Ankle-roll Prevention

chanel1twenty

I've been a tip-toe walker all of my life and a dancer. Being a dancer and a tip-toe walker is perfect, when dancing you're always told to stay on your toes and balls of your feet.
Additionally, when I was a youngster learning to walk, I broke my leg. I spent about 4 weeks in a cast that went from a couple inches below my booty to my toes. Because of this, when I walk/run/dance/anything, my legs are turned and feet point out to the side. This is severe, we're talking my feet are pointed out at a full 45° angle.
Because of the combination of these things, I suffer from constant ankle rolls, ankle pain, and sprains. I had a sprain that was so bad about 4-5 years ago that I had a black foot and ankle from tearing damn near every ligament in it and my orthopedist claimed it to be the worst sprain he had ever seen in his 25 year-career.

Is there anything I can do, short of changing the way I walk, to help prevent these ankle injuries? A good brace or wrap or something snug?
While at home I attempt to walk with my feet pointed straight ahead as to attempt to fix myself, but I end up tripping and experiencing excruciating knee pain. Obviously when you walk a certain way for your whole life it's not exactly easy to change it!
This problem causes pain and problems everyday in every aspect of my life, particularly exercise. I can't work out like I want/need to because of my ankle pain. I tend to have most issues in my right ankle, which is where I experienced the horrid sprain, but the left side is where I suffered the break O.o Weird.

What can I do for my poor ankles!? My Achilles' Tendon.

Chanel

RGv2

I'd hate to wear one of these all the time...

jacksonpt

I have ASO ankle braces that I wear for basketball. They are great! Might be a little bulky for every day/all day use, but they are great for sports. I guess if my ankles were that bad I'd have no problems wearing them all the time.

BerryH

I was born with my feet facing outward, and one slightly backwards, and had to wear corrective boots while I was learning to walk. Right up until university I walked on my toes and I'd sprain an ankle black and blue practically every week.

Unfortunately I suspect the answer may be the one you don't want to hear - slowly learn to walk properly. Like runners who have been using the wrong technique for years and keep getting injured, it's difficult a takes a long time, but as walking is something you do all the time, it's even harder.

I wore gradually lower and lower heels, and worked on a heel-to-toe stride.

You should also do calf and Achilles stretches every day. Try doing squats with proper form - you might find you don't get down very far before your heels lifts to start with. Even now I can't get down far at all. But the strengthening combined with the stretching helps.

Hope that helps :flowerforyou:

dbmata

what did your ortho say to do?

He would probably have some specific training in how ankle structures work and might have intelligent advice.

LorinaLynn

I used to roll my ankles all the time when I was younger, and it was one of my great fears when I started running... I thought I'd roll it while running, tumble down an embankment into a creek, hit my head on a rock, drown in 3" of water, and not be found until feral cats ate my face. I'm very hypermobile, and things would randomly pop out of joint.

But running and lifting weights has strengthened my muscles, and I haven't had a problem since. YMMV.

chanel1twenty

what did your ortho say to do?

He would probably have some specific training in how ankle structures work and might have intelligent advice.

My old doctor (note OLD) told my dad when I was about 8 "Oh, don't worry about it. Hers may be excessive but a lot of women have pointed out feet and crooked knees. She should be fine." -_-

My ortho corrected my last major sprain and put me in a special boot to hold my foot properly straight ahead. I wore it for about a year. When it was taken off my one foot pointed straight!

For about a week.

I was in a lot of pain the first 2 weeks of wearing the brace, and the pain returned upon the brace's removal. I ended up with a hyper extended knee and had crutches. Upon healing and no longer needing crutches, I found myself walking the way I was before. All progress gone. I became very discouraged and just quit exercising and kickboxing (I was amateur pro prior to the severe sprain. I excel at sports that require you 'stay on your toes,' haha).

chanel1twenty

I have ASO ankle braces that I wear for basketball. They are great! Might be a little bulky for every day/all day use, but they are great for sports. I guess if my ankles were that bad I'd have no problems wearing them all the time.

Both of the braces look great!!
What is the brand of the first? Is it easy to wear shoes with them? The first brace doesn't look like you could really wear shoes

Yes, considering I have a daily ankle roll I'm totally fine with wearing one of these all of the time.

chanel1twenty

I was born with my feet facing outward, and one slightly backwards, and had to wear corrective boots while I was learning to walk. Right up until university I walked on my toes and I'd sprain an ankle black and blue practically every week.

Unfortunately I suspect the answer may be the one you don't want to hear - slowly learn to walk properly. Like runners who have been using the wrong technique for years and keep getting injured, it's difficult a takes a long time, but as walking is something you do all the time, it's even harder.

I wore gradually lower and lower heels, and worked on a heel-to-toe stride.

You should also do calf and Achilles stretches every day. Try doing squats with proper form - you might find you don't get down very far before your heels lifts to start with. Even now I can't get down far at all. But the strengthening combined with the stretching helps.

Hope that helps :flowerforyou:

Oh yes! That was most certainly helpful! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Like I said, I do try to correct my walk. I just always end up with terrible knee pain, tripping, and flat out looking and feeling awkward as hell.

Perhaps I need something to stabilize my knee while working to walk correctly?

I do have Scoliosis and am in physical therapy for it because it causes one leg to be slightly longer than the other as well as uneven shoulders. Just another one of my lovely problems