It is common to see athletes with numerous amounts of sports tape and/or braces around their ankles whilst performing. The aim of this is to prevent injury and minimise the severity of injury should it occur. A review of 8 studies in 2000 looking into the use of strapping tape and ankle braces in the prevention of ankle injuries was performed (Verhagen, EAL; Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 10(4):291-6, 2000 Oct). It was concluded that:
- the use of tape or braces reduces the incidence of ankle sprains
- the use of tape or braces results in less severe ankle sprains
- braces appear to be more effective in preventing ankle sprains than tape
- it is unclear which athletes are to benefit more from the use of preventative strapping or braces: those with or those without previous ankle sprain
- proprioceptive/balance training reduces the incidence of ankle sprains in athletes with recurrent sprains to the same level as subjects without any history of ankle sprains
Why is proprioception/balance important?
Proprioception (loosely termed as “balance”) is our sense of joint position. It allows our body to maintain stability and orientation during static and dynamic activities. When we sustain an injury, not only can we get damage to muscle, ligament, tendon or bone but also to the nerve fibres around the region which give us our sense of where our body part is, in space. Therefore it is vital in rehabilitation to include proprioceptive exercises in order to retrain joint position sense. Here are a couple you might want to try out.
- Standing balance. Standing on one leg can be a challenge to all of us but if this proves to be too easy try closing your eyes, or standing on a soft pillow/trampoline.
- Spot jumping. Mark out a spot on the floor and stand on one foot on that spot. Now closing your eyes hop into the air and aim to land on that same spot. To challenge yourself further, mark the spot further away (approximately 50cm away). Now closing your eyes hop off one foot aiming to land on that spot. The further the distance the harder you have to work.
