After a repeat ankle sprain just jogging towards a ball, I think it's time to try an ankle brace again. I had previously used one, but it made my ankle way too stiff, and I ended up rolling my ankle still.
Currently looking at the Donjoy POD. Any one using this?
Clarification: the sprain wasn't caused by stepping on some object [stray ball, crack, partner's foot] and the roll was external [the outside of the ankle is where the sprain occurred]?
You could do the old-fashioned tape job: the classic stirrup pattern will prevent almost any roll but the downside is that it needs to be fairly tight because it loosens up over time.
A lot of VB players use Active Ankles. One drawback is that you're transferring the strain from the ankle to the knee, since there's not much give.
The problem is that you're solving the symptom, not the cause. In addition to the crutch, condition your ankles to be more flexible and stronger.
- Walking/Jogging on an unstable surface like dirt or sand is a great example; tougher is trail running but then you paradoxically run the risk of rolling your ankle when you step on a small rock or into a depression.
- Balance yourself on one foot while brushing your teeth.
- Try Tai Chi, which will help with overall balance immensely but there are some poses that require you to be on one leg or, at the very least, concentrate most of your weight on one leg.
that's interesting though, so you actually had ankle pain from your injury post match? I only have instability when running around.
