Ankle supports

[tomsdad]

Hi,
I'm new to fell running, having completed a couple of half marathons & 10K road races.
What I want is to be able to run on the fells and enjoy it , But I keep going over on both my ankles almost every time I run on undulating ground.
It really makes me wince and slow right down on the descents.
Any guidance as to what types of ankle supports are the best / give the most support but not feeling like I'm wearing a mini suit of armour??

cheers

tomsdad

[scott baistow 93]

ive been told off sports specialists that ankle supports weaken the ankle as you ankle become dependent on the support. Try strengthening it first google ankle strengthening exercises something will be there i am sure.

[Al Fowler]

Yeap, ive been told the same about supports.

Alot of people on here rater wobble boards for strengthing ankles.

[IanDarkpeak]

ive been told off sports specialists that ankle supports weaken the ankle as you ankle become dependent on the support. Try strengthening it first google ankle strengthening exercises something will be there i am sure.

strengthening is the priority. along with the above you could use a theraband.

if you need to get support go see a specialist. wearing the wrong support can be much worse in the long term.

i.e the amount of load on your ankle(or any joint) at the point of failure will result in the damage.
wearing the wrong support could mean for eg that the failure point requires twice the energy resulting in a much more load at the point of failure with the damage being much worse.

tubey grips etc are good for keeping muscles warm around a joint but do not provide the required support.

see a physio and see if he says you need support and what level or exercise
for strengthening.

when I tore my ligaments i was told to get this

I don't use anything now and I'm fine charging down anything except rubble (ie Borrowdale)

[FellShoeShuffler]

You should look for ankle braces - they are intended to prevent sideways movement without inhibiting back & forward movement and, critically, without providing support.

It is also possible to tape or bandage an ankle so that rolling over is less likely and again without providing support.

The choice between bandage/tape and brace depends on your ankles. Braces may be slightly more cumbersome but people race in them and they are more secure.

Avoid any device that provides support because it will prevent your ankles from getting stronger.

[Splatcher]

You might consider what I did when I went over on my ankle earlier in the year & it was turning every time I went out for a while. I strapped it up when racing but not when training. That meant I maximised my chances of finishing a race but still got the strengthening in during training runs - & I could slow down or stop if I had problems with the ankle.

I got cohesive bandages & strapping technique from www.physioroom.com.

[Datt]

I have suffered with a weak left ankle, after mentioning it to my doctor they referred me to a NHS physio.

The physio has taught me several different exercises to strengthen the ankle along with different ways to tape my ankle that offer different degrees of support.

Now when I go for a run I can support the ankle based on the reason for the run or what I think the conditions underfoot will be like, for example if I am entering a race or I know the conditions will be rough / rocky underfoot I will tape it to offer the most support. If I am going for a run where I will be following mainly defined paths and I should be able to see the ground underfoot I won’t add any support to my ankle, other times I will just add a bit of additional support.

The physio warned me against getting in to the habit of taping the ankle all the time as the ligaments / tendons / muscles would get use to the extra support and the ankle wouldn’t regain any strength

[ZootHornRollo]

You might consider what I did when I went over on my ankle earlier in the year & it was turning every time I went out for a while. I strapped it up when racing but not when training. That meant I maximised my chances of finishing a race but still got the strengthening in during training runs - & I could slow down or stop if I had problems with the ankle.

exactly what i did - wore it for Duddon to make sure I got round and then haven't put it on since, I suppose cos my ankles have strengthened up.

actually tomsdad, i might be able to do you a deal here ....

[tomsdad]

I understand what you are saying,
its just that I have only ever seen people wearing these while fell running? are they past the point of using excercise to build up the ligaments?

tomsdad

[Al Fowler]

Well im no physio, but i had exactly the same feeling as you.

Ive got dodgy knees and between december and about june i wore my knee supports every time i raced (i didnt training because of the knees - just raced).
I did feel as if it held them together and the compression stopped the pain. Whether this was true or not i dont know, it may well have been purely helping my mentally.

I just used those elasticated band/support things you can get for a few quid from the chemist. Plenty of compression and not too think.