3 Ways To Reduce Ankle Injuries
Ankle injuries are common, especially since slipping on ice or wearing the wrong shoes can quickly cause you to twist your ankle. Reducing your chances of an ankle injury only requires simple changes to your footwear and supporting your ankle.
Wear The Right Shoes
If you are physically active, you should wear athletic shoes that are appropriate for the activity. For example, people who participate in basketball or other sports with frequent running and changing direction quickly generally wear "high-top" sneakers. The extra height around the ankles helps add stability, assuming you lace them properly. When you lace-up these sneakers, be sure to insert the laces up to the top of the sneaker and tie them securely so you have extra support around your ankles, but do not completely restrict mobility.
Even if you are not physically active, certain shoes can increase the risk of hurting your ankle. Shoes with high, slender heels are often the worse culprits since they require balancing to walk in them. High-heeled shoes should have wider heels to provide more support, and those with straps can help prevent your foot from slipping out of the shoe.
Address Pronation And Supination
Pronation and supination can occur congenitally or from an old ankle injury. Instead of your feet resting flat on the floor when you stand normally, they lean to one side or the other. This can make you more prone to "rolling" your ankle, especially if you choose shoes that are inherently unstable.
You need to talk with a podiatrist about ways to correct this issue. The doctor might suggest shoe inserts that correct the positioning of your foot or special braces to increase stability of your foot and ankle. For severe problems with pronation or supination, special shoes might be recommended since they can be more effective at correcting significant instability.
Support Old Injuries
Old ankle injuries may increase your risk of injuring the ankle again. In the earlier stages of an injury, you may want to provide extra support to your ankle while it remains vulnerable to another injury. A simple ankle support that you can purchase at retail outlets might be enough to provide support.
Many of these supports are available in various levels of support, so for more recent injuries, you may want thicker fabric that allows less range of motion to keep your ankle secure. As your ankle heals and you need less support, there may be times when you want to wrap your ankle with an elastic bandage, especially if there are times when you stand or walk more.
Being mindful of the stability of your ankle can often help you avoid an ankle injury or re-injuring your ankle. A combination of your footwear and additional support, when needed, can help protect your ankle. Talk to an ankle doctor for more information.
