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  1. #1
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    Default Your experience with ankle braces please..

    I broke my ankle on both sides and now the doctor has given me an ankle brace. It feels terrible. I would get mega blisters if I was able to hike with it and my boots on. Im taking slow walks right now in hopes I can get on the trail again. Im hoping someone out there who has been through this can give me some input?

  2. #2
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    My ankle brace is quite comfortable and I can hike extensively in it, until my tendonitis acts up. But the brace does not cause any discomfort. It might or might not support your ankle in the way you need. It is quite supportive and minimalist all at the same time.

    Good luck.
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

  3. #3

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    I use a ASO ankle stabilizer. They are typically available on Amazon under $25 but Amazon is broken right now so I can't provide a link. It fits inside most footwear without a problem and I hike with it regularly without a problem.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by perrymk View Post
    I use a ASO ankle stabilizer. They are typically available on Amazon under $25 but Amazon is broken right now so I can't provide a link. It fits inside most footwear without a problem and I hike with it regularly without a problem.
    I hike with that specific model of brace on each ankle. Just make sure that your shoes are wide enough to accommodate a little more width in your foot. It takes a bit of experimentation to find the proper tightness that provides support while not being uncomfortable. I don't even know that I'm wearing anymore. I've never gotten any blisters, etc from the braces despite repeated multi-week hikes with 15-20 mile days.
    Remote for detachment, narrow for chosen company, winding for leisure, lonely for contemplation, the Trail beckons not merely north and south, but upward to the body, mind, and soul of man.


  5. #5
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    Google Active Ankle. I used that brace while wearing low cut Salomon trail shoes for a 60 hour bushwhack over gnarly terrain and it worked great.

  6. #6
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ncmtns View Post
    I broke my ankle on both sides and now the doctor has given me an ankle brace. It feels terrible. I would get mega blisters if I was able to hike with it and my boots on. Im taking slow walks right now in hopes I can get on the trail again. Im hoping someone out there who has been through this can give me some input?
    You should be having this conversation with your doctor.
    I have a feeling that your BOOTS might be part of the problem.
    So. Go back to the doctor. Work out a solution that gets you back on the trail.
    Good luck!
    Wayne

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    You should be having this conversation with your doctor. . . Go back to the doctor. Work out a solution that gets you back on the trail.
    The catch being that often one's doctor just doesn't have the experience with particularly active people and they err on caution to the point that their solution is not functional for your needs. If you've got a doctor that works regularly with elite athletes, they often have a better sense of a person needing to stay active while helping their body heal. Certainly give your doctor the chance to fix the problem, but, I can give all kinds of examples where, to find solutions, I've gone out on my own, often putting aside the doctor's advice. . . and for what it's worth doing so on one occasion saved my child's life.

    Doctors are great at what they do well, but if your needs are outside the realm of 95% of the people's needs that your doctor regularly sees, you need to also think and research on your own to find solutions when the doctor's solutions are failing!
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

  8. #8
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Fair enough.
    BUT! We don’t have all of the facts. We don’t know what the brace looks like nor it’s purpose.
    “I broke my ankle on both sides.”
    RED FLAG!
    Need more input.
    Wayne

  9. #9
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    Suggest you consider a rigid boot designed to stabilize a fractured or badly strained ankle. They're available on E-bay and Amazon and offer next day delivery. The Top Cam Walker Fracture Ankle / Foot Stabilizer comes in low and high top and is inexpensive. I met a thru-hiker in 2015 who hiked in one for over 300 miles. Best to talk to your doctor about this option.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by nsherry61 View Post
    T...
    Doctors are great at what they do well, but if your needs are outside the realm of 95% of the people's needs that your doctor regularly sees,...
    They would refer you to another practitioner with relevant experience, an orthopedic or sports doctor for example. Whiteblaze derived medical advice is worth exactly what you pay for it.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by OCDave View Post
    They would refer you to another practitioner with relevant experience, an orthopedic or sports doctor for example. Whiteblaze derived medical advice is worth exactly what you pay for it.
    What White Blaze does that no doctor will is give you a whole range of ideas and approaches that have worked for other people with similar experiences. It provides a great jumping off point for doing personal research and also a great set of ideas to consider exploring with your doctor. The increase in quality of care I get from doctors as I become more aware and literate in the area of my concerns is phenomenal.

    As for referrals to other practitioners with "relevant experience", that's all find and dandy in theory and even works at times.

    When my son was first diagnosed with type-1 diabetes at age 8 our doctor referred us, and we had to wait 3 months to see the expert and with a new type-1 diagnosis, you need several days of intensive training immediately, not in three months, over which time you or your child has a high risk of dying. If I had taken my doctors advice, my child would have died!!

    I have foot issues. I have been referred to three different specialists regarding my foot issues. The first two podiatrists tried hard to be helpful, but neither of them were able to figure out how to manage my foot pain as well as I had already figured out on my own through research and experimentation. What they ended up doing was providing me with confidence that what I was doing was as effective an approach as they had to offer even if not a solution per se'. The most recent neurologist recently suggested that what I am doing is probably the best approach and there is nothing more he can do than encourage me to keep experimenting and check back in a year to make sure things aren't getting any worse.

    I have been to inumerable back specialists over the last 25 years as I struggle with back issues. The story is pretty much like my foot story. All my successful solutions have been derived from a combination of listening to doctors, modifying the doctors advice based on personal experience and internet research. And in one super helpful case, spending time with a physical therapist, not one I was referred to by a doctor.

    Lastly, I had a torn rotator cuff on my right shoulder that completely disabled my ability to use my right arm. The doctor's solution was surgery. Actually it was referral to a specialist that recommended surgery. In the mean time, I was mouthing off to physical therapist I ran across at work (prior to the above story and above physical therapist) about how I had never had any positive experiences with any physical therapists. She said she'd treat me for free to prove me wrong. She proved me wrong. She gave me exercises to strengthen my should that I couldn't do because I was too weak. So, she did some research and figured out how to tape my shoulder to strengthen it enough I could do the exercises. That almost worked. Her exercises help my shoulder a bunch, but didn't make the problem go away completely. Then, I went to the internet and found that weight lifters often have rotator cuff problems and use a stretch in a doorway. Between the exercise and the stretches, my should problems have been completely solved!! No medical doctor participated in resolving my shoulder issues.

    Bottom line: NEVER just accept what the a doctor tells you or assume that what the doctor has to offer is the best solution or even a viable solution. Doctors are imperfect human beings with limited knowledge too. Always go beyond your doctor if the care and advice you are getting does not resolve your issues!!
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

  12. #12
    Registered User KDogg's Avatar
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    Assuming that you ankle is healed now and you just need support for residual pain I would recommend taking a look at KT tape. I might get criticism for mentioning this but there are many different injuries that this stuff works wonders on. I can't recommend it enough. Talk with your Dr./Physio about it. If they think it is dumb then find another Dr./Physio. This stuff works wonders and I don't think I would have finished my thru hike without it. Wish they had this stuff when I was running track and cross country.

  13. #13

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    Depends on body weight... how much weight are we talking about here riding on your broken ankles, pack included...?

  14. #14

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    ASO EVO all the way. Look it up on Amazon.

  15. #15
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    Brother,
    I have been where you are at and I'm still working my way through this.

    As mentioned before please give more information.

    As stated before, most medical professionals have no idea of the scope of what true hiking is.

    If you are seeking advice about braces the two mentioned are effective.

    Please feel free to contact me if need be.
    Misterfloyd

  16. #16
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    Just for kicks, I looked up ASO EVO on amazon and the first brace it showed me was the McDavid brace I am wearing right now as I am typing. It looks nearly identical to the ASO EVO. My McDavid brace is quite light and thin. I have had not problems with it taking up too much space in my shoe or otherwise being awkward or causing sore spots.
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

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