Study Overpronation

Overview

Pronation is the natural act of the body spreading the impact of walking, jogging or running throughout the foot evenly. As the foot strikes the ground, the ankle naturally rolls inward absorbing the shock of the ground and mobilizing to the terrain. Overpronation is when the ankle of the foot rolls in past its normal 15? of inward rotation. The cause of this could be many things such as foot type, biomechanics, or compensation strategies. People with flat feet often, although not always, overpronate.Overpronation

Causes

Generally fallen arches are a condition inherited from one or both parents. In addition, age, obesity, and pregnancy cause our arches to collapse. Being in a job that requires long hours of standing and/or walking (e.g. teaching, retail, hospitality, building etc) contributes to this condition, especially when standing on hard surfaces like concrete floors. Last, but not least unsupportive footwear makes our feet roll in more than they should.

Symptoms

Eventually, over-pronation can lead to a full list of maladies including flat feet, plantar fasciitis, plantar fibroma, neuromas, heel spurs, shin splints, ankle sprains, bunions, hammertoes, calluses, and pain in the arches, knee, hip and lower back. But it doesn?t have to go that far, because there are steps we can take to correct the over-pronation. In the vast majority of cases, we?ll prescribe custom foot orthotics, which will realign your ankles, redistribute the weight, support the arch and reduce the twisting. Many orthotics will fit snugly into your normal shoes. Although we?ll also take a look at the type of shoes you wear to see if they are contributing to the problem.

Diagnosis

One of the easiest ways to determine if you overpronate is to look at the bottom of your shoes. Overpronation causes disproportionate wear on the inner side of the shoe. Another way to tell if you might overpronate is to have someone look at the back of your legs and feet, while you are standing. The Achilles tendon runs from the calf muscle to the heel bone, and is visible at the back of the ankle. Normally it runs in a straight line down to the heel. An indication of overpronation is if the tendon is angled to the outside of the foot, and the bone on the inner ankle appears to be more prominent than the outer anklebone. There might also be a bulge visible on the inside of the foot when standing normally. A third home diagnostic test is called the ?wet test?. Wet your foot and stand on a surface that will show an imprint, such as construction paper, or a sidewalk. You overpronate if the imprint shows a complete impression of your foot (as opposed to there being a space where your arch did not touch the ground).Foot Pronation

Non Surgical Treatment

Side Step with Opposite Reach. This exercise is designed to load the "bungee cord system" of the gluteal muscle and its opposite, latissimus dorsi muscle to keep the foot from overpronating. Because the opposite arm swings across the front leg when walking, this exercise creates tension in the muscles all the way from the front foot, across the back of the hips and back, to the fingers of the opposite hand. Movement Directions. Stand with left foot on top of the dome of the BT. (Note: For added balance, the right foot can tap on the ground, if needed). Reach right leg out to the side of the BT, and tap the ground while squatting down on the left side and reaching right arm across the left knee. Push down with left big toe while squatting. This activates the arch of the left foot and strengthens all the stabilizing muscles on the left side of the lower body. Return to starting position. Perform 8 to 10 repetitions on each leg.

Prevention

Firstly, a thorough and correct warm up will help to prepare the muscles and tendons for any activity or sport. Without a proper warm up the muscles and tendons around your feet, ankles and lower legs will be tight and stiff. There will be limited blood flow to the lower legs, which will result in a lack of oxygen and nutrients for those muscles. Click here for a detailed explanation of how, why and when to perform your warm up. Secondly, flexible muscles are extremely important in the prevention of most ankle and lower leg injuries. When muscles and tendons are flexible and supple, they are able to move and perform without being over stretched. If however, your muscles and tendons are tight and stiff, it is quite easy for those muscles and tendons to be pushed beyond their natural range of motion. To keep your muscles and tendons flexible and supple, it is important to undertake a structured stretching routine.