Stay In The Game®

Ankle sprains are a fact of life for many basketball and football players. In fact, almost anyone involved in a team sport is vulnerable to sprains that either limit performance or temporarily prevent participation.

You've worked through pain before, but never anything like this. A few days ago, during your running routine, you hit something on the ground and twisted your ankle. You didn't fall down at the time, but now it's swollen and uncomfortable.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, approximately 25,000 people sprain their ankle each day. With pain that subsides in just a few moments and swelling that can go away in just a day with proper icing, most sprains go untreated which leads to permanent damage. The common consequence of neglecting even minor sprains results in lasting weakness and unstable joints which results in repeated sprains of compounding severity.

Active people spend lots of time on their feet: it has always been that way. Ever since humans evolved to walk upright the foot has taken on added importance. It is our foot and ankle that must provide both stability and mobility to support the body and handle the forces associated with jumping, landing, walking, and running. Ankle and foot injuries are found in a variety of sport activities. Injuries to the foot represent about 7.1% of all sports injuries. The ankle sprain is one of the single most common injuries in all of sport and physical activity. Most ankle injuries occur in sports that require jumping, landing, and sudden starts and stops (e.g. basketball and soccer). Consider that in the United States alone, 4.8 million grade school and 1.7 million high school athletes participate in supervised soccer and basketball programs and, on average, 15% (1 million) of these athletes sustain ankle sprains each year. Making matters worse is the fact that people who suffer from ankle sprains are more likely to reinjure the same ankle in the future. Preventing new injuries as well as preventing reinjury is the key to avoiding chronic pain, instability, and long term ankle disability not to mention health care costs associated with rehab and recovery. Given these costs and potential long term physical consequence using a Mueller ankle brace to help prevent and ankle injury or lessen the impact of an existing injury is a wise decision. The use of ankle braces is associated with decreases in injury rates as well as reducing the re-injuring of previously sprained ankles.

There are few things on this planet that can torture you on a daily basis more than an ankle injury. With all of your weight coming down on that joint with every step you take during your daily activities. Having dealt with ankle injuries for years myself, I can attest to how much they can ruin your daily life. When you suffer an ankle injury your first move is to figure out exactly what type of injury it is, once you know the source of your trouble you can begin to look into your support options. Depending on if you've got a break, sprain, strain, stretched or torn ligament, you'll need to get the proper ankle support for your particular injury.

While ankle sprains are common in sports, 25,000 people sprain their ankle every day.¹ That means you’re likely to experience an ankle sprain sometime in your life.

Let’s define a sprain. In simple terms, a sprain is when a ligament is overstretched or torn. If a sprain is not treated properly, long-term problems could develop and increase your risk of re-injury. Rehabilitation exercises and supportive ankle bracing can decrease this risk.