WAG is there such a thing as prescription ankle braces?

[e'smum]

my dancer sprained her ankle horribly this past spring, right before the recital and her national dance comp. a trip to the dr (no break) and taking time off to heal and she was back to normal. doing all sorts of flips at the trampoline park this summer, ect... last night, missed a step and turned the same ankle.
thankfully it's not nearly as bad and she can bear light weight on it. she is using a drugstore brace for support today and can walk almost normally. her physical is in a couple of weeks and i would like to get something better for her to use during dance practice.
our gym just recently came out with some new rules - no braces allowed in the gym w/o a dr's note and they aren't to use drug store braces b/c they say they don't properly support the ankle/knee/ect....
so my question is, do any of your gymnasts use prescription ankle braces? do they exist? our dance studio doesn't have a rule like that but if there are better braces out there, i want one for her! i will ask her dr at the appointment but i'd like to know what i'm asking about when i go in. haha

 

[Deleted member 18037]

She needs to have it checked. What if it’s a fracture. Which is why the gym has rules.

Seriously, without X-rays etc you don’t know what the situation is.

My kid had 2 turned ankles. Both appeared to be sprains, including the opinion of her pediatrician, who said but if you can get her into the ortho, go for it. That one was the fracture.

 

[skschlag]

My son just got a brace from his ortho. So while there may not be prescription ones, there are things doctors can give you.

I don't like the no braces without doc note rule, but that is for another day, another thread....

 

[e'smum]

She needs to have it checked. What if it’s a fracture. Which is why the gym has rules.

Seriously, without X-rays etc you don’t know what the situation is.

My kid had 2 turned ankles. Both appeared to be sprains, including the opinion of her pediatrician, who said but if you can get her into the ortho, go for it. That one was the fracture.

i can bring her into get it x-rayed but i think it's just a minor sprain. last time she needed crutches. this time she does not. but i was also thinking of getting her into see an ortho. because she sprained it almost back to back. worried it could end up being a habitual sprain and want to head it off at the pass. and i really want a good brace for her.

and as for our gym, my gymnast also just sprained her ankle and she will see PT there and they are just wrapping it. they told me it was fine being wrapped and didn't need a brace. no mention of needing an x-ray. but it's been years since she sprained it last.

 

[e'smum]

My son just got a brace from his ortho. So while there may not be prescription ones, there are things doctors can give you.

I don't like the no braces without doc note rule, but that is for another day, another thread....

it's actually my dancer that i'm worried about. so she can wear her brace at the dance studio.

and i don't mind the brace rule. i've seen hurt ankles that weren't allowed to heal properly lead to worse issues.

 

[skschlag]

it's actually my dancer that i'm worried about. so she can wear her brace at the dance studio.

and i don't mind the brace rule. i've seen hurt ankles that weren't allowed to heal properly lead to worse issues.

I got it Whatever works. My son's ankles healed properly, but he just feels more comfortable with the support. Same for his wrists on pommel. Boys live in braces! LOL!

Good luck! My son has a pretty good brace on right now. Might compete in it even. That ankle will not roll!

 

[raenndrops]

my dancer sprained her ankle horribly this past spring, right before the recital and her national dance comp. a trip to the dr (no break) and taking time off to heal and she was back to normal. doing all sorts of flips at the trampoline park this summer, ect... last night, missed a step and turned the same ankle.
thankfully it's not nearly as bad and she can bear light weight on it. she is using a drugstore brace for support today and can walk almost normally. her physical is in a couple of weeks and i would like to get something better for her to use during dance practice.
our gym just recently came out with some new rules - no braces allowed in the gym w/o a dr's note and they aren't to use drug store braces b/c they say they don't properly support the ankle/knee/ect....
so my question is, do any of your gymnasts use prescription ankle braces? do they exist? our dance studio doesn't have a rule like that but if there are better braces out there, i want one for her! i will ask her dr at the appointment but i'd like to know what i'm asking about when i go in. haha

My brother has 2 prescription ankle braces. The orthopedist sent him to the orthotics department of the clinic and they custom fitted him with the braces. He even has 2 different sizes (one is a medium and the other a large) with different levels of support.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

i can bring her into get it x-rayed but i think it's just a minor sprain. last time she needed crutches. this time she does not. but i was also thinking of getting her into see an ortho. because she sprained it almost back to back. worried it could end up being a habitual sprain and want to head it off at the pass. and i really want a good brace for her.

and as for our gym, my gymnast also just sprained her ankle and she will see PT there and they are just wrapping it. they told me it was fine being wrapped and didn't need a brace. no mention of needing an x-ray. but it's been years since she sprained it last.

I'm just trying to figure out how everyone knows its just a "sprain"................. Again, my kid had 2 ankle turns. Both appeared to be just a "sprain", including her family doc. One was a fracture, one was truly just a sprain. Really no one could actually say until they saw the film

Your coaches and what not have incredible abilities................ to be able to know without xrays.

 

[gymnastmom05]

Hmmm. Well, I've had some ankle injuries myself. One, the physical therapist had me get a certain brace at the drug store just for some extra support while I ran. The other was given by my Ortho doctor for a sprained ankle. The one for the sprained ankle was more supportive and had laces which were easier to adjust to the size of my foot. I never really looked to see if I could have gotten the exact brace at a drug store or not...I just know it hurt and felt much better with the brace on! As a side note, our gym doesn't like braces (outside of tiger paws) for the girls without a doctors note. HC feels they should be working on stretches/exercises to make those areas stronger instead of relying on something else (brace). Obviously if it's necessary, there is no problem with a brace as sometimes we have certain areas that are weak no matter what we do (like my ankles!). His concern is it becomes a crutch and the physical issue isn't getting better with the brace.

 

[e'smum]

I'm just trying to figure out how everyone knows its just a "sprain"................. Again, my kid had 2 ankle turns. Both appeared to be just a "sprain", including her family doc. One was a fracture, one was truly just a sprain. Really no one could actually say until they saw the film

Your coaches and what not have incredible abilities................ to be able to know without xrays.

this post is not about medical advice. just throwing that out there.

i just wanted to know if/what other people have used for their gymnasts as far as prescription braces go so that i might discuss that with my dancer's doctor when we go in to see her. i will also be discussing that with PT tomorrow when my gymnasts sees them.

thanks!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

i can bring her into get it x-rayed but i think it's just a minor spraint.

 

[mommyof1]

An ortho visit would be helpful here. When my daughter sprained her ankle, ortho recommended a particular style of brace and wrote a note specifying activity restrictions and usage of the brace. We could have purchased the brace right at the doctor’s office, but I had already bought the recommended style on Amazon.

Whether or not a note is required, I would get the advice of a doctor and/or physical therapist regarding what type of brace and how long to wear it. The different braces are suited to different purposes, and you want the one that is best for the exact injury and stage of recovery. At one point my daughter’s PT had her switch from the brace to a particular method of taping that was supposed to aid in recovering proprioception.

 

[stillhoping]

When dd got a brace, her ortho suggested a type and we bought it. The doctor was very specific. The medical types are graded by support level (1,2,3). We were also given specific instructions on how the brace tightened, ie to get a lace-up brace. Dd went through several types of braces as her ankle strengthened and she required less support.

So, in my experience, there is no such thing as a prescription brace, but there is a definite advantage for having physician guidance on brace choice. One with not enough support risks re-injury. Too much support may cause muscle atrophy.

Good luck and I hope that your dd feels better soon.

 

[CoachAlex]

As a coach I don’t like our kids to wear braces/supports without seeing a doctor first because I am NOT a doctor and I don’t have X-ray vision - I don’t want them putting a brace on something without seeing a doctor first to make sure there isn’t a more serious injury. As far as wrist supports for yurchenkos (or pommel horse) that I understand is more of a preventative measure - but we have had several kids who were diagnosed with severs, so anytime anyone else’s heel hurt, the parents wanted to just buy a heel cup and not get a diagnosis - “heel pain” can be severs, or Achilles tendonitis, or a stress fracture so yes, as a coach I want them to see a doctor before self-diagnosing and slapping an $8 drug store “sleeve” on a body part.

To the original question - I think what your coaches mean are the stretchy sleeve-type supports that you can get at most drug stores, and I think they probably want a doctor-approved support (I know for ankle sprains most doctors will recommend the lace up ankle braces because they provide more support and because they do not usually loosen up as the activity goes on).

 

[sce]

this post is not about medical advice. just throwing that out there.

i just wanted to know if/what other people have used for their gymnasts as far as prescription braces go so that i might discuss that with my dancer's doctor when we go in to see her. i will also be discussing that with PT tomorrow when my gymnasts sees them.

thanks!

When my Son sprained his ankle the doctor recommended a specific brace. The drugstore ones were not supportive enough. I ordered the recommended one from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Med-Spec-264...nkle+brace&dpPl=1&dpID=41SjWMCC8rL&ref=plSrch

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

When my Son sprained his ankle the doctor recommended a specific brace. The drugstore ones were not supportive enough. I ordered the recommended one from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Med-Spec-264...nkle+brace&dpPl=1&dpID=41SjWMCC8rL&ref=plSrch

Did the doctor recommend the size? Or did you figure out another way?

 

[raenndrops]

Did the doctor recommend the size? Or did you figure out another way?

They have a size chart based on ankle circumference.

 

[fuzi]

Did the doctor recommend the size? Or did you figure out another way?

I was actually given one of these exact braces (in office) by the Sports Medicine Physician - after having ordered one on Amazon myself for a previous injury. When I ordered on Amazon, I went by the size chart. When I was fitted in office, they started with the one according to the size chart, but the Physican didn't like the fit and "gapping" and ended up sizing down, which ended up being way more supportive and functional. So, just another antidote for why it's important to see a professional.

 

[raenndrops]

I was actually given one of these exact braces (in office) by the Sports Medicine Physician - after having ordered one on Amazon myself for a previous injury. When I ordered on Amazon, I went by the size chart. When I was fitted in office, they started with the one according to the size chart, but the Physican didn't like the fit and "gapping" and ended up sizing down, which ended up being way more supportive and functional. So, just another antidote for why it's important to see a professional.

Lol, I just looked at the "shoe size" option for the size chart. I was comparing the mens shoe size chart and the women's shoe size chart and they don't jive. In reality, there is roughly a 1.5 size difference between men's and women's shoe sizes. I wear a 12.5W in women's and an 11 in men's.
If I were to go by the women's, then I should wear an XL brace. If I were to go by the men's, then I should wear a LG. Going by my ankle circumference, I am a MED (exactly 13" so border of MED and LG).
The brace on Amazon is very similar to my brother's braces that he was fitted for by the orthotics department. He has one MED and one LG. The LG is too big on me (I tried it on just to see).

 

[sce]

Did the doctor recommend the size? Or did you figure out another way?

The website for the company that makes the brace had some good sizing info.