (2)
- News (2)
- Osteoarthritis (1)
- Soccer (1)
- Softball (1)
- Sports (14)
- Tennis (1)
- Ultra CTS (6)
- Ultra Zoom (4)
- Uncategorized (2)
- Volleyball (7)
We are all familiar with preventative knee bracing for linemen, but what about the ankle? After all, when these big guys are battling in the trenches they tend to get their ankle stepped on, fallen on and overall abused. Many times, the mechanism of injury is external rotation which causes the dreaded syndesmotic (high) ankle injury. With the amount of exposures these linemen have to ankle injuries in practice and games would it be wise for them to use both preventative knee and ankle bracing?
When consider preventative ankle bracing for football lineman, there are a few priorities to keep in mind to ensure they are getting the best brace for their specific needs.
Compliance & Comfort
As with any sports medicine product, an ankle brace is only effective if the athlete wears it in the first place – which means athlete compliance should be a top priority. One of the biggest reasons we hear as to why athletes aren’t wearing an ankle brace recommended to them by a sports medicine professional is because it’s too uncomfortable to wear during activity. Any preventative ankle brace worn by lineman through long practices and tough games must be comfortable to wear for extended periods of time so they will actually keep it on.
Typically, when looking for a “comfortable” ankle brace, athletic trainers lean towards the lace-up, cloth type of braces and keep away from the harder, rigid plastic ankle braces. Lace-up style braces may be comfortable during activity, but they lose support rapidly, while rigid plastic braces that may provide good support are often uncomfortable, big and bulky.
In the past decade, newer materials have been developed in ankle bracing so that athletic trainers no longer must choose between low support cloth braces or rigid plastic braces. Ultra Ankle braces, for example, are designed with this newer, flexible material that uses a player’s body head to form-fit to the ankle. This new thermoplastic material provides the strength to stabilize the ankle with the comfort factor needed for athlete compliance.
Effective Hinged-Cuff Design
When athletic trainers are considering new ankle braces for their athletes, they are not only worried about the comfort level and materials but also the reasoning behind the design of the ankle brace.
When it comes to choosing an ankle brace for football lineman, you want to choose one that can help restrict excessive inversion/eversion and external rotation that causes syndesmotic ankle injuries. This priority really narrows the field down to ankle braces that have a hinged-cuff design. Where the hinge allows full plantar and dorsiflexion (which is great for getting down in your stance) the cuff encircles the posterior lower leg and provides the stability necessary to help prevent excessive external ankle rotation.
durable enough to last an entire season
Once you’ve found a comfortable ankle brace that athletes will wear and that utilizes a design that helps prevent both low and high ankle injuries, the only thing you have left to worry about is how long that brace will last. If your ankle braces are rapidly losing support during activity and causing injuries or breaking/cracking half way through the season then they are not only terrible for your budget, but very unreliable.
The best ankle braces for athletes such as lineman must be durable enough to last an entire season and still be effective at controlling excessive joint movement. When looking into preventative ankle braces for football players, make sure to check out the product’s warranty. If a product isn’t guaranteed, then how do you know it will be effective and durable enough for your high performing athletes?
Our preventative ankle brace, the Ultra Zoom, will never crack, break or tear. It will maintain its structural integrity over multiple seasons, saving you money and giving your athletes the peace of mind. It’s on in seconds, protects consistently for hours and lasts for years.
Football Lineman & Ankle Braces
Collegiate football teams that have decided to implement preventative ankle bracing for their lineman have found this to be an effective strategy at reducing injuries. However, it takes both the will of the athletic trainers and coaches to implement and enforce the program and an ankle brace that can deliver the comfort, effectiveness and durability necessary to make the program successful. Our in-house athletic trainers work with top collegiate and pro football teams to implement ankle bracing protocols that benefit players by keeping them safely in the game while playing their high-impact sport.
If you have any questions about preventative ankle bracing for lineman or would like more information on how to implement a new ankle bracing protocol for your football team send us a message or leave us a comment below
- Rick Peters
- March 26, 2018
- 12:38 pm
- No Comments
SHARE WITH FRIENDS
RECENT POSTS
ULTRA ANKLE AMBASSADORS
POST BY TOPIC
- Acute Ankle Injuries (3)
- Ankle Bracing (25)
- Ankle Injuries (5)
- Ankle Injury Prevention (4)
- Ankle Instability (1)
- Athletic Trainers (6)
- Athletic Training (18)
- Basketball (4)
- Football (4)
- Hiking (1)
- Mild/Moderate Ankle Injury (2)
- News (2)
- Osteoarthritis (1)
- Soccer (1)
- Softball (1)
- Sports (14)
- Tennis (1)
- Ultra CTS (6)
- Ultra Zoom (4)
- Uncategorized (2)
- Volleyball (7)