Ankle supports for the Basketball Player

Any sport can be tough on the joints...especially basketball. Moving quickly down the court, changing directions at top speeds, jumping, landing, and the occasional collision with other players can be hard on any part of the body. In the sport of basketball the ankle is one part of the body that suffers the most. The twisting and turning on the basketball court are done from the ground up, meaning the ankle can be overextended and over used. A twist of the ankle just a little above its range of motion can cause a painful tear or rupture of the ankle ligaments. It is these ligaments that hold the ankle in place, so when a basketball player experiences an ankle injury it usually keeps him or her out of the game.

To better understand why basketball players are prone to ankle sprains, it helps to understand a bit about the make up of your ankle. There are three major ligaments, which stop the ankle from rolling forward or outward. These are the anterior talofibular, posterior talofibular, and the calcaneofibular ligaments. If any of these three is damaged, the foot is in pain as the ligaments are torn and very difficult if not impossible to move with assistance.

There are three types of sprains about which a basketball player should be concerned:

• A first degree type of sprain will keep a player off the court for a short period of time. It can be the result of overreaching or straining while stretching out. There might be some mild swelling or stiffness, but if taken seriously without further injury it should heal within a few days.
• A second degree sprain can be more of an issue. This involves not just over stretching the ligaments but also a matter of some tearing. There will be swelling, pain and loss of stability at the point where the ankle meets the foot.
• Third degree type strains can be very serious and might keep a player off the court for weeks or even the rest of a season. This is the result of either a total tear or rupture of one or more of the three main ligaments. There will be a lot of swelling, pain, and near total instability of the ankle. This means some form of support like crutches will be needed to walk and the foot will require a long period of recuperation possibly lasting many weeks.

The DonJoy Velocity Ankle Brace is the Best Basketball Ankle Support for both preventing and treating ankle injuries.

One way to avoid these types of injuries is to make sure the ankle is properly supported and stabilized during practice and games. The Velocity Ankle Brace is one of the best basketball ankle supports because as it has several design features that can result in improved performance, injury prevention and even relief from prior injury.

Features include…

• Compact design that fits inside the shoe easily and doesn’t impact your ability to play the game.
• The padding and support protects against unnatural ankle inversion or rotation that can tear or strain the ligaments.
• The stability offered by this brace helps prevent future ankle sprains, even in players who suffer from chronic ankle injuries.
• Maximum comfort is assured by allowing the wearer to make easy adjustments quickly…even during a 20 second time out!

Keep yourself in the game by strapping on an ankle brace

No player wants to be sitting on the bench, recovering from an ankle injury, while the rest of his team is out of the court. The best way to keep yourself in the game this basketball season is to wear an ankle brace on each of your ankles. That way you’ll avoid the pain and suffering that comes with these injuries and you wont have to worry about missing a game, or worse the entire season, while you recover.