Best Ankle Support for Athletes

Whether you run, walk, hike, play sports or participate in any other physical activities on your feet, your ankles are subject to quite a bit of strain and impact. According to the college of Sports Medicine, more than 25,000 Americans experience a form of ankle injury every day. With ankle sprains topping the list for the most common form of ankle injury at 80% and basketball being the top sport for ankle sprains it is important to be prepared. The best thing you can do for your ankles is to make sure they are properly supported and to be proactive about preventing ankle injury. If you have already experienced an ankle injury it is crucial to take immediate steps to treat the injury and once healed, fit your ankles with the proper support to prevent any further injuries.

If you have experienced an ankle injury and are still in the recovery process, read the below section on R.I.C.E Therapy. If you are here to learn about which ankle support is best for you, skip down to the ‘Choosing the right ankle brace’ section where we discuss the different between our Sports Ankle Support Dynamic & Sports Ankle Support.

R.I.C.E Therapy:

What are signs that you are injured? Pain is the number one signal. Being tired, sore or uncomfortable is one thing, but true pain is your body’s warning that something is not right. Disregarding pain can set you up for more serious injury with a longer recovery. Other signs include hearing or feeling a “pop”, sudden joint instability and swelling.

So you recognize that you are injured and you stop your activity; Now what? The most widely accepted first line of post-injury treatment is known by the acronym R.I.C.E. Therapy.

REST –
Give your body time to heal! While resting your body can devote energy to repairing itself and you greatly up your odds of not turning a small injury into a bigger one by re-injuring yourself.

ICE –

Cold compress constricts the blood vessels which will reduce swelling, pain and inflammation. However, it can also reduce healing agents in the blood from coming to the injured area to promote healing. For this reason, ice has become more controversial recently. Most health care professionals still believe icing for 10-15 minutes 3-5 times a day for acute (fresh) injuries will help. Just make sure to put your ice pack in a pillowcase or have a thin layer between you and it or you can actually get frostbite and make things worse.

COMPRESSION –

Applying compression can help keep the area from “blowing up” or becoming severely swollen. Wearing a medical-grade compression product on the affected area is best as it provides a gradient compression that is firmest farthest away from the body and slowly loosens as it nears the body. This not only keeps swelling down but also increases blood flow — so the bad stuff gets removed faster and the good stuff is still allowed in to start the healing process.

This is where an ankle support is needed.

ELEVATION –

Raising the injured area above the heart will encourage swelling to follow gravity and head back to the central body where it can be reabsorbed.

All Bauerfeind products with medical-grade compression can help reduce pain and swelling while increasing blood flow. This helps accelerate healing and can get you back in the game!

WHICH ANKLE SUPPORT IS RIGHT FOR ME?

When deciding what ankle brace is best for you, you will first need to decide what level support is needed for your specific activity and ankle stability requirements. The Bauerfeind Sports line offers two different ankle support braces which were specifically designed for athletes:

Bauerfeind Sports Ankle Support Dynamic

Best for: mild ankle instability, relief / prevention of swelling, slim fit support, mild sporting activity

Our dynamic ankle support is a medical-grade compression sleeve that is lighter, moisture wicking, washable and slim fitting. A compression support like the dynamic helps when you have minor ankle instabilities and need to focus blood circulation, minimize swelling and irritation, require sensorimotor feedback in the ankle and would like to improve joint coordination. With the slim fitting design, the dynamic fits easily within shoes, cleats and other athletic footwear with minimal bunching for a comfortable yet supportive experience. We have designed this ankle brace to be particularly light and ideal for many sports activities. The anatomic fit guarantees a secure fit and maximum freedom of movement.