One of the questions I'm asked a lot as a physiotherapist is "What support should I use" and the ankle and knee feature heavily for this question.
I will focus on ankle supports for today.
As a general rule, ankle supports can be used to help reduce the chance of re-injury. However, they shouldn't be used to paper over the cracks of any residual weakness, stiffness or dysfunction after injury.
One systematic review showed that support can help to reduce re-injury of ankles in sport (The Effectiveness of External Ankle Supports in the Prevention of Inversion Ankle Sprains among Elite and Recreational Players, 2007). They found it did not matter the type of support, so this could range from an ankle support bandage or an ankle support brace. Both will likely help.
However, as a physiotherapist, we hate to see athletes rushing back to the sport and relying on ankle support straps to avoid injury when they still have deficits in strength and function. Complete these three tests to get an idea of how likely you are to injure or re-injure your ankle.
The Knee to Wall test (also known as the Dorsiflexion Lunge test - this is the gold standard test for ankle range of motion. A reduced score on the knee-to-wall test has been shown to increase the chance of injury in athletes. If you have reduced range of motion on one side, it is important to maximise your dorsiflexion and keep working on this.
The Y-Balance Test - deficits in balance and control of your weaker side is a key predictor for injury (Manoel et al., 2020). Keep practicing your single leg balance work. This test can also be used as a method for improving your score, and reducing your injury risk.
Single leg heel raises- How many can you do R vs L? Slow, controlled repetitions without using momentum. Set a baseline with your stronger side. How close are you on the other side? If you are within 90% then you're doing ok. This should be your goal. Keep practicing 3x/week to improve your score. If you want to be really thorough, complete the same test with a bent knee. This tests your soleus muscle which is another important part of looking after foot and ankle health.
Another good practice is to focus on strength of your proximal muscular systems. Strengthen your glutes, hip stabilisers, hamstrings and quads. This will help to protect the lower limb from the top down.
So, in conclusion, wearing a support can help to reduce injury risk. But my advice is to always maximise your own biomechanics and strength before relying on an external device like an ankle support for assistance. Ideally, should you perfect the above tests, you won't feel you need an ankle support at all!
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