long term use of ankle brace (Read 458 times)

I developed achilles tendonitis last July, and I've been aggressively trying to overcome it. One of the things that seems to have had an impact is that I started wearing an ankle brace while running about two months ago. Nothing fancy, just a glorified ace bandage I bought at Sports Chalet. Anyway, now my tendonitis is about 95% healed and I'm trying to ween myself off the brace but there is slightly more pain when I don't wear it. So are there any negative side effects of continuing to wear the brace for at least another month until I'm 100% healed? What about beyond that as a preventative measure?

Yes, all supports (ankle, knee, orthotics, etc.) cause the muscles in the area to weaken. You'll have to rehab your foot (best done with both feet). Barefoot walking is the best way if you're not in the cold north, but at least be barefoot when you're indoors as it won't take too much time.