Ankle injuries are mostly caused due to over stretching of the ligaments that support the ankles. This mostly occurs when you rest the foot with a great force over a highly uneven surface. Some people use footwear with high heels. In such cases, even if you are walking on a flat even surface there is a chance of ankle injury if you suddenly lose grip on your footwear.

Dancing is also a risky job that leads to ankle injuries. However, health specialists say that most of the ankle injuries can be eliminated by the use of joint support and by practicing other simple precautionary measures, some of which are outlined below.

• If you have suffered with ankle injuries earlier, you can avoid reoccurrence of the ankle injury by using joint support that supports the ankle. You can use a felt pad that is cut in horse-shoe shape and is placed below the ankle with open ends facing upwards. Use an elastic tape to keep the pad in place. This will help to prevent the ankle injuries and can also be used for faster healing of the ankle injuries.

• Before you plan to start a strenuous job, prepare the body by practicing simple warm-up exercises such as skipping, hopping and jumping.

• Regular practice of balancing exercises makes you know where you foot is landing. This reduces the chances of injuries. Thus, even if you accidentally land on an uneven surface you will be able to balance yourself. The use of joint support also avoids this sort of ankle injuries. As the support prevents too much straining of the ankle even if your leg folds.

• Make sure that the foot wear you use offers good cushioning effect. Your foot wear should support your foot not only just at the time of walking but also running and jumping. If you use high heeled foot wear and you run to catch a bus then you are at the risk of ankle injury. Hence, use of proper foot wear is a must to prevent ankle injuries.

• Some people have very weak ankles right from birth. In such people, injuries can be avoided by means of strapping which supports weak ankles.

• Ankle guards can also be used to protect the ankles from damage. However, they have to be used only under the guidance of professionals as you may hurt them if you use them inappropriately.

• It is a must for the basketball players to use good ankle support to prevent ankle injuries. To such people ankle braces are used. Before you use them, it is essential to learn the correct way to tie them.

To prevent severe damage in case of ankle sprain, it is essential to treat it immediately. Ice treatment works well to reduce the pain caused due to stretching of ligaments supporting the ankle. However, do not continue the treatment for a very long time. Ice treatment should not be used for more than twenty minutes at a time.

Anthony Jorgensen

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