The human body is a funny and weird thing. Some people can roll their tongues up, while others have "tied" tongues. Some people can arch all the way backward and create a perfect u-shape with their bodies, while others can barely bend in the middle at all. As for feet and ankles, dancers alone will prove all the strange things feet and ankles can do. A foot and ankle specialist has seen practically everything that these parts of the body do. It is no small surprise that some people's ankles roll, while others do not. Here are some of those odder anatomical anomalies associated with ankles.
Why Ankles Roll
Not everyone's ankles roll, but those who can often find it a nuisance rather than a blessing. You see, ankles that roll are much more likely to become strained, sprained, or twisted because they have hyper-flexibility. These people can bend their feet at unnatural angles at their ankles, creating scenarios that look incredibly painful. When they are doing this intentionally, it does not hurt them, but when they step in a hole in the grass or trip over a tree root, that quick snap out of the foot into a rolling ankle position and quick snap back can hurt. Some people who can roll their ankles also have weak arches, giving way to their ability to roll their feet/ankles inward as well as outward.
Flat Foot Versus the Fashion Doll Arch
A look at most American feet reveals that there are a lot of flat arches out there. The human foot is supposed to have an arch in the middle because the arch helps rock the foot forward with each step and prevent injuries like "turf toe" and bunions. Then there are those who have such high arches that their feet look like a fashion doll's feet. The arch may be unnaturally tight because of a very tight plantar fascia, or it might be high because the Achilles tendon cannot relax. Pain is felt in the heels and balls of the feet.
Neither are really desirable because both cause extreme pain in different parts of the foot and ankle. Both can be the source of injuries because the foot cannot naturally rock through from heel to toe. Podiatrists have to use arch supports for the flat foot and orthopedic shoes for the high, fashion doll arches. They may even recommend surgery if the tendons or fascia are too tight.
To learn more, visit a website like http://www.elmhurstpodiatry.com.