Do you ride with Active ankles?

-Originally posted by Maarten Uhlenbeck in a Volleyball Newsletter-
*I think ankle braces do a fine job for the people who start again
after having an ankle-injury (also a mental issue). The best thing to
do is to play with the anklebraces during a short period and to
exercise without them. Then go start using tape for a while and end-up
without any support.
Using braces without having (had) any injury is very irresponsible. It
does weaken the ankles (study at the University of Amsterdam) but
worse, can cause more severe injuries. The ankle brace takes away the
forces that are put on the ankle in case of a situation that normally
causes an ankle-injury. But with high forces (landing after a jump) it
can't do that for the full 100%. Your body therefore has to cope with
higher strains than normal at different place than the ankle. There
are examples in international volleyball of situations with player
with ankle braces with broken kneecaps, broken legs (Dutch
International Brecht Rodenburg in a friendly international match at
the Dynamo tournament). So see the ancle brace as a temporary measure
to get back from injury.
Stay healthy. Maarten Uhlenbeck*

While healing from a sprained ankle which happened last night, I have
been reading Active ankles reviews and threads. I do not currently wear
Active ankles, but I am considering getting some. Looking at my foot you
could almost mistake it for elephantiasis due to the swelling. Ok it
might not be that bad, but it is not much fun sitting at home waiting to
get better. Dustin has given a positive review for Active ankles, and
was not wearing them at the time he 'snapped' (http://tinyurl.com/mten)
his tibia and fibula. I was wondering if anyone has had knee strains or
injuries while having over-supported ankles? Does anyone else share
Maarten's view that you should only wear active ankles after having
ankle injuries? I am beginning to think that sturdy ankle-protecting
boots would be the best way to prevent these types of mishaps, rather
than cure them.
[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smil.../kruecken.gif]


--
Rowan - •·.·´¯`·.·•
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I sprained my ankle this spring on my first-ever Muni ride, and started
riding with AAs soon after for uni and MTB. I wear them almost all the
time since I have an idea how stupid I'll feel if I wreck myself while
they're sitting in my basement.

I find them very comfortable; in fact I hardly notice them. Since
there's a hinge to let your ankle flex they really don't interfere with
normal movement (within a reasonable range), and they feel much more
solid than my old lace-up braces or even a tape job.

I've had bad ankles for years, and have tried the old vinyl lace-up
braces and even got pretty good at taping. The lace-up braces were only
slightly more comfortable than a sprain, which is why they -were-
sitting in my basement this spring. Taping takes forever and gets
spendy if you ride often.

Good luck!

Tim


--
dazedNcontused - go play in the snow!

She was so impressed she didn't even roll her eyes. - Harper
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yup, no question, I have my AA sources all scoped out and for sure I'll
be wearing one on the broken ankle as soon as I get it out of the cast
and the doc's give me the go-ahead to ride again.

Erin


--
Erin - Onewheeler

"Wow, that is so cool, is it your 'bike-instead'?
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I did the KH trials crank crunch on my left ankle bone in June...badly.
In August, while it was still sore, I did a much worse rendition falling
off of the car in Minneapolis during trials competition and I cut my
ankle at the same time. Ever since the June incident, it has remained
forever tender and any impact is excruciating. Those with KH trials
unicycles know how often that impact can occur.

I just received my Active Ankles from unicycle.com a couple of days ago.
I got them (rather, Karen got them for my birthday and, yes, it's 51 and
STILL no level 5) primarily for the armor protecting the ankle bone, not
the support. Interesting, since I did slightly sprain both ankles at
VIMW; one of them twice.


--
harper - Old dog, no tricks

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"I managed to get my missus riding a couple of yards before she got
pregnant with Jenny, but she hasn't tried riding since. " - Danny
Colyer

"Sa da tay! Sepotown!" - Pootie Tang


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Erin wrote:
*I'll be wearing one on the broken ankle *

For what it's worth: I sprained one ankle but got braces for both - I'd
hate to explain the brace on the -other- angle to the X-ray
technician...

Tim


--
dazedNcontused - go play in the snow!

She was so impressed she didn't even roll her eyes. - Harper
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Wow, I had forgotten about this thread.

I did buy shortly after starting this thread. I took John Child's
advice and got some Dr. Scholls foam heal inserts to place over the
bottom of the AA. This has really helped in regards to comfort.
Originally, I bought the AA's in a medium, but they were really
uncomfortable. They seemed to clamp around the sides of the foot and I
couln't get them tight around the area above my ankle. I then returned
them and bought large's which were more comfortable. They were wider, so
it minimized the uncomfortable clamping sensation. Several weeks later
I added the foam heal inserts.

However, I find that I get some rotation in the brace when I cock my
foot inward. The bottom of the brace rotates a bit and is no longer
parallel to my ankle/leg. I often wonder if I will lose support from
this if I ever landed hard on an uneven surface.

Really tightening the AA's minimizes this, but it is still apparent. If
I tighten the velcro too tight on the AA's, they can bruise my shin
after a day's MUni ride. I have really big calfs, so this may be part
of the problem or even, as I think about it right now, the foam heal pad
may be contributing to this, somehow.

Anyone else notice this rotation issue?


--
teachndad - The Munieer

Rod Wylie

You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things -- to
compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to
reach challenging goals. - Sir Edmund Hillary

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I was seriously considering getting active ankles, I some times would
roll my ankle lightly (not a sprain or anything) But it would be sore
for a couple days. A friend of mine sprained his ankle and couldn't uni
for weeks. I think it is a wise investment.


--
james.cowan2 - Expert

-James
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