Do you experience ankle pain when you walk?
When you injure your ankle or foot you may need to make an appointment with your doctor, visit the emergency room or urgent care center to determine the level of the injury and recommendation for care.
So, after an exam and rounds of x-rays, the doctor says that you have injured your ankle, either recently or in the past. Or, my favorite one: the weather is changing and old age is making an old injury flare up.
Either way, the doctor said you need to immobilize your ankle - What’s next?
Well, there are many different support devices. If you have never worn one, I recommend that you keep reading this article for my insight into ankle supports. I am not recommending one over the other – the doctor will prescribe whichever device he feels is most beneficial for your injury.
The following will give you the perspective from a past user’s point of view, and will give you talking points to go over with the doctor to discuss possible alternatives.
Different Types of Ankle Supports
There are many different types of ankle supports available on the market, just to name a few:
1. walking boots
2. ankle braces
3. splints
4. ace bandages.
In this blog, I will discuss the different types of ankle supports and what you can anticipate with each one.
#1 Walking Boot
Pros:
· They completely immobilize your ankle – no bending or flexing
· They take some of your weight off of your injured ankle
· They are designed to protect your foot from being further injured
· Your insurance may cover the cost of part or all of the walking boot – depending on your insurance and deductible
· After you no longer need it, you can clean it up, put it in the top of your closet and save it for another day – praying that you do not have to use it again and it is only a dust collector.
Cons:
· They are heavy
· They are hot and do not breath
· They make your foot sweaty
· After several days of wearing the boot, they get stinky!
· If your doctor requires that you even wear the boot in bed, I recommend wrapping your boot in a towel to keep the street germs and dirt out of your bed sheets
· Your toes stick out the end of the walking boot, so they tend to get wet in the rain and cold in the winter.
#2 Ankle Braces
Pros:
· They come in multiple sizes and strengths. Your doctor will recommend which style he wants you to wear. You may have to try on a couple to get one that is, like Goldilocks and the three bears would say, "not too tight", "not too lose", it has to be “just right”!
· They are relatively inexpensive
· They are readily available at your local grocery store or pharmacist
· Most of them are machine washable
Cons:
· Some ankle braces have an adjustable Velcro strap, but mostly they come in sizes like small, medium or large
· At first your ankle or foot may be swollen, causing you to get one size, and then have to get a smaller size once the swelling reduces.
· If too tight, could cut off the blood supply to your foot.
#3 Splints
Pros:
· A split can be relatively quickly fabricated of metal or plastic molded to your ankle and calf and then it is strapped to your leg with tape or an ace bandage. Splints are usually applied at school when sports injuries occur to quickly immobilize the injury until medical attention can be obtained.
· Quick and easy to apply in the event of an emergency. You can fashion split supports from anything hard or semi hard: strips of cardboard, rulers, sticks, etc. You can quickly create split straps with a belt, strips of cloth from a bedsheet, towel, your own clothing.
Cons:
· The ace bandage may not hold the split strips in place very well, necessitating that they we re-wrapped periodically.
· If not careful, you may get the ace bandage too tight and cut off the blood supply to your foot – which is not a good thing!
#4 Ace Bandage
Pros:
· Easy to have stored in your first aid kit
· Inexpensive
· Comes in fashion colors
· Easy to put on yourself or someone can help you
· Washable and reusable
Cons:
· Throughout the day, as your ankle / leg swells or shrinks, you may have to re-wrap the ankle / leg to keep the bandage from sliding down your leg
· Your bandaged area cannot breath – may get sweaty
· Be careful not to get it too tight – do not want to cut of the blood supply to your foot and toes.
Ask Your Doctor if Any of the Above Options will Work for You
As you can see, there are several options, each with its own pros and cons. Selecting which device is best for your is up to you and your doctor. You may start out with one type and then, as you heal, switch to another.
Remember, this is not medical advise - just words for thought!
Good luck with your healing!
Annie
If you would like more information, I recently wrote the following articles regarding life with and after a walking boot, titled:
Annie
Annie
Annie
