Pronation is a situation where the weight moves from your heel to the front of your foot. It’s commonly called flat foot and it usually occurs when the arch collapses both inward and downward at the same time.
Here’s what you need to know about this common ailment.
First off, people who have pronation are more susceptible to a variety of different kinds of injuries. One of the reasons for this is your body’s natural alignment is thrown out by this particular situation. There are a variety of common problems that go hand-in-hand with pronation including heel pain and chronic lower back pain to name just a few.
Although many people are born with flat feet, there are some other situations that can cause pronation and these include:
- Being overweight. There are a variety of different negative consequences to being obese and over pronation is one of them.
- Activities that involve using your feet in a repetitive manner. Runners often suffer from pronation after years of striking their feet on hard surfaces like concrete.
- Women who are pregnant often have flat feet from the extra weight they carry during their pregnancy.
There are a few do-it-yourself ways you can use to check for this issue. If you don’t see a space between the heel and front of your foot when you’re standing, the chances are your arches have fallen and your suffering from over pronation.
Try taking a few steps on a wet surface. If you see a print that shows your heels and the front of your foot with your toes and nothing in between, you don’t have an issue. However, if your print shows one continuous mark from your heel to the front of your feet you’re likely suffered from over pronation.
Choosing the right kind of foot wear can make a big difference. For example, if you fall into this category, you should be looking for a pair of shoes that have the kind of extra stability that you’ll need.
Orthotics are another route that you should consider taking. Custom orthotics are created by a podiatrist. These are created after carefully measuring a person’s gait to decide on the best fit.
Preventing pronation isn’t always easy. However, if you carry some extra weight losing it can help. If you are suffering with ankle pain or calluses and bunions on the outside of the foot, you should come and see us.
