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Prevention of ankle sprains: Are
prophylactic ankle braces the way to go?
It is
the opinion of the LFHS athletic trainers that wearing ankle
braces without doing any strengthening exercises could prove counter-productive
in that the athlete may become so dependent on the braces
that the muscles could actually become weaker, making the athlete
more prone to injury at those times when they do not wear
the braces (such as while playing one-on-one in their driveway
or when they forget to bring their braces to practice). Strengthening
from within should be the first step; if additional protection
is desired, that can be added to, not substituted for, the
strengthening. In an article published in the Journal of the Illinois
Athletic Trainers’ Association, Dr. Robert Dugan stated that “the
role of bracing or taping may best be suited to protect injured
ankles from reinjury.” In his review of the medical
literature, Dr. Dugan found that “there is no significant
decrease in the number or severity of ankle injuries with
high top shoes, prophylactic ankle taping, or prophylactic
ankle bracing.” He
also found that “... in lesser developed countries
where athletic competition is conducted barefoot, there are
fewer reported injuries.”
There is an
ongoing controversy over the wearing of ankle braces to prevent
ankle sprains. Some coaches and medical professionals feel that
all athletes, especially basketball players, should be wearing
ankle braces for every practice and game. There are others who
feel this is ineffective in preventing injury. And there is another
group who actually feel ankle braces, by shifting stress to other
areas such as the knee, could actually cause increased injuries
to those areas. Unfortunately, there are studies and evidence
to support all these views. For the article mentioned above,
Dr. Dugan found that “the effects of prophylactic taping
and bracing in the prevention of new ankle sprains are inconclusive.” Dr.
Dugan goes on to state “the only successful programs that
appear to reduce the incidence of sprains involve proprioception
training, peroneal strengthening, and heel cord stretching.”
The LFHS Athletic Trainers agree with Dr.
Dugan that an ankle strengthening program is the most effective method to both
prevent injuries and improve performance. For those with no previous injuries,
just adding a few simple exercises to the daily warm-up routine should be sufficient.
The athletic trainers are available to meet with any team to go over these
exercises. Those with previous injuries should meet with one of us during the
day for a more extensive individual program.
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