i used one of those splints a bit the first time i got it and hated it.When I had it, the bottle trick and the boot to keep it stretched while I was asleep are about the only things that kept me on my feet. Eventually, a doctor prescribed Celebrex (which I think has been taken off the market) and it went away. I was hurting for close to a year and missed a whole season of softball. I can't imagine trying to play football on it.