HEALTH EXPERT BUYING GUIDE
Summary: These stretchy ankle compression sleeves provide a flexible but secure fit, designed to help reduce ankle swelling and provide lightweight support for recovery from sports injury.
Use: Best for lightweight support for sports such as boxing, football, gymnastics – where you need full, unrestricted ankle mobility.
Design: Comes in black only. Made from 50% Polyester, 50% Elastane. Durable and stretchy.
Sizing: One size fits most.
Price: £14
Summary: The comfortable DonJoy hinged ankle brace provides extra support to the ankle to help prevent injury and aide recovery.
Use: Recommended for preventing ankle sprains from rolling, unnatural rotation and recovery from sports injury. Provides a level of compression to help reduce swelling.
Design: Rigid design with a soft, padded lining. It has a moldable foot plate and is lightweight and slim enough to wear with your shoes.
Sizing: Comes in 3 sizes. S, M, L.
Price: £45.99
Summary: The Nike ankle strap is designed to support sports players with common injuries and prevention. The ankle strap helps to maintain arc support and limited ankle movement, such as rolling whilst running.
Use: Best ankle brace for running and sports. Ideal for ankle recovering from sprains or instability.
Design: Comes in black only. Made from 95% Polyester, 5% Elastane. Machine washable
Sizing: 4 sizes. S, M, L, XL
Price: £22
Summary: This unisex Neo G Airflow Ankle Sleeve unisex, provides a slim fit compression for lightweight support. Helping warm your muscles.
Use: Use for walking, running or daily use to relieve symptoms of sprains, strains and instability. Can also be used to support injured, weak or arthritic ankles.
Design: Made from elastane and polyamide. The specialist breathable material helps to control moisture during sport or daily activities.
Sizing: Fits the left or right side. Snug fit. Available in 4 sizes. S, M, L, XL.
Price: £14.50
The unisex Neo G Ankle Support gives you every day support. It helps you to reduce inversion and eversion of the ankle during sport and helps to prevent ligament injuries and instability. The neoprene material helps to provide heat therapy and aid stiff, injured or weak ankles.
Summary: Approved by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, this high quality ankle support can be used for everyday activities as well as sports.
Use: Use everyday to provide support for aching or stiff ankles recovering from sports injury.
Design: Manufactured from neoprene, elastane, polyester, and polyamide.
Sizing: Universal size with fully adjustable support. Unisex, fits right or left ankle.
Price: £18
An ankle support is a specially designed item that is used to provide support, compression, and pain relief for your ankles. It is made from a flexible, elastic material that can effectively compress your ankle. Depending on the design, ankle support typically fits around your ankle with material enclosing the top part of your foot, and the bottom part of your leg. There is also usually a hole in your heel.
Some simple supports concentrate on providing support for the arch of your foot that connects to your ankle. These are arch support braces/sleeves. This type of support is usually a simple elastic sleeve or strap that you pull over your toes to fit around the arch of your foot.
If you’re looking for arch support for your foot, an alternative is insoles for shoes.
There are several types of hinged brace too. These are designed to provide support for your ankle but still allow for effective movement and rehabilitation.
The standard hinged ankle brace has a sleeve complete with straps that fit around your lower leg/calf. Attached to the bottom of this, there is a hinge mechanism with two straps and a pad that fits around and underneath your ankle.
A variant of this is the hinged cuff ankle brace. This is essentially the same design, but the hinged part that sits under your ankle has more padding and material to cover your entire ankle.
The most common type of ankle support is the sleeve. This is a singular piece of elastic material that is designed to fit tightly around your ankle.
The sleeve is usually longer than your ankle – the bottom part covers the arch of your foot, while the top part covers your calf/lower leg. This provides effective support for your ankle and still allows for great mobility, which makes it perfect to help treat ankle pain from running. There is also usually a cut-out section for your heel to allow for some pressure relief.
An alternative to ankle sleeves are compression socks or support socks.
For severe injuries such as an Achilles tendon tear, a complete ankle boot is often worn. This is a large padded boot that covers your entire foot and lower leg – usually to your knee. The aim of this support is to reduce mobility and to keep your tendon at the correct angle so that it attaches and heals properly.
This depends on your type of injury, surgery, or rehabilitation process. Different ankle braces are suitable for different purposes. Also, it depends on whether you are using ankle support for rehabilitation, to reduce pain, or while playing sports to reduce the chance of injury.
It can be worn for a variety of situations. For example, it is a useful item to wear to help pain relief. Therefore, you could wear one whenever you experience ankle pain.
Also, ankle supports are great for rehabilitation after an injury or surgery. They can help support your ankle, and provide additional strength to build up your muscles after surgery. Also, many athletes wear ankle supports to help reduce the chance of injury.
You can safely wear ankle support for long periods. It is not advised to wear an ankle brace all the time, however. The ankle relies on motion to improve strength and recover from an injury. Therefore, wearing an ankle brace all the time could prohibit your recovery. Also, it is generally advised that you give your ankle respite during sleep. Therefore, consider removing your ankle support at night.
An ankle brace is the best method of support. Ankle supports are of great quality, easy to use and provide real benefits for rehabilitation and injury prevention. You can also use ankle tape which is an alternative to an ankle brace, but not as effective. Performing regular strength, balance, and flexibility exercises can also help support your ankles and improve their strength, flexibility, and resistance.
If you’re recovering from sports injuries, check out our buying guides to knee support, elbow support, wrist support and shoulder support.