A simple way to describe the anklebone alignment test is to see if your tarsal joint can hold a weight without falling. In other words, to see if you can lift weight while standing on your arch without any compensation; if you have proper orthotics that align your anklebones, the weight can stay on it , so you can lift weight easily without any compensation. On tilted ankle bone, the weight slides down and make you fall; then, you won’t be able to lift the weight unless your body compensates.

This “fall” is the indication of the tilted anklebones. It sounds simple, but a few things should be kept in mind when testing your anklebone alignment.

  1. Stand on the arch: if you cannot move the heel and the ball of the foot while standing, you are standing on the arch.
  2. Don’t compensate while lifting a weight. There are 3 compensatory behaviors you should avoid while testing the anklebone alignment. Body tilting, toe grabbing, and pumping up of the belly-energy.
  3. The weight should be lifted from the proper distance from your body: not too close and not too far: after standing on the arch, lift hand slightly below the elbow that is about 3″ away from the rib cage.
  4. Lift the weight slowly. If you lift the weight quickly, most likely the compensatory behaviors will kick in and the test cannot be done properly.