Weak ankle and how to prevent rollover?

[A930Rocket]

During my junior high school and senior high school football playing days, I wrecked my left ankle multiple times. Then wrecked it again multiple times later.

40 years later, it can and will roll at the slightest uneven surface or rock, causing me to fall down and almost falling down.

What can I do to strengthen it, protect it and/or is there a device that I can wear to prevent roll overs? I’ve seen a few ankle braces online, but I want something small and discreet.

A few from Amazon below.

DonJoy Performance POD Ankle Brace, Best Support for Stability, Ankle Sprain, Roll, Strains for Football, Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse, Volleyball https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GD6NQZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yeyjFbFX54J3F


Bauerfeind Sports Ankle Support - Breathable Compression - Figure 8 Taping Strap - Air Knit Fabric for Breathability - Designed for Secure Fit and Maximum Freedom of Movement https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BJT4BIW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2eyjFbN93FPAH

[vash]

have a weak left ankle. For a while it was perpetually in some state of sprained. Super annoying.

I finally saw a doc. He gave me a simple brace to wear to let it heal. He made sure to stress I cannot wear it full time. I had to strengthen that ankle! He showed me stretches. IIRC there is one you do while sitting at your desk.

I am a lot better! Sometimes it rolls and I winch while waiting for the onslaught of pain. It rarely comes. I can’t typically “walk it off”. I actually did trail runs. The uneven terrain further boosted my ankle strength.

I should google the stretches again. It’s been awhile.

Oh, don’t wear Dansko clogs. . When I hike, I do wear a boot that is overkill. I won’t take chances.

[island911]

Wear snow shoes.



or shoes with a wide base.

[KFC911]

Mine are basketball ankles (and knee). Search the archives.... Tobra and others have offered suggestions. I was struggling with numerous issues 6-7 years ago, trying to find a solution, and began wearing 6" Danners exclusively...finally became unhobbled, but always wearing the boots is where I'm at now. I wore low tops my whole life, athletic shoes, Birkenstocks, barefoot, etc. Those days are over....

Bury me with my boots on....just not on Boot Hill

Good luck....bad wheels suck...

Paging Dr. Toby....

[vash]

Originally Posted by KC911

Mine are basketball ankles (and knee). Search the archives.... Tobra and others have offered suggestions. I was struggling with numerous issues 6-7 years ago, trying to find a solution, and began wearing 6" Danners exclusively...finally became unhobbled, but always wearing the boots is where I'm at now. I wore low tops my whole life, athletic shoes, Birkenstocks, barefoot, etc. Those days are over....

Bury me with my boots on....just not on Boot Hill

Good luck....bad wheels suck...

Paging Dr. Toby....

That sucks. One exercise is to keep foot flat while sitting and slowly move knee side to side. Hardly an aerobics exercise. Hell, you could do it while eating pudding.

I remember toe sketching the alphabet. It isn’t hard. And I love pudding.

[Jeff Hail]

Originally Posted by island911

Wear snow shoes.



or shoes with a wide base.

That was funny- thanks! I needed a laugh.

[Evans, Marv]

I've had ankle rollover as long as I can remember. Wearing boots laced up helps a lot. Hiking in the mountains on uneven terrain strenghtens you ankles up quite a lot. I'd say wearing shoes or boots you can lace up for added support and exploring exercises is your best option. Wearing a brace does nothing to strengthen ankles, but I imagine it would be the only option for extreme cases.

[Zeke]

Boots with a hard sole. Some of them are so thick and the softness lets the outer edge wear rounded over and you feel like you're wearing ice skates. That with a loose fitting upper and the boots are not helping one bit. In fact, they can make the matter worse.

[Reiver]

Minimalist running shoe for around the house...thin sole...thick soles with a high heel weaken the calf and ankle...e.g. your normal running shoe weakens the ankle and calf and makes an abnormal angle when running or walking.
Keep your weight appropriate for your height/skeletal system...most ankle/knee/hip issues today are due to too much weight stress.

[Otter74]

I think a physical therapist would do you a lot of good. I used one to recover from an ankle injury (and other injuries, too) and she was wonderful. It will take time. Joint injuries are difficult to recover from.

[Cajundaddy]

See a Doc and get a clear diagnosis and treatment recommendations based on your specific injury and weakness. Ultrasound or MRI should pinpoint the problem. Different torn tendons require a different approach to healing and PT in order to restore stability and strength.

[Bugsinrugs]

I believe that once you have twisted an ankle it will be forever susceptible to twists. My basketball ankles are so used to roll overs they hardly hurt anymore. I was playing left field at softball practice and a dog chasing a frisbee ran full speed into my leg causing a full ankle twist. I had to be carried to the car.

[A930Rocket]

It’s always been the outside of my left ankle that rolls and anything on the ground on the inside causes it. Being in construction, building houses, I’m always walking on uneven surfaces. Also, because I’m going in and out of finished homes, I take my shoes off and on all day. Being able to slip them off and on quickly has been nice, but I guess those days are numbered now. Something to cover the ankle and able to quickly put on and take off would be nice.


Here’s what I’ve been wearing for 20 years.

[stevej37]

^^^ That shoe has no ankle support.
Ski boots are designed to provide full ankle support.
Maybe some type of casual shoe that does the same??

[Evans, Marv]

Those are very nice ! Maybe you could find some shoes with higher ankle area and Velcro tabs for quick on & off.

[sugarwood]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V3ZLQE/

[Tobra]

Okay those shoes suck. Like Zeke says, hard sole boots that lace up. He is old, he has wisdom for those with the sense to listen. Marv also makes a good point, you can get the velcro top ones like the hero stole in The Terminator.

I like the Bauerfeind one better of those two braces. Sugarwood has a link to a decent looking one too.

There is nothing like tape though, which is why pro athletes get taped, which can be rough on the skin.

What is it you are trying to do that you can't, are you still bebopping wound construction sites? Have you ever had it evaluated? It sounds like something that would lend itself to treatment using physical therapy, but you will need a referral to see them.

In the mean time, there are a few tricks you can do. Imagine your big toe is a piece of chalk, and you are going to write out the alphabet on an imaginary chalk board in the air, or do circles in the air with your toe, clockwise and counter clockwise.

Sit where you can rest your heel on the floor near something solid, like a door frame, idea is to gently push the outside and inside of your foot on the door frame to strengthen the muscles that move your foot. None of these antics should be uncomfortable to perform, aside from muscle cramps perhaps.

The ligaments at the outside of the ankle are probably gone. They do more than provide stability. They also allow you to sense the foot twisting the wrong way, so you can react to avoid injury. You need to retrain your body to pick up on where your foot is relative to your leg.

[mrbeverlyhills]

I was in a rear end crash and like many of us who are terrible passengers, I tried tom apply the non existent brake pedal. My foot on the floorboard rolled over in the crash and left me with a weak ankle as you describe. You can wear all the corrective footwear you like but it you want to make it better:

Find a stair, any stair, place your toes at the lip so the rest of your foot is hanging over the edge. Stand on tip toes and relax 20 times, do this twice or 3 times a day. Do both feet because you wind up with a nice set of calves, no sense in being overdeveloped on one side.

[sugarwood]

I don't subscribe to the stretched ligament perma weak ankle theory. I've had a few ankle sprains over the decades and I've always recovered to 100%. After a few days of taking it easy, I get back into my extremely active lifestyle. Within a few weeks, I'm pushing at 100% again.

[A930Rocket]

No doubt it past time to get better supporting shoes/boots. And I have a tendency to wear them completely out before getting new ones. Whatever I get, they need to work with long pants and shirts.

Thanks for all the tips on strengthening the ankle.