Several Reasons Why Orthodontic Braces Are Crucial If You're Into High Impact Sports

By Russell Tan

In the past, athletes, sports professionals as well as those recuperating from ankle injuries tape their ankles up. This a time consuming process and requires the expertise of a medical professional. These days there are orthodontic braces available that not only provide superior support for your ankle, it is also a lot easier to put on.

You will find these type of ankle braces available in any good health and sporting stores for a reasonable price. There are quite a few different styles available, each designed for specific purpose.

The ankle brace supports are great as they're not only light and do not limit your ankle movements, they are also extremely comfortable to wear - your foot just feels really snug in it. While some braces on the market are designed for light exercise and walking, others offer even better protection - good for people who have recovered from torn ligaments in their lower leg. Once a ligament has been ripped, even after surgery you'll never get the same amount of stability you once had with the ankle.

For more high impact type sports, you will notice many players wearing protective braces. The Aircast brace as well as the ASO lace up ankle brace are of the most popular amongst serious sports people. The prices of these can range from very affordable (under $100) to expensive ($400) where the upper range comes with additional features such as shock pads.

So which kind of support braces should you be getting? Are there certain things you should look out for? Well let's take a look.

The right ankle cast will depend on what sort of injuries you've had in the past, and it might be a good idea to check with your orthodontist first as he or she will probably recommend the best protective solution for you. Remember that there different braces for different purposes, so there's no point in you getting one that does not fit your needs.

gg

The only way to really select the right model is to go down to the shop and actually test each one out. You might be required to bring along a new pair of socks to put on before trying out the brace due to hygiene reasons.

You might find that initially, the ankle brace is very restrictive and that it's hard to move, this is because you're simply not used to wearing something like that. Over a short period of time, the elastic material will loosen up and you will forget that you're even wearing an ankle cast. - 31983

About the Author:

What To Look For When Buying An Outdoor Ping Pong Table

By Andy Zain

Ping pong tables can be great if you wish to have a durable table for year round use. An outdoor ping pong table can withstand weather changes and they allow you to leave them outside. This can be very convenient. You want to buy the right type of table to make sure that yours doesn't warp or get damaged from outdoor elements.

If you want to use a ping pong table outside, then you want to get an aluminum table. With an aluminum table, you will be able to have your table in a place of high humidity without having any problems from water damage. You can get wood ping pong tables that are suitable for playing outside, but you need to make sure that they have a waterproof coating. This coating will help it stand up to the many elements outside, such as the hot sun or heavy rains. There are also some tables that can have synthetic coating to replace any wood or metal options. The better the materials of the table, the more you will likely have to pay to get one though.

One of the most difficult parts about getting a table specifically designed for outdoor use is finding one that has a bounce that is as good as the bounce you would find on a standard indoor table. This will probably only be important if you take your ping pong seriously, but there can be a noticeable difference in the bounce between the different types of tables available.

For any type of table that you buy, you will want to keep the table covered well when it is outside. A tarp or some other cover that can keep the sun from beating down on it, and a cover that can stop rain from pooling on its surface, will help you keep your table in good condition for a long time. A tarp will prevent warping or any other kind of fading from happening to your new table.

If you choose a metal table for its durability, then you should expect the bounce to be slightly slower than indoor tables. The spin can also be somewhat less on these types of tables.

Another factor that you will want to take into consideration is the weatherproofing of the legs on the table. Some designs come with special weatherproofed exteriors for the legs. This can be great in keeping your ping pong table in great shape for many years to come.

If you want to keep the playability of an indoor table when playing outside, then one good option for you would be to just take an indoor ping pong table outdoors when you want to play outside during good weather. The other times that you don't want to play outside you could just have it stored inside or setup for indoors play. This way you get the same bounce and playability of an indoor table while getting the benefits of an outdoor table. The differences between an outdoor and indoor table are not really that great though, so you may just want to get a good outdoor table for the ease of having it always setup for you outside. - 31983

About the Author:

Avoid Acute Ankle Sprains Via An Ankle Brace

By Bradley Fortin

Ankles are one of the most injury-prone joints in our body. Since they support our entire body weight, it is no wonder almost everyone active in sports would have experienced a rolled ankle. By performing routine exercises to build ankle strength, which can help avoid further sprains from occurring.

There are plenty of exercises created specifically for ankle strengthening and you will find them readily available in the sporting books section in your local library. If you have weak ankles, any sudden shift in your body weight could over-stretch the ligaments in your ankles, and it would take a long time to heal.

The most common ankle sprains are seen in sports that require sudden movements such as tennis. Other sports that require a lot of jumping can put strain on the lower leg as well and also increase the risks of ankle injury. Having strong ankles if you are into these type of sports is very important.

Ever notice how most professional athletes tape up their ankles just before a game? Ankle tape helps a lot by providing additional support to the lower foot, and as a result sprains are less likely. Taping your ankle is not as simple as it looks, so check with a sporting health professional first on the proper methods of foot taping.

The down sides to using ankle tapes is that the tape is not cheap and needs to be replaced ever so often. They need to be washed and dried after every use and this causes the tape to lose its effectiveness after a while as it tends to get stretched. There are alternative solutions to this though as we shall soon see.

Professional grade ankle braces are now available and although they're quite a lot more costly than tape, you'll never have to replace it. They are extremely comfortable to wear inside your shoe and don't take nearly as long as tape to put on. All you have to do is slip your foot in, strap it up tight, and put on your shoe and you're ready to go.

One of the best ankle supports available on the market is the ASO ankle stabilizer brace. It's light and strong and allows you to wear your sports shoes right over it without any discomfort. Another couple of brands to have a look at are McDavid and Aircast, if you're into serious sports or have suffered from an ankle injury in the past.

Ankle braces do provide you with the confidence and strength in your lower leg but remember that you cannot solely depend on this alone, as warm up, stretching and muscle strengthening have a big part to play in injury prevention as well. - 31983

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here