Tearing a ligament in the ankle is a painful and frustrating experience. When it happens, your immediate need is for support and relief. Ankle supports promise to provide this but not all of them deliver. Here we’ll look into 3 best ankle supports for torn ligaments, as well as drilling down on why you should use a support.
Why Use an Ankle Support for Torn Ligaments?
All sorts of braces will provide support to your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. When you suffer from a torn ligament, you need to limit the movement of the affected foot. An ankle brace will help you to keep your ankle immobile and improve stability. Braces can also provide relief from pain, both before and after you require surgery. An ankle support can also provide compression to the ankle area. This increases the blood flow and nutrient supply to the area, while also helps remove lactic acid and toxins. This promotes faster healing, through the supply of vitamins and minerals carried in the blood and the removal of waste material from the injured site.
3 Best Ankle Supports for Torn Ligaments
Bauerfeind MalleoTrain Ankle Support Brace
Pros:
- Ergonomically contoured
- High level of compressive support
- Cushioning pads
- Easy to take on & off
Cons:
- More Expensive than other brands
The Bauerfeind MalleoTrain ankle support brace is an extra comfortable supportive brace, that will hold your ankle in a stable, solid position to promote faster healing. It is ergonomically contoured to hold your foot in its natural position.
A major benefit of the Bauerfeind MalleoTrain ankle support brace is that it provides a superior level of compression without applying an undue amount of pressure to the immediate area of your injury. This avoids pressure pain and allows for greater healing time when the joint is not being pressed down on. Compression boosts the blood flow to the injury site, bringing in the nutrients and oxygen needed for faster recovery.
The inner lining of the Bauerfeind Malleo Train contains a series of soft pads to provide soft massage comfort to the injured area. This brace is lightweight and easy to put on and take off. It is also easily washable. However, this is one of the more expensive support braces you will come across, but the extra expense is well worth it considering that you get a higher level of compression, with the cushioning pads that provide extra support.
Aircast A60 Ankle Brace
Pros:
- Very breathable
- Stabilizer supports
- Easy to take on & off
Cons:
- Sizing is not quite true, being a little on the small side.
The AirCast A60 Ankle Brace is a popular brace among professional athletes, such as Andy Murray the tennis player. This is a lightweight, slim, and extremely comfortable ankle brace. It is also extremely breathable, being made from a special Breathe-O-Prene fabric that is also odor and moisture-wicking.
This brace has inbuilt stabilizers on either side, to prevent rolling of the ankle and holds your foot in a secure, stable position. It provides an extra level of support for the weakest part of the ankle joint, which is the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL). The brace can also be used on either the left or right foot and is suitable for both men and women. It is very easy to put on, with the simple affixing of a velcro strap to keep it tight and secure.
The AirCast A60 can be worn directly on the skin without causing any skin reaction. It is latex free and comfortable, being made from a lightweight mesh material. Latex free braces do not cause skin irritation and are more breathable than non-latex options. The biggest issue with the Aircast A60, is that several online reviewers note that the sizing is not quite true, being a little on the small side. As a result, we would recommend ordering a size larger than your actual size.
ASO Ankle Stabilizer
Pros:
- Figure-8 fastening configuration
- Plastic supports for extra stability
- Stabilizing straps
- Bilateral design
Cons:
- Some sizing problems (order a size up) doesn’t make sense
The ASO Ankle Stabilizer is a larger, more bulky support than the Bauerfeind brace or the ASO stabilizer. It features a bilateral design with a figure 8 configuration to cover the area from the mid foot all the way up to the shin area. This provides a lot of structural support for the injured site. A velcro elastic cuff closure provides a secondary level of enclosed support.
The ankle brace support stabilizer straps on this brace provide you with a high level of support, featuring finger loops that allow you to keep the brace nice and tight. The brace is constructed from a sturdy yet flexible and comfortable ballistic nylon coolflex material. It is odor and moisture wicking to ensure that your foot doesn’t get overheated or smelly. The bilateral design means that you can put the brace on either the right or left foot. It can also be used by both genders.
ASO is a highly respected brand that is used and recommended by physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons and trainers. Plastic stays on either side of the ankle brace to provide an extra level of support and protection. That makes this a very good ankle brace for torn ligaments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will an ankle brace help a torn ligament?
Yes, an ankle brace will help with a torn ligament. It will provide support to the ankle to limit your mobility and provide extra support when you are walking around. It can also provide compression support which boosts the blood circulation to the affected area. This will help speed up the supply of nutrients and oxygen, as well as removing toxins from the injured area. Improved blood flow is a key to repairing injured ligaments.
What helps ankle ligaments heal faster?
Knowing how to treat torn ankle ligaments is all about blood flow to the ankle. This will speed up the supply of nutrients and oxygen to facilitate the healing process. In addition to using an ankle brace, you can increase blood flow with the use of ice, heat, and higher water intake. However, the best way to increase your blood flow is to perform some light cardio while wearing an ankle brace.
Do not apply heat until 24 hours after the injury, or you will likely increase the inflammation. After this, you can use a heat pack for a few minutes at a time, over a period of several hours. During the four weeks after the injury, you should perform some controlled exercise movements. Depending on the extent of the injury, you may have to limit yourself to exercises that you can do while seated. These should be done under the guidance of a physical therapist. These guidelines equally apply to elbow ligament injuries.
Is walking good on a torn ligament in your ankle?
A torn ligament in the ankle is very painful. Most people will not want to walk on the foot following the tear… Your mobility will also be severely hampered, making it difficult to walk, even if you can break through the pain barrier of putting your full weight on the ankle. However, there are different types of ligament tears, so you may be able to walk on a tear that is not too severe.
You may like to think of other exercises where you can keep your weight off your feet, on eof these being Pilates on a Pilates reformer exercise machine. The Pilates reformer keeps weight off your ankle, as you can use the straps for arm work and core exercises.
What is the best ankle brace to prevent rolling?
The best ankle brace to prevent rolling is the Bauerfeind MalleoTrain ankle support brace. The Bauerfeind is also the best ankle brace for torn ligaments. This impressive brace provides medical grade compressive support, along with an ergonomically contoured 3-D knit fabric and cushioned support pads.
Verdict
Wearing an ankle brace will help you to avoid ankle injury. If you do happen to suffer a torn ligament, however, the right brace will provide ongoing support while also providing compressive pressure to promote healing. When choosing a support brace, you want to think of these qualities; brings you relief, helps you heal faster and gets you back on your feet again.