ankle splint/support/AFO's

[Englishgremlin1]

Thanks for that jess - will try it.

Alas still another 6 weeks to go before I get the enw chair so will have to be patient for that.

[Englishgremlin1]

After a hard battle I finally have got them to agree that another 2 months with ankles without anything to hold them in place is a bad idea - they have managed with some lessons from me on communication to get them fitted next week - just hope they work now.

[Englishgremlin1]

I have them - they are solid, go almost to the knee and lock the ankle entirely - nicely padded. I am no a Mech!!!!

Only allowed to use for 20 minutes at a time for the first 2 weeks but I did stand up (for just under a minute). It will take a lot of re learning and with no toe or ankle movement the whole way of doing things is odd.

[hannah]

Go easy Gremlin, and I hope they are an improvement long term.

[Englishgremlin1]

Thanks Hannah

Thought I would upload a photo of them - not seen them like this before.

[Jess]

EG that is what most of my kids at work wear.
Takes a fair bit of time to get used to.

If you dont have them you may want some knee socks to wear with them then you legs wont get to sweaty with them.
Best place to get knee socks is the pound shops.

[Englishgremlin1]

#thanks for that Jess - found some on web but were thin and not high quality.

[Spireite]

Hi Guys,

I'm a bit shocked today because my podiatrist is now suggesting ankle braces for use in work shoes. I'm OK in motion control trainers with severe orthotics, but I can't get on with sensible lace up shoes and severe orthotics. I have practiced balancing on one leg exercises daily for many years, but my ankles still wobble alot and I can't walk in sensible shoes. My elderly relatives wear ankle braces so I wasn't planning on it til I was much older as they were. Aren't braces bulky? Do they not weaken the muscles (I wasn't allowed a neck brace at all when I couldn't hold my head up, cos it would weaken my extremely weak neck!)? Doesn't it change your pronation with the implications for the whole spine? (certainly in my case) Do your ankles not 'fall out' when you take them off?

I'm a bit new to this idea so any advice appreciated.

[Englishgremlin1]

I hope I can help a bit

it depends which braces they go for - my new ones a solid and go up to the knee and they do meen changing to more epciialist shoes - not exciting but they work and give lot more sability.

My ankles do not fall out after wearing them, and I was told to keep doing some pnysio without them on so that the ankles do not weaken totally.

mine are not too heany, yes heavier than none but quite bearable. They made mine by moulding my legs so they fit perfectly and engenering them so that if I stood up they would bring my back into perfect alignment, much better than before.

I did exercises for years to try and build up my ankles but in the end they decided that they need more. Thye should make sure you have a physio and OT follow up if they give you the solid ones to help you maintain your legs and walk properly in the AFO's.

I am just getting used to my new ones - only had them 2 weeks so there may be people with longer term experience.

Hope this helps

[SAMMY]

Oh my god! These are really weird but always felt I had the need to wear calipers! How are you all getting on with them?? Do they strengthen the right muscles and do they control the pain??? My insteps never did. It is the strangest thing that I have worn flat shoes for years and it was crying agony but then decided I was going to put a pair of heels on and the pain wasn't half as bad. It takes away the direct pressure on my ankles and diverts it to other parts of my feet. Guess I am weird! Still at the end of the day, I can't walk anyway and my bunions couldn't be any worse. Comments please!! SAMMY

[Englishgremlin1]

Hi Sammy

My ones are doping a good job and making me more stable when I have to do standing transfers and the physio. They give very good stability and there is no chance of the ankle rolling. One thing splints will never do unfortunately is strenghtne the muscles - I have to do a lot of physio and spend with the splints off to maintain some muscle tone. There is a danger with splints of loosing what little is left of the strength around a joint.

as far as pain goes they do help. They have been brilliant for that.

You may notice that the heels on my ones are slightly raised to help walking, may be that is why you find the raised heels helpful.

No comment on the bunions

[nemonie]

Hi

I had my first orthotic appointment this morning to assess me for insoles and the orthotist gave be some ankle splints to try as well. http://www.ossur.com/?PageID=13539

Just to give some background. I'm HMS and have knee, hip, SI and lower back problems mostly. My ankles are very mobile according to the orthotist (but not my GP when he looked at them 2 months ago ) but I don't have much of a problem with them in terms of pain as I generally wear sensible shoes. I have the typical HMS 'high arch feet' which collapse to 'flat feet' on weight-bearing causing lots of knee pain. I have over the years compensated for this by supinating my feet (the opposite to pronating; with all the weight on the outside edge of the feet) and often go over on my ankle. Unless it's a very bad twist it normally doesn't hurt at all, although my knee generally suffers.

Anyhow I've had the ankle splints on most of the day (with and without shoes) and have found that they don't seem to stop the sideways twist of my ankles at all. In fact they are seeming to make the foot itself even more unstable and causing me to vary between pronating and supinating. They also limit the up and down flexion of my feet which makes going down stairs excruciating (for my knees, not my ankles) and makes driving even more painful than normal.

Has anyone found that splints don't stabilise the joint at all or even make them worse?

[Stone]

Anyhow I've had the ankle splints on most of the day (with and without shoes) and have found that they don't seem to stop the sideways twist of my ankles at all. In fact they are seeming to make the foot itself even more unstable and causing me to vary between pronating and supinating.

This kinda makes sense to me - that makes it sound like your ankles are now in the right 'neutral' position but you've lost the muscle strength to keep it there. I wouldn't say the splints are necessarily doing the wrong thing but you should probably chat with your podiatrist about whether there's anything you can do to stabilise them a bit more while you build them back up. Might be worth using an elastic ankle support with / over the top of them maybe? I get the impression they tend to try and correct any structural problems and then think it'll sort itself out on its own, we need a bit more help

I roll my feet a lot (both directions) but my podiatry appointment isn't for a few months. I've just been wearing work boots and doing them up very tightly, not really ideal...!

Stone

[nemonie]

My lovely new ankle splints have caused my eczema on my shins to flare up again, having finally gotten rid of it after 3 years

Back to wearing my silk tubi-grip things again. Actually these may be good for the rest of you with skin involvement. They are basically silk undergarments that are intended to go under your normal clothes, they wick away sweat, regulate temperature and reduce itching (they are intended for eczema). You can get tubi-grip style ones in two sizes (wrist/elbow size and knee/lower leg size) and finer knit socks of varying lengths. http://www.dermasilk.co.uk/

You can buy direct from the shop but several of the items are available via prescription in the UK.

[Spireite]

Very interesting Nemonie about the effects of ankle braces. I sound similar to you and go to the same podiatrists but in London. They are suggesting ankle braces for my hypermobile feet and ankles which also go over both laterally and medially. I can only walk 'well' in motion control trainers and struggle in sensible shoes. (I fell like I'm in stilletoes, which I've NEVER been able to wear.) I'm still not keen on ankle braces so it is interesting to hear how much of a cure-all they are for anyone else. (I'm trying prolotherapy first.) I'd hate for them to make things worse, as the first half dozen orthotics did.

Do keep me posted.