What is Overpronation?
The term overpronation is used to describe an excess amount of pronation and is usually treated with arch supports. Pronation is the movement of the foot that includes an inward rolling motion that causes flattening of the arch of the foot. Pronation is a normal part of the gait cycle found in walking and provides shock absorption to the foot, however, if you pronate too far, overpronation occurs. During overpronation, the arch remains flat and the ankle rolls too far inward as you begin to push off your toes. This places extra pressure on the muscles and ligaments of the foot and can eventually cause a lot of pain. Flat feet and plantar fasciitis are associated with overpronation.
The opposite of overpronation is oversupination. Supination is again a normal part of the walking cycle, however, oversupination occurs when the foot rolls outward too far, or does not pronate enough and can also have some painful side effects. Supination is associated with high arches.
What Happens if You Have Overpronation?
When overpronation occurs on a regular basis, numerous injuries or symptoms can occur. These may include:
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendonitis
- Heel Spurs
- Metatarsalgia
- Shin splints
- Stress fractures
- Anterior compartment syndrome
- Patello-femoral pain syndrome
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Bunions
When overpronation causes the foot to roll inward it also causes the lower leg to turn inward. This puts the hip and the knee out of proper alignment and can even cause an altered rotation of the back.
How Can Overpronation Be Treated?
In most cases, someone who has a lot of overpronation will be prescribed custom made or off-the-shelf foot orthotics (arch supports). Foot orthotics (arch supports) use a variety of strategies to control the position of the foot and work towards correcting the overpronation issue. Orthotic insoles designed for overpronation include appropriate arch support and often include medial rearfoot posting that can tip the foot away from the pronated position.
If you are looking for arch supports that control overpronation, make sure you get something made from rigid or firm enough material that it can actually help control the position of your foot. Most off the shelf foot orthotics are too soft, but there are a few foot orthotic companies that are making over the counter devices that are rigid enough to control overpronation. It is also important to choose the correct footwear. When deciding upon a shoe, make sure you choose a shoe with good stability shoe with good stability and a firm heel counter.
Am I An Overpronator?
To determine if you are prone to overpronation look at your feet in a standing position. Do you have a clear arch or are the soles of your feet touching the floor? If you have no defined arch you most likely are a ‘pronator’. If you get someone to look at your heels from behind, overpronators will also have ankles that turn in, and may stand in a ‘knock-kneed’ position.
Your shoes can also tell you how you’ve been walking. If they are worn on the inside of the sole, overpronation may be a problem for you. For a true diagnosis, see your doctor or podiatrist.
Foot orthotics (arch Supports) can be used to support the arch, control the overpronation, and keep your feet in a better anatomical position, which keeps the legs in a better position as well. There are no better options than the use of foot orthotic insoles to control overpronation.
Copyright 2010 Roderick MacKenzie, BScPT, C.Ped.(C)
Roderick MacKenzie BScPT, C.Ped.(C) is a certified pedorthist and former physiotherapist (physical therapist) with 15 years of experience in foot care. He has designed the new MacKenzie Orthotics line of foot orthotics to bridge the gap between ineffective over the counter arch supports and expensive custom foot orthotic devices. His arch supports are designed with material that is firm enough to control overpronation.
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