Foot Care

Stability is the most important method to treat many connective tissue problems associated with hypermobility spectrum disorders and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Because ligaments, tendons, and joints are loose, hypermobile people have to work extra hard to maintain joint stability. Developing a strong basis with a hypermobile-trained physical therapist is key, but there are things you can do to help yourself.

To start, wearing the proper shoe is important for building a stable, anatomically correct foundation. Hypermobile and Ehlers-Danlos patients typically have normal arches that collapse, which causes the ankle to turn outward. Because the ankle joint is loose and misaligned, everything above also gets out of alignment. Knees, hips, back, shoulders and neck are improperly positioned because of poor foot and ankle alignment. Laying the groundwork for strong, stable roots in hypermobility can be done effectively with stability or motion control shoes. 

Stability or motion control shoes for the hypermobile or Ehlers-Danlos foot and ankle are necessary to maintain a proper arch and neutral stability. Stability and motion control are built into the heel, which prevents the ankle from turning outward. Slight medial arch support helps maintain the arch, which will prevent common hypermobile and Ehlers-Danlos foot problems, such as plantar fasciitis.

At the Tulane Hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos Clinic, we have noticed that our patients report a significant improvement when using stability or motion-controlled shoes.

Here are some great recommendations. The key is to choose “motion control” or “stability control” (which is slightly less stable).

• On Cloud
• Brooks Adrenaline
• Hoka

Check out other resources on our site, or other great information from the Ehlers-Danlos Society.