Ckitz Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 Since I was young, My ankle or both ankles collapse suddenly, and I end up face down on the ground. Recently I broke three bones in my foot, when both ankles collapsed. My ankle muscle strength is not the issue, so I can only assume this is a brain thing. Could Dysautonomia be causing this?. Anyone with a similar problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 I have EDS and I actually have specials braces for my ankles (and now my knees too). My ankles have always collapsed to the outside. The soft tissue is so stretched it doesn't hurt when it happens. I can actually walk on the sides of my feet with no discomfort. It's not that the muscle is weak, it's that the rest of the soft tissue is stretchy.As far as I know, this is not a symptom of dysautonomia. However, it is not uncommon to find dysautonomia patients that have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome ( EDS ) which is a genetic connective tissue disorder. EDS is thought to be a potential underlying cause of orthostatic intolerance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ckitz Posted March 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 Thanks so much Katybug That is very helpful. What braces do you wear? It is unsettling that I am a serious accident waiting to happen. I will look into EDS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 Just came in from shoveling snow and I am spent. My braces are upstairs so I will write later to tell you the brand. (I'm supposed to wear these awful custom made braces that are thick hard plastic with metal joints but frankly they only fit in one pair of shoes and are extremely uncomfortable. So I searched and just found the neoprene braces I've been using. They don't fit in my snow shoes.)In the meantime, a good resource for information on EDS is www.ednf.org. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted March 6, 2015 Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000MTF1BWHere's the link to the ankle braces I bought. They are much more user friendly than anything else I've tried. They do stabilize my ankles from collapsing and as a bonus they give some arch support which tends to be another EDS problem area. I have tried several "medical" grade braces and these actually stabilize me better than any others I tried (at the super expensive medical pharmacy.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ckitz Posted March 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 Thanks so much Katybug! I will check these out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted March 6, 2015 Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 Katie, you are awesome!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Lynn Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 Katie In curious about the foot issue. About two years ago I started having crazy pain in my right foot. Was eventually told my arches has fallen and I had posteir tibal tendon dysfunction, was told to wear braces (didn't help) and motion control shoes (did help). My ankles roll to the outside and putting full weight on my foot tend to make my entire foot roll inward and lots of pain. Now my left foot is also starting to do the same. Is this EDS or POTS specific? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 Hi Sheri Lynn,It is not POTS related as autonomic dysfunction doesn't have any relation to joint function. It may be EDS related. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes connective tissue to not be made properly in the body. Collagen which gives much of the stability and elasticity to connective tissue, in healthy individuals, forms a matrix that looks much like a nice tight weave in a fabric. In EDS patients, this matrix isn't formed correctly. About 85% of the body is made of some form of connective tissue, so how the disorder expresses itself looks a bit different in each person. Lax joints and fallen arches are not uncommon in the EDS community. If you go to www.ednf.org, you can find the diagnostic criteria for each type of EDS. There are other reasons you could have these problems, but if you find you have other symptoms, it may be worth seeking out a doctor who is familiar with EDS who can evaluate you. In addition to the braces I mentioned above, I have found the Orthaheel brand shoes are the best at giving comfort to my feet. There are other brands that have orthotic footbeds, this is just the one that works for me. I have tried custom orthotics and they are so hard that they hurt my feet so I had to find an alternative. I have also used ACE bandages to stabilize both my ankles and arches but they have to be wrapped properly both to help and to not cut off circulation. Let me know if you have more questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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