An ankle brace is a garment worn around the ankle to protect or immobilise it while it heals from sprains and other minor injuries. Ankle braces are used to immobilise the joint while also heating and compressing the bones. Ankle braces act as external supports, limiting certain motions such as plantar flexion/inversion (movement at the ankle joint that points the foot downward away from the leg and twists the foot inward) and providing knowledge of where your ankle joint is in space.