Back on the Ice

Al's summer hockey season is over, and my ankle was feeling like it had healed properly (it still pained me occasionally, but I finally had full range of motion, and I didn't need to wear the brace to get around comfortably), so I decided to go to the women's open hockey at NE Skatezone on Monday night. I'll admit I was a little nervous—this was the scene of the injury, after all, and I'd be going by myself again as I did last time.

I'd planned to wear the ankle brace under my skate, but I forgot to bring it. To be safe, I taped my skate and my shinpad tightly for extra support... and then started to wonder if I'd cut off the circulation to my toes. Oops.

I found I was a bit tentative at first (and also slow, because I'm out of shape), but as we started playing 4-on-4, my confidence went up and I skated normally. I sucked at D as usual, but since we didn't have any goalies and it didn't really matter if our opponents scored on us, I didn't sweat it too much. I managed to hang onto the puck most of the time, which is great, and my backhand shot was quite good—I feel confident I'll be able to score with it in an actual game. (With the nets down and a decidedly smaller and lower target in the offing, however, my shots tended to go over the net instead of into the little trapezoidal scoring area. A forehand shot would have served me better in this case.)

I only lasted for about 45 minutes, but that was mostly because Al had asked me to be home by 9, not because I couldn't have skated longer. In the end it was probably good I stopped when I did, though, because my ankle has been decidedly sore ever since. My hands are, too, so maybe it's not so suprising that my ankle would be, but it was so achy yesterday that I ended up having to wear the brace all day. It's a little bit of a bummer, honestly. I thought I was making such progress!

If the soreness is gone by next Monday, I'll go again—and wear the brace under my skate this time to see if it helps. If it's sore again after that, then I'll wait until the pre-season practices start before I get on the ice again. :-/

Posted by Lori in | August 16, 2007·04:17 PM

Comments

Lori, maybe you did this, but don't forget to ice that ankle after playing. I found it helped quite a bit. Also, I still tape before playing, I don't bother when I coach, but always when I play, and it has saved my ankle a few times. I've been hit (and no not accidentally, and I've caught an edge a couple of times). I'd suggest you use your brace, if you can fit it in, or spend the few minutes taping (as you did). You will be tempted to skip this after a few more weeks - don't. That was my mistake after my first ankle injury, but I won't make that mistake now that my ankle has healed a second time.

Posted by: Maurice Rosales at August 24, 2007 8:39 PM

Thanks for the tips, Maurice -- I couldn't be bothered to tape last time, but I won't make that mistake again. I'll definitely pack my brace, and if it doesn't work inside my skate, I will take the time to tape. You're also right about the ice; I didn't ice until the next morning, when I should have done it right when I got back.

This ankle is taking so long to heal properly that I think it's worth my while to prevent further injury.

Posted by: Lori [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 24, 2007 8:51 PM

A question for you regarding your brace.

My son has a very bad supinating ankle, and we are considering a ankle brace to be worn under his skate.....how did you find yours to fit, and what kind did you use?

Posted by: Ray Kramer at August 30, 2007 3:15 PM

I am using a brace specifically designed to provide support and compression for sprained ankles while fitting in a shoe. This one was made for women, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a men's version was available, and if your son's foot is small enough, a women's L/XL might fit him. I can't remember the exact brand name, but it was in a burgundy/beige box, and I got it at Target. It's washable, too, which is a bonus.

I've seen some other braces (made by ACE, I think) that claim to provide more support/stiffness and that have the added bonus of being adjustable, but I was never really convinced they'd fit inside a shoe, much less a skate, so I didn't try them out.

Good luck!

Posted by: Lori [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 30, 2007 3:27 PM