hyperflexible ankles?

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yirara
yirara Posts: 9,542 Member
edited February 2018 in Fitness and Exercise
Just a question: is it normal that you can stand on the outside of your feet with straight legs? When I mean the outside I literally mean that your foot soles point towards another and are nearly vertical. I'm about to make an appointment with my gp to discuss something, and this might come up. I don't want to look silly if this is normal.

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  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited February 2018
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    I'm pretty sure it's not common, but I've known a couple of people who can do it - sort of like how some people can link their hands and step through them. I'd chalk it up to "bodies be wacky", assuming it's not causing you any issues. But no harm in asking your GP if it might be a sign of future problems.

    ETA: My wacky human trick is being mostly immune to mosquito bites - I get the welts, but they fade completely away in 20-40 minutes. It's not "normal" but it's definitely not a problem!
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    I couldn't do it without focused stretching, but on my good ankle (and my bad one prior to my pilon fracture) I can do that. Has saved me from a number of twisted ankles. Since I stretched out to this, my ankle isn't weak, just flexible, same as any other worked at flexibility.
  • speedingticket
    speedingticket Posts: 73 Member
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    I can't quite figure out if I'm doing what you're saying or not.

    I can stand on the side of my feet with straight legs. My soles aren't touching but the heels and balls of my feet are. I don't have any hypermobility, or particularly flexible ankles (I don't think?).

    If it's not causing you any problems, I wouldn't be worried about it. If it is- mention it regardless of whether it is "normal" or not.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,542 Member
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    Thanks a lot. Oh, I just found out I can step through my hands. Only my hips are just a bit too wide for my arm length :D

    Well.. it's causing some problems to be honest. But only when I wear tight or high shoes or compression garment around my feet or lowest part of my leg as I use those muscles to keep my upright. Tight clothing: I simply fall. Fitting new hiking boots is always interesting as I tend to forget this, and then suddenly fall to the side if I chose a too high terrain model. :D
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,542 Member
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    speedingticket wrote: »
    I can't quite figure out if I'm doing what you're saying or not.

    I can stand on the side of my feet with straight legs. My soles aren't touching but the heels and balls of my feet are. I don't have any hypermobility, or particularly flexible ankles (I don't think?).

    If it's not causing you any problems, I wouldn't be worried about it. If it is- mention it regardless of whether it is "normal" or not.

    So it might be normal then. Hmm.. must be another reason then why I fall so easily. Ok... so better only mention I fall if movement on feet and around ankles is restricted.
  • speedingticket
    speedingticket Posts: 73 Member
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    Sounds like a problem with stability. I do trail running and lots of people who start have problems going over on their ankles until they do some work on their ankle stablity/strength and find the right shoe for them. Speak to your Dr anyway, no harm in it.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,542 Member
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    Can't find a proper image. Kind of like this rsz_au%C3%9Fenkante.jpg but properly on the side so that the ankles are on the ground.
  • speedingticket
    speedingticket Posts: 73 Member
    edited February 2018
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    The thought of the ankles actually being on the ground is painful TBH...I can get my feet lik the image easy enough, but I have to literally sit down to get my ankle on the ground!
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    yirara wrote: »
    speedingticket wrote: »
    I can't quite figure out if I'm doing what you're saying or not.

    I can stand on the side of my feet with straight legs. My soles aren't touching but the heels and balls of my feet are. I don't have any hypermobility, or particularly flexible ankles (I don't think?).

    If it's not causing you any problems, I wouldn't be worried about it. If it is- mention it regardless of whether it is "normal" or not.

    So it might be normal then. Hmm.. must be another reason then why I fall so easily. Ok... so better only mention I fall if movement on feet and around ankles is restricted.

    Apparently it's more common than I thought! It sounds like you are concerned about it, though, so you'll probably feel better if you ask. I doubt your doctor will laugh at you, and if they do, they're a jerk!
  • Azercord
    Azercord Posts: 573 Member
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    Yeah I can do that as well (all the way vertical, ankles to the ground). The only warning I've ever gotten about it is that in my old age I may need those tendons tightened up but not to really worry about it.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,542 Member
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    Well.. I guess my gp will after this visit try to prescribe compression garment. The problem is that it's too tight around my ankles. I just tried compression sleeves and sprained my ankles three times within 2 weeks. That's even a record for me.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,542 Member
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    speedingticket wrote: »
    The thought of the ankles actually being on the ground is painful TBH...I can get my feet lik the image easy enough, but I have to literally sit down to get my ankle on the ground!

    I thought it might be, but there's no pain at all. I felt a bit queesy doing it, but then I found I could without any problems.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,542 Member
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    Ok, thanks all. Lets see what comes out of the visit :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I used to be able to do it as a kid... never tried is as an adult!
  • kayak4water
    kayak4water Posts: 155 Member
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    "just tried compression sleeves and sprained my ankles three times within 2 weeks"

    That makes me think, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

    If you fall often, think about spending the first 10-20 seconds each time you start walking from a sitting or standing position, in extreme mindfulness. Watch where you place each step and hope that you get used to taking care of the details of navigating the world. Works for me. When I don't, I'll stub my toe or trip or cut my wrist on a corner, etc.

    Good luck.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,542 Member
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    kayak4water wrote: »
    "just tried compression sleeves and sprained my ankles three times within 2 weeks"

    That makes me think, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

    If you fall often, think about spending the first 10-20 seconds each time you start walking from a sitting or standing position, in extreme mindfulness. Watch where you place each step and hope that you get used to taking care of the details of navigating the world. Works for me. When I don't, I'll stub my toe or trip or cut my wrist on a corner, etc.

    Good luck.

    Well.. I sprain my ankles from a tiny unevenness on the road, a little hole or a tiny stone. As long as I can move my muscles down there freely I usually react quickly to the near-sprain, but if I can't move them as freely as I'm used to I end up injured.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    You seem to have great mobility, bit no strength or stability at your end range of motion. You need to work on strengthening your ankles so that you don't injure yourself. It's good to have that kind of ROM, but not if you can't stabilize it.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    rybo wrote: »
    You seem to have great mobility, bit no strength or stability at your end range of motion. You need to work on strengthening your ankles so that you don't injure yourself. It's good to have that kind of ROM, but not if you can't stabilize it.

    This. I'm hypermobile and it's only a problem if there's no strength to compensate for that extra mobility. I can pretty much always save myself from a twisted ankle, partly because I'm a ninja but also because my balance, strength and core strength allow me to correct a fall.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    I've been able to do that my entire life. freaks my husband out to see it. That, and I can turn my legs sideways past 180 degrees so my feet point towards the back.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,542 Member
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    rybo wrote: »
    You seem to have great mobility, bit no strength or stability at your end range of motion. You need to work on strengthening your ankles so that you don't injure yourself. It's good to have that kind of ROM, but not if you can't stabilize it.

    Not quite. I can stand on the tip of my toes, without shoes if I want to (not good for my toes, thus I usually don't). I have very strong feet and hardly ever injure myself. Unless my muscle movement is impaired, which is the case with alpine boots, compressional socks and the likes.

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