Ankle Injury? Recover Faster – Get Back in the Game Sooner

If you’ve just suffered a second-degree (grade 2) ankle sprain, you’re likely dealing with swelling, bruising, and significant pain with every step. A sprain of this severity involves a partial tear in at least one of the ligaments that stabilize your ankle, making it difficult to walk or bear weight (MGB). Your medical team may have recommended a walking boot to immobilize your ankle, providing some relief from weight bearing pain. However, recent research suggests that even severe ankle sprains recover better and faster when exposed to protected movement. Regardless of your treatment plan, your main question remains: When can I start practicing and playing again?

The Road to Recovery

After a week of therapy, your swelling and pain may have decreased enough to transition out of the boot. At this stage, introducing protected movement is key to optimizing your recovery. Movement improves circulation, delivering essential oxygen and nutrients to the injured joint, while also strengthening the muscles and tendons. This, in turn, helps you regain lost agility and gets you back to your sport faster (SIP).

Protected movement is made possible by wearing an ankle brace that allows your ankle and foot to move freely in all the natural ways-but restricts excessive movement to the already injured ligaments, muscles, and joint surfaces (SIP). Because your ankle is now unstable, you’ll need to stabilize it with a brace when you return to practice, allowing your ligaments to fully heal and protect against reinjury.

There are two types of ankle braces that can provide this stabilization: lace-up ankle braces and hinged (or semi-rigid) ankle braces. Lace-up braces, such as Ultra Ankle’s Ultra 360, offer support through a combination of laces and figure-8 straps, providing some flexibility while bracing the ankle. However, lace-up braces can lose their effectiveness as the fabric stretches and loosens over time, putting you at risk of re-injuring your ankle.

On the other hand, hinged ankle braces like the Ultra Zoom® help prevent your ankle from rolling side to side while still allowing the up-and-down movement needed to promote healing. This not only keeps you protected but also facilitates a quicker recovery (MVH). The Ultra Zoom’s patented hinge-cuff design offers an additional benefit: it helps prevent high ankle sprains, which are typically more painful and have a longer recovery period.

Recover Faster with the Ultra Zoom® Ankle Brace

The key to a quick and effective recovery is restoring your ankle’s range of motion and strength. The Ultra Zoom’s hinged-cuff design allows your ankle to move naturally, aiding rehabilitation while your ligaments heal. By maintaining normal ankle movement, the Ultra Zoom accelerates healing and rebuilds muscle strength, putting you on the fastest path to recovery. For more information you can watch our Ultra Zoom Product Features video.

Play Sooner – With Confidence

When you’re ready to return to practice or games, protecting your ankle from reinjury is critical. Your ankle is now more susceptible to twists and turns, increasing the risk of another sprain. The Ultra Zoom’s hinged-cuff design limits excessive inversion and rotation—movements that lead to ankle injuries. Its Performathane® soft, flexible shell forms a custom fit to your ankle using body heat, providing a secure, comfortable fit for all-day protection during every practice and game.

Ankle injuries are common in sports, but recurring injuries don’t have to be. By taking the right precautions with the Ultra Zoom Ankle Brace, you can stop the cycle of ankle injuries, and protect your pre-existing injury and play with confidence all season long.

Why Ankle Braces Do Not Weaken the Ankle Joint: Debunking the Myth with Ultra Ankle

Introduction – In the early 1990s, ankle braces began appearing more often in sports due to their improved designs and cost efficiency. As time has gone on, ankle braces have been a topic of debate among athletes, coaches, and medical professionals. In this debate, one common myth persists and that myth is wearing ankle braces can weaken the ankle joint, leading to dependency and muscle atrophy. This blog post aims to debunk this myth and highlight the benefits of using ankle braces, specifically those from Ultra Ankle®.

Common Belief About Ankle Braces Weakening the Ankle Joint – Many people believe that using ankle braces can lead to weakened muscles and dependency on the product. The concern is that ankle braces restrict movement, causing the muscles to become less active and eventually atrophy. However, this belief is not supported by scientific evidence. Jan Golden, DPM, wrote in a PPMA blog post “I tell parents that research has shown that there is no evidence that taping or bracing the previously injured ankle joint will make it wear or cause any other injuries above the ankle joint.” Additionally, Dr. Phil Page, Ph.D, PT, ATC, CSCS, FACSM wrote in Training & Conditioning “There is a misconception that if you wear a brace you don’t need to use the ankle as much, so people come to the conclusion without evidence that they will lose the strength; however, no studies have proven this.”

How Traditional Ankle Braces Function – Bones, muscles and a network of ligaments and tendons form internal supports that keep your ankle stable, flexible and strong. These internal supports maintain your ankle’s stability. However, once you’ve incurred an ankle injury the ligaments and tendons are stretched and loosened. Once stretched your ligaments and tendons do not return to their natural state. Traditional or “lace-up” ankle braces, like our Ultra 360®, are designed to do two things. The first is to provide external support and limit certain motions, such as plantar flexion/inversion, which is the movement at the ankle joint that points the foot downward away from the leg and turns the foot inward (MCHS). This helps to provide additional support to your ankle and to aid in preventing ankle injuries. The second is to provide external support after an ankle injury to aid in quicker recovery and to help prevent further ankle injuries. The only problem with traditional lace-up ankle braces is that because they restrict some movements of the ankle joint they can lead to diminished performance with regard to agility and vertical (HKJ). Lastly, once you’ve had an ankle injury lace-up ankle braces do not significantly protect against additional injury. In a study obtained from PubMed, if a (volleyball) player had a history of a previous ankle sprain, the brace did not protect the ankle from another injury. Hinged ankle braces, like our Ultra Zoom®, have the same primary functions as the lace-up ankle brace, to help prevent ankle injuries and to help in recovery from ankle injuries. However, hinged ankle braces allow your ankle to maintain it’s natural plantar flexion and dorsiflexion while restricting the excessive inversion/eversion or “rolling” of the ankle. Additionally, the Ultra Zoom has a hinged-cuff design which also helps to prevent high ankle sprains. Hinged or “semi-rigid” ankle braces have proven to restrict excessive ankle inversion and reduced injury incidences in those with previous ankle injuries (NIH). 

Benefits of Ultra Ankle Braces – Ultra Ankle offers a range of high-quality ankle braces that provide excellent support and protection without weakening the ankle joint. Which ankle brace is best for you depends on a few different factors. What is your ankle injury history? Are you looking for a brace to help prevent that initial ankle injury? Or, are you looking for a brace to help recover from recurrent ankle injuries during sports or activities? Ultra Ankle offers 4 advanced ankle braces designed to help prevent, treat, and recover from ankle injuries:

• Ultra 360®: The Ultra 360 locks your ankle in place while the figure-8 straps provide 360º of ankle support to help prevent excessive ankle rolling. The multi-adjustable design allows you to customize your level of support. Click HERE to learn more about the Ultra 360 product features.

• Ultra Zoom®:The only ankle brace built for performance— you’ll play better and play more, losing less time to injuries with the Ultra Zoom. The Performathane® soft shell forms to you, allowing your ankle to move in all the natural ways while helping to prevent any excessive movement that may cause an injury. The Ultra Zoom is on your ankle in seconds, protects continuously for hours and lasts for multiple seasons. Click HERE to learn more about the Ultra Zoom product features.

• Ultra High-5®: The Ultra High-5 is a high-support brace designed for chronic ankle instability. Reinforce unstable ankles with the Ultra High-5. Feather-light but super-strong this ankle brace handles the twists and turns even the toughest terrain throws at you. Click HERE to learn more about the Ultra High-5 product features.

• Ultra CTS®: The Ultra CTS is a FDA registered product designed to treat high ankle injuries, acute ankle injuries, and ankle osteoarthritis. The Ultra CTS is total ankle injury management. It not only helps to relieve weight-bearing pain but also provides maximum lower leg and ankle stability with its patented Performathane upright. Click HERE to learn more about the Ultra CTS product features.

Safe Usage of Ankle Braces – To maximize the benefits of ankle braces, it’s crucial to use them correctly:

• Proper Fit: Ensure the brace fits well to avoid pressure points and restricted blood flow. The Ultra Zoom, Ultra High-5, and Ultra CTS ankle braces can be easily tailored to fit your feet and ankles by using a home hair dryer. Watch our Ultra Ankle Custom Heating Video to learn how this process works. Keep in mind, like a new pair of shoes, all ankle braces require a break-in period.
• Proper Shoes: Not all shoes are compatible with every ankle brace. To see which types of shoes to wear with Ultra Ankle braces, watch our Ultra Ankle Recommended Shoe Video.
• Strengthening Exercises: Combine ankle strengthening exercises with the use of an ankle brace to maintain overall joint health.

Conclusion – The myth that ankle braces weaken the ankle joint is not supported by scientific evidence. Ankle braces, such as the Ultra 360, Ultra Zoom, Ultra High-5, and Ultra CTS from Ultra Ankle, provide essential support and injury prevention without compromising muscle strength. The Ultra Zoom, Ultra High-5 and Ultra CTS have also proven to help athletes and individuals recover from ankle injuries faster, allowing them to get back to their sport and/or daily lives more rapidly. By using these braces correctly, athletes and individuals can enjoy enhanced stability and protection, leading to safer participation in sports and daily activities.

Maximizing Pickleball Performance: Why Ankle Braces are Crucial.

The fusion of tennis, badminton, and table tennis has birthed an electrifying sport – pickleball. It’s fun, versatile, and straightforward nature is quickly making it a favorite among individuals of all skill levels, ages, and physical conditions. However, despite the fun, pickleball can adversely impact our bodies, especially the joints, if not played with necessary precautions. Here, we delve into the crucial role ankle braces play in pickleball, their functionality, and how they can enhance your safety during play.

Protecting Your Ankles in Pickleball: The Role of Ankle Braces

Your ankle is a sophisticated structure encompassing bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. It offers stability and mobility, enabling activities such as walking, running, jumping, and pivoting. Given that pickleball involves rapid direction changes, sudden stops and starts, jumping, and pivoting, the risk of ankle injuries is high. Additionally, once an ankle injury has occurred, it is 70% more likely to be reinjured in the future.

Ankle braces have two main purposes: providing stability to reduce injury risk and supporting an injured ankle for quicker recovery. Some braces, like the Ultra 360® Lace-Up brace, do limit ankle movement with the thought that less movement means less chance of injury. They also absorb some of the forces that would typically impact the ankle joint. Hinged Cuff braces like the Ultra Zoom®, on the other hand, provide maximum support without limiting ankle mobility. The Ultra Zoom not only helps prevent the typical ankle sprains/injuries, such as rolled ankles, but it also helps prevent high ankle injuries, which typically take much longer to recover from.

Advantages of Ankle Braces for Pickleball Players

Injury Prevention: Pickleball’s swift movements and directional shifts strain the ankle, increasing sprain and fracture risks. Ultra Ankle® braces help prevent the ankle from rolling or twisting beyond its usual range of motion, minimizing injury chances.

Support and Stability: Lace-Up braces, like the Ultra 360, compress the joint, helping to improve stability and enhance proprioception – the perception of body and limb positioning. The Ultra Zoom brace custom-form fits to the ankle and foot increasing stability while still providing comfort. The hinged-cuff design allows for the ankle to maintain its full range of motion without compromising mobility.

Confidence Enhancement: Ankle braces increase players’ confidence by offering an additional protective layer. This assurance allows players to concentrate on winning rather than worrying about potential ankle injuries. Why just accept ankle injuries are a part of the game?

Post-Injury Rehabilitation: Ankle braces, specifically the Ultra Zoom, can assist recovery in players who have experienced previous ankle injuries, offering support and reducing re-injury risk. Additionally, the Ultra Zoom limits the amount of micro-tears in the ankle’s tendons and muscles while moving around the pickleball court, thereby reducing the post-match soreness in the joint.

Selecting the Ideal Ankle Brace for Pickleball

When it comes to choosing the right ankle brace for pickleball, there are a few factors to consider. First, what will be the purpose(s) of your ankle brace? Will you be using it for injury prevention, or, will you be using it to recover from an ankle injury you’ve already sustained? It could also be a combination of both. You may want to recover from an ankle injury and prevent further injuries down the road. Our Ultra 360® ankle brace is good for injury prevention. It utilizes figure-8 straps to provide 360 degrees of support. It compresses the joint to help protect it from excessive movement and provides moderate support while still maintaining good mobility. If you are looking for maximum support with maximum mobility, our Ultra Zoom® “fits” the bill. The Ultra Zoom is a custom form-fit soft-shell brace. It molds to the ankle and foot by utilizing an athlete’s body heat. It has a Hinged-Cuff design that allows for the ankle to move in all its natural ways while preventing both high and low ankle injuries. Additionally, the Ultra Zoom is a great brace to treat and recover from ankle injuries faster as it helps to absorb impact on the joint from moving around on the pickleball court. Once recovered from an ankle injury it will also help prevent further injury to the same ankle, allowing you to get back on the court and stay on the court while losing less time to ankle injuries.

Final Thoughts on Ankle Braces and Pickleball Safety

While Ultra Ankle® braces offer critical support and protection, they’re part of a broader pickleball safety approach. Incorporate strength and flexibility training focusing on lower body and core muscles, wear proper footwear, and establish suitable warm-up and cool-down routines.

Recognizing the physical demands pickleball exerts helps us make informed decisions to maintain our game enjoyment. An ankle brace is a minor yet significant step towards improved pickleball performance and durability. So remember: play smart, play hard, and brace-up to stay in the game!