Our feet are complicated little constructions. They’re made up of 26 bones, 30 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Good thing — they have to absorb every single one of the millions of steps we take. Don’t believe that? The average moderately active person takes around 7,500 steps every day. Maintain that pace on average and live until the age of 80 and you’ll have walked 216,262,500 steps.
Pronation is the normal flexible motion and flattening of the arches of our feet that allow them to adapt to ground surfaces and absorb shock when we are walking normally. In a proper stride, the foot should roll forward from heel to toe and pronation should be neutral. Your weight should be balanced on your feet.
But when our foot either leans outward (supination) or inward (pronation) to an excessive degree, the continued misplaced stresses can lead to various injuries.
Excess supination
When your foot leans outward, it causes stress on the outer side of your foot when you walk or run. Your shoes will show this with wear on the outside part of the sole.
Excess supination can cause strain on your ankles. It can lead to shin splints, calluses, or bunions on the outer side of your foot. You can have pain in the heels and balls.
Excess pronation
Excess pronation, or overpronation, is more serious and leads to more injuries. When you overpronate, your foot rolls inward and your arch tends to flatten. You will show wear on the inside of the soles of your shoes.
Understanding Overpronation and Flat Feet
Overpronation is a condition where the foot excessively rolls inward upon landing. This can lead to the flattening of the arch, commonly resulting in flat feet. While some pronation is natural and necessary for shock absorption, overpronation can place added stress on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the foot.
Causes of Overpronation
- Genetics: Often, flat feet and overpronation are inherited.
- Weak Arches: Insufficient strength in the arch muscles can lead to flattening.
- Injury: Previous injuries may affect foot structure, leading to overpronation.
- Obesity: Extra weight puts additional pressure on the arches, exacerbating the condition.
Effects and Symptoms
Those with flat feet or overpronation might experience:
- Pain in the arch or heel
- Swelling along the inside of the ankle
- Increased likelihood of foot and ankle injuries
Managing Overpronation
To address overpronation, consider the following steps:
- Orthotics: Custom or over-the-counter orthotic insoles can provide the necessary arch support.
- Strengthening Exercises: Focus on exercises that strengthen the arches and improve balance.
- Supportive Footwear: Choose shoes with good arch support and stability features.
- Consultation with Specialists: A podiatrist or physiotherapist can offer personalized advice and treatments.
By understanding the dynamics of overpronation and flat feet, you can take proactive steps to manage these conditions effectively, reducing the risk of injury and discomfort.
Excess pronation can lead to pain in the arch, heel, ankle, shin, knee, hip, and back. It causes an abnormal amount of stretching and pulling on the ligaments and tendons attaching to the bottom back of the heel bone.
Both excessive supination and pronation can lead to ankle sprains, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, tendinitis, and even joint injuries.
What Causes Overpronation?
Overpronation occurs when the feet, being overly flexible, roll inward excessively while carrying the body’s weight during activities like walking or running. This condition is not solely dependent on the height of one’s arches—whether high, medium, or low—but rather on the degree of flexibility within the feet.
Key Factors Contributing to Overpronation
- Genetic Predisposition: Hereditary traits can significantly impact foot structure and flexibility, making some individuals more susceptible to overpronation.
- Physical Changes and Conditions:
- Obesity: Extra body weight increases the stress on feet, exacerbating inward rolling.
- Pregnancy: Hormonal changes can temporarily loosen ligaments, affecting foot posture and function.
- Lifestyle and Environmental Influences:
- Repetitive Stress from Hard Surfaces: Modern environments and their hard, flat surfaces contribute to constant stress on the feet, promoting flexibility that leads to overpronation.
- Structured Footwear from a Young Age: The use of rigid footwear from infancy could restrict natural foot development. This limits the range of motion and weakens foot muscles, elevating the risk of overpronation.
- Contrasting Terrain: Research indicates that individuals in less developed regions, who traverse natural, uneven terrains and often do not wear structured shoes, experience fewer foot, joint, and back problems. This suggests that diverse and natural surfaces may support healthier foot mechanics.
People in developed countries often face more foot problems, such as overpronation, compared to those in undeveloped areas. This discrepancy can largely be attributed to lifestyle differences. In many urban environments, individuals frequently walk on hard, paved surfaces. These artificial terrains can force the foot into unnatural positions that exacerbate conditions like overpronation.
Additionally, structured shoes, while designed to provide support, might not allow the foot to move as freely as it does on natural terrains. This can inhibit the natural biomechanics of the foot, leading to a higher incidence of foot, joint, and even back issues.
Conversely, individuals in undeveloped regions often walk barefoot or in minimal footwear over natural, uneven ground. This promotes stronger foot muscles and a more natural gait, reducing the incidence of foot-related ailments.
Ultimately, the contrast between these environments highlights how modern infrastructure and footwear can inadvertently contribute to certain foot problems.
By considering these factors, it becomes clear that overpronation stems from a blend of genetic, physical, and environmental influences. Recognizing these causes is crucial for addressing and managing this common foot issue.
Treatment
If you have excessive pronation or supination, we need to see you at one of our Precision Foot and Ankle clinics. We’ll analyze your gait and find out where the problem lies. The goal is to simply balance your feet to create proper loading when walking and running.
To begin, have your feet assessed by a trained Pedorthist. A professional assessment is crucial in identifying overpronation and guiding you to the right footwear and arch supports. Custom orthotic insoles might be the simple solution to correct your misalignment. Unlike over-the-counter arch supports, which often provide minimal support due to their generalized designs, custom orthotics are tailored to your unique foot shape and flexibility, ensuring optimal comfort and function.
If one leg is a bit shorter than the other, a heel lift can remedy the problem. Physical therapy may be necessary to complement these adjustments. We’ll also recommend the right type of shoes:
- Excess supination requires cushioning, flexibility, and heel support to balance the outward roll of the foot.
- Excess pronation needs a more stable shoe with a firm midsole and heel cushioning. However, understanding the root causes of overpronation can greatly inform the treatment approach. Many foot health experts suggest that the widespread use of structured footwear from a young age, combined with consistently hard and flat surfaces in modern environments, limits the natural range of motion in the feet. This restriction can weaken the muscles within the foot, leading to overpronation.
Interestingly, studies have shown that individuals in undeveloped regions, who often walk on natural, uneven terrain without structured shoes, tend to experience fewer foot, joint, and back problems. This contrast suggests a significant impact of modern footwear and surfaces on foot health. Therefore, when addressing overpronation, it’s crucial to consider not only the type of footwear—like those with firm midsoles and heel cushioning—but also the lifestyle factors that contribute to its development.
By integrating these insights, we can better tailor solutions to support natural foot movement while providing the necessary stability for those experiencing overpronation.
By focusing on custom solutions crafted to your specific needs, we ensure that your feet receive the best support possible, reducing the risk of injury and improving overall foot health.
Understanding Arch Supports: Over-the-Counter vs. Custom
Managing overpronation—a common condition where the foot rolls inward excessively—requires effective arch support. But what are the real differences between over-the-counter (OTC) options and custom-made arch supports?
Over-the-Counter Arch Supports
- Generic Fit: OTC arch supports, available at many drugstores, are designed with a one-size-fits-all approach. They aim to cater to a broad range of foot shapes and sizes.
- Low Arch Design: Most of these supports feature a low to medium arch height to minimize the risk of injury, catering to the average consumer. This cautious approach helps avoid complications like sprained ankles.
- Ease of Access: Easily accessible and relatively affordable, these supports can be a quick fix for mild cases of overpronation, though they may offer limited support.
- Limitations: Due to their generic nature, these supports may not align precisely with the specific contours of the foot, potentially leading to insufficient support over time.
Custom Arch Supports
- Personalized Fit: Custom arch supports are crafted by trained professionals, like Pedorthists, who account for the unique contours, flexibility, and needs of each foot.
- Precise Support: Tailored to the individual’s foot structure and specific shoe styles, these supports provide optimal alignment and balance, crucial for effectively managing overpronation.
- Long-Term Benefits: Although more expensive, custom supports are an investment in ongoing foot health, offering superior comfort and potentially reducing the likelihood of injury.
- Professional Assessment: The creation of these supports involves a thorough assessment, ensuring that every aspect of the user’s lifestyle and foot anatomy is considered.
Ultimately, while OTC options offer a convenient starting point, custom arch supports provide a more comprehensive solution for those needing targeted support for overpronation.
If you’re dealing with the daily pain that could be due to issues with supination, please give us a call at any of our three locations in American Fork, (801) 763-3885; Payson, (801) 765-1718; and Orem location, (801) 765-1718).
