How Long Should You Wear an Ankle Brace?

Having strong ankles is vital because they are crucial to bearing our body’s weight, and help protect us from lower leg injuries. Not everyone has strong ankles though and many people use an ankle brace to provide extra support to this region of the body. Of course, a common question from ankle brace users is how long should they keep wearing it. The good news you can read on to discover the answer.

Factors to consider regarding how long to wear ankle bracing & recovery products

There are two factors you must carefully think about to answer the question above. They are what the ankle problem you are wearing it for is, and whether you have been asked to wear an ankle brace by a medical professional.

Indeed, if it is the latter, then getting their go-ahead to stop wearing your ankle brace is usually necessary. However, if you have chosen to wear an ankle brace, the reasons why will factor into your decision. Keep reading to find out how.

Ankle Weakness

If the reason that you have an ankle brace is because of weakness, then it needs to be worn whenever you do any activity that will strain that part of the body. This is because an ankle sleeve ( the usual type of support in this case) is designed to strengthen the joint as you move and protect it from further damage.

Although, a sleeve on its own is not a long-term solution to the problem of ankle weakness. That means in addition to using a sleeve when moving, you will also need to seek out physical therapy to help you build up the strength of your ankle. Only then when this therapy is complete will you be able to stop wearing the support.

Ankle Sprain

Another common reason to wear an ankle brace is because of a sprain. The amount of time you will need to wear an ankle brace because of a strain will depend on how fast it heals, and how serious the strain was.

For example, if you tear all the ligaments in your ankles you can expect it to take up to 4 months to heal, and you will need to wear your brace for most of the duration until you have back the full range of motion and do not experience any pain in the area.

Joint Stiffness

Those suffering from stiff ankle joints also commonly wear a brace, usually in the form of a sleeve. The idea is that the compression offers heat to the soft tissues in the ankle area, which in turn makes the tendons and ligaments more flexible and less stiff.

In such cases, wearing an ankle brace before playing any sports or doing any exercise is the best idea. This can continue long-term, although it should be removed while sleeping.

Minimizing injury

It's not only people struggling with an ankle injury that use bracing & recovery products but those looking to prevent it as well. Indeed, as well as being useful for those struggling with ankle stiffness a brace can offer plenty of lateral support to the ankle, which can help minimize the risk of sprains in sports such as Football, and Basketball.

Indeed, in any sport where fast stops and direction changes are necessary, long-term use of an ankle brace can help players stay fit and injury-free.