Anklebone Alignment Test (AA test)
The AA Test is a simple but powerful assessment we use to evaluate the foundation of your body. When your anklebones are tilted or out of alignment, it affects your posture, balance, and the way your entire body moves — often leading to pain in the feet, knees, hips, or back.
This test helps us identify misalignment that may not be visible through standing posture alone but has a direct impact on your foot mechanics and overall function.
The AA test should be done when getting orthotics, shoes, & socks—anything goes w/ your feet.
Feet Balance Orthotics make you passing AA test that is the key to make your body to move in alignment from the feet up.
It’s like Vision test when getting Prescription Eyeglasses : Orthotics=Lenses, Shoes=Frames, Socks & Cushions=Coatings on the Lenses.
- Body stands on Tilted Anklebones CANNOT utilize its Full Strength & Full range of motion, & has to compensate when lifting a weight w/ extended arm(s).
- Body stands on Aligned Anklebones CAN utilize its Full strength & Full range of motion w/out compensating.
The AA test is applying a weight to the anklebone(s) by lifting a weight (that takes an effort to lift to check your strength) w/ extended arm(s) to see if you can utilize the full range of motion w/out compensating, & AA test can be done in many different postures.
Below shows how to do One Foot at a time Anklebone Alignment test.
You need someone to press down on your wrist while you resist up as if you are lifting a weight w/out using core muscles. This deliver the weight w/out interruption onto the Anklebone.
1. Stand on one foot to be tested w/ your head in line with the foot: The other foot should stay on the ground w/out any weight on it, and don’t lift it in the air.
2. Extend the arm by distancing the elbow at least 5″ away from the body to lift a weight: Extended arm indicates the wide range of motion when lifting a weight. On tilted anklebones, the body can only lift a weight close to the body, or to lift a weight even a little away from the body, the body has to use core muscles or tilt the body, the compensating behaviors. Also, the Body stands on Tilted Anklebones CANNOT use its full strength & full range of motion.
3. Must not compensate: Do Not use your core muscle; make sure you can breathe w/ your core muscles. If you use your core muscle, you cannot breathe w/ your core muscle. (Using core muscle squeezes the digestive system, which is not good for the system.) As long as your head is in line w/ the foot, you are not compensating with body tilting.
4. Let someone press down onto your wrist as you resist upward SLOWLY as if you are lifting a weight: The person who presses down on your wrist should press down straight down to the ground direction. Not to push toward your body or pull away from your body. And you resist slowly just using the arm muscles, not core muscles or upper body muscles.
If your Anklebones are Tilted, your body falls; So you CANNOT use your strength to resist.
If your Anklebones are Aligned, you CAN resist the pressure as strong as you can.
The Anklebones cannot be aligned w/out proper orthotics: If you can resist w/out orthotics, you are definitely compensating; mostly using core muscles or upper body muscles or body tilting.