Our 13 year old boy longs to play sports but doesn't have the feet and ankles to help him along. Extremely flat feet and weak ankles. He tries so hard but his body doesn't support his efforts. He is in track at the moment, endurance running but can only do two laps and it's over. Have been to a podiatrist and has specially made insoles for his running shoes but doesn't seem to help. Also tried those ankle braces without success. Anyone else go through this? What helps? I hate to discourage his efforts but all he seems to do is hurt himself. Any ideas?
I have pretty weak ankles and did gymnastics and other sports. I learned to heavily tape my ankles at a young age - 8 or 9. Braces won't work, but if the ankles are a problem, taping them makes it so you can barely move them and gives support. If you go that route, there is a correct way to tape them and you should have the school trainer show him.
Gymnastics or tumbling could be a great way to strengthen his ankles. They do intensive stretches to get the body loosened up then they do skills that build all sorts of core muscles. You could talk to the owner or teachers and find out if they think it would be a good idea.
I have very weak ankles, I'm always turning my foot over when walking, and the physical therapist gave me some good exercises to do. Picking up marbles with your toes. Stepping onto a step then pressing the heel down. Putting one leg behind the other then sort of squatting. Stretching the back leg out by putting the heel down. This has really helped strengthen the muscles in my feet and my ankles.
Are his ankles the only joint of his that are weak? We have very weak joints in our family because of hyper-mobility, which is caused by a genetic disease called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. It is possible to just have hypermobility, but if he seems double jointed then it maybe a possibility. Basically, the body doesn't make collagen right to support the joints so they are lax.
If he does have hypermobility then you may not be able to do much. I know that we have to be very careful of what we do so that we don't get hurt. My 2 and 4 year old are already showing signs of it, as our oldest already has orthotic inserts for her shoes and LOVES them because they are supporting her flat feet.
I recommend taping, but I would use the Coban or Vet Wrap because it is easier on the skin. Its the ace bandage looking stuff that is self sticking. I buy it at Coastal because its the same thing they use to bind or wrap horse feet. Its much cheaper that way and comes in cool colors too if you want that. We use a lot of hot pink in our house :).
Has he always had weak ankles? An occupational/physical therapist might be able to help.
You can also try walking/running in the pool. It helps build muscle and strength faster. Don't over do it though. 10 - 15 mins walking/jogging in the water a few times a week is all it takes to feel a difference.
Have you tried taking him to a 'runners' store? They may have shoe options that would work better than just shopping on your own.
To stregthen weak ankles:
Stand with feet facing front, go up and down on toes 10 times.
Turn feet out go up and down on toes 10 times.
Turn feet in go up and down on toes 10 times.
He may need to hold onto a high back chair or other peice of funiture for balance. Do this 3 times a day and you will see improvement soon.
My daughter and I have extremely flat feet. I snowboard and she ice skates without any problem.
I have orthotics, but they hurt my feet bad. They are made of hard plastic and fit in your shoe (sort of) and push your foot up where it was comfortable being flat. Shoes themselves are not comfortable, those inserts don't make it any better!
My thoughts are as he does more exercise, he will develop muscle and strength. Is there more to it for him? Is he getting shin splits? Sometimes that is associated with the wrong shoe for the sport and or improper running technique. So if I buy a cheap ice skate for my daughter and she jumps, she will very likely injure her ankle. If I buy skates that are too stiff (too advanced), she may get fractures.
I think you have to provide more information about the weak ankles and the sports he is interested in.
My son has similar issue but we got him some braces that worked. You might try different braces. We had some that did not work at all then I tried some that are a once size fits all and have velcro so they can be tightened in the right places. He does compatition gymnastics and is very hard on his feet. If he's wanting to play in school you might ask if they have a trainer that can tape anckles. There are some excercises that can be done to strengthen the anckles but don't do anything for being flat footed.
Good luck!!!
