I don't kow what the difference is between a brace and an ankle
support. I have worn two types of braces both done up by velcro
similar to the one shown here:

http://www.painreliever.com/images/cor391.jpg

I still find these difficult to put on, however so tend not to wear
them. My OT suggested that something tht you can lace up may be
better, but then again there is still teh problem of getting them on.

Good luck
Rose

Di, I just wanted to pass on my commiserations, as I'm having a similar
problem with my hip (see earlier posting). I do hope everything gets
better for you. It sounds like you need a lot of TLC and a big hug as
well.
Janet

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Di}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Duckie

Hey Di -

I hate braces of any kind.  I don't walk, but wrapping my ankles when I
have to get into my wheelchair & start making transfers, makes a huge
difference in pain levels.

It would be better if I could tape them, but my skin won't tolerate any
kind anymore.  I would try that before trying braces.

-g-

Kitty

Di, don't you think you have enough going on without spraining that ankle
again!  Am really so sorry it happerned and don't blame you for hating it.
Gwen

I did the aircast thing until I did the replacement thing...good luck kid cuz
those ankles just don't do well (that's my experience)
Kate    Send in the clowns
I will not drag you along; I will not leave you alone; I will stand
by you and have my hand there for you to hold when you need it.

Hi Di,
I have a "d*** ankle" too!  I've tried a number of different braces
and supports.  The one that I have liked the best in regard to
support, easy to put on, fits in most shoes....is the Aircast Air
Sport Ankle brace.  Here's a link to a picture and description.  The
only thing I really didn't like is the color.  It only comes in black.
The price listed on this site is not bad.   My ortho surgeon ordered
it for me.  I've had two since then.  It has thick pieces of plastic
that run along the sides of the ankle for stabilization.  It can be
adjusted so that you can tighten it or loosen it for swelling.

http://www.safessl.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=0001&Product
_Code=AIR102&Category_Code=Moderate

Take care,
Carol

Hi Di,

The kind I use isn't a hard support. It's the one pictured at the very
bottom of this page:
http://www.physioshop.com.au/cgi-bin/browse.cgi?brace

I combine that with boots that come up over the maleoli (for years it
was Doc Martens 8-hole boots, but I find I don't need that much firm
support). However, I simply have to take small steps. If I have to try
and rush, I take a lot of small steps but faster (it's an interesting
mental image, try it hehe). The ankle support keeps the area nice and
warm but provides a LOT of proprioceptive feedback. Before buying a
bunch of these (for every day of the week) I got by with just the boots,
and it wasn't nearly as effective.

In terms of being aware of the position of the ankle, the support helps
that with both conscious perception and as I mentioned unconscious
proprioception. I also focus on keep the foot and ankle in a
semi-immobile position while walking using the muscles around it. I also
make sure the foot neither over nor under pronates, but still has some
shock absorption roll during the footstep (this is the hardest to get
right, because in a normal ankle it happens naturally and nobody is
aware of it!!!).

This has meant relearning how to walk several times (the hip
replacements did not make this any easier) as the ankle
changes/degenerates. I don't let the foot dorsiflex very much at all
during any footstep! I keep the ankle in position and roll off the ball
of the foot. It looks a bit strange, but I can keep going like that
without making things worse later or the next day.

I can get around the house pretty safely in bare feet or slippers
because the walks are short (very small house) and there're no stairs. I
don't even use my crutch inside, but that's more of an issue of
stubbornness and feeling safe enough that if I fell I know where
everything is so as not to impale myself or break bones (aikido classes
earlier this year, when I had more platelets, taught me a lot about how
to safely fall). That said, some of the most painful injuries to the
ankle (which were going to happen sooner or later as the osteonecrosis
lets the talus collapse) happen around the house, so being stubborn
isn't necessarilly a good thing :-) (at least I was able to catch myself
and avoid falls when the ankle gave)

Cheers,

Ari

(((((((((((di)))))))))))))  boy, it sure sound frustrating for you.  i can't
tolerate ankle braces, because of having had polio as a child (in addition
to bone breaks), and the pain they cause me.  so, i do tape and won't be any
help.  but i feel for you and hope you find one that helps you.

kate

Di,

I've always preferred the basic Futuro ankle brace, that stirrup shaped one,
but my ankle issues are different from yours.  When I was in high school I
was living with what was eventually diagnosed as a "chronic ankle sprain".  
My ankles are so blasted hypermobile that I was spraining them so often that
they never healed in between.  What ultimately fixed me up was physical
therapy.  In my case it was through an orthopedic surgeon who had done well
by my sister as he worked with our local dance company.  It all makes me
wonder if it might be well for you to get a referral to PT.  They could
determine the most appropriate brace for your ankle problems and when you
recover some from this latest twist, they can give you some exercises to
strengthen your ankle so it holds up better.

Di,

wishing you the best with that ankle. Stop hurting it. ;-)

I hope it heals quickly for you.

I am watching this thread too because of ankle problems.

I gave up on anything low-profile a while back.  The podiatrist gave me
the choice of Richie braces or surgery, so the big, ugly Richie braces it
was.  They're essentially a custom-cast version of the Swede-O Arch Lok:
http://www.ankleshop.com/archlok1.htm
I have a pair of those as backups.  I wore them until my custom pair came in.
They can only be worn with a shoe, but they're much better than the aircast
and they give arch support without pinching the area at the bottom of the
brace or at the heel.
 
What I wear now are these:
http://richiebrace.com/
They're completely custom, which means entire thing from the orthotic plate
to the leg sheath was made from a casting of my leg.  They cost about $1800
for a pair, but my insurance pays 80% of the cost for prosthetics and
orthotics.  So I paid $200.  The one thing you can't see from the photos is
that the leg support is all one piece, not two like all the non-custom ones
are made.  This makes for a much more stable and non-irritating support.
It also gives you a little less wiggle room for swelling, but since it was
cast from your leg, it should be pretty close to right unless your legs
_really_ swell a lot.

My shoe choices are pretty much limited to sneakers or DocMartin boots now,
but I can live with that.  In fact, with my black Docs, the braces look an
awful lot like the buckle boots that the club kids wear anyway. ;}  I like
my steel-toed boots.  Makes it easy to kick doors open when I'm in my
wheelchair.