Often as physical therapists, we hear how our patient's feet are pronated or that they have flat feet! However, pronation is not necessarily a bad thing! We naturally pronate our feet during contact with the ground through our gait phase. It's a way our body performs shock absorption as it makes contact with the ground. Just as with anything in life, too much or too little pronation can be a problem.
Signs of excessive over pronation or foot supination?
- Pain in the bottom of the foot (plantar fascia), medial or lateral ankle, heel, achilles tendon
- Bunions or corns develop
- Pain up the kinetic chain (will discuss this further below)
I Didn't Always Overpronate, Did I?
Did you know that babies and toddlers have pretty naturally flexible flat feet? Their arches haven't developed yet, and do so over childhood. Some kids don't end up developing more of an arch and maintain their increased pronation status.
- Adults typically develop overpronation for different reasons, which are:
- Weight gain (especially pregnancy)
- Foot and ankle injuries
- Diabetes
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
I've been told I have high arches, what does that mean?
You have increased supination (which is the opposite of pronation). High arches need support too. This can come in the form of a custom foot orthotic and well fitting shoes.
Your casual flip flops and ballet flats won't cut it here. There has been an increase in supportive, yet stylish shoes. For example, the famous brand, Birkenstocks, known for it's hippie sandal, is actually quite supportive. Sneakers are still the most ideal for increased walking and standing. But if you want to be in a sandal this summer, start with a more supportive shoe.
Treatment for over pronation
We frequently see patients for foot and ankle pain that have too much pronation or too much supination. The first step (pun intended) is to fully assess the mobility through the forefoot, midfoot and hindfoot. We would be remiss if we didn't evaluate up above the foot and ankle, further up the kinetic chain. When the foot hits the ground during gait, there are a series of reactions that happen at the knee, hip, trunk, and arms.
Physical therapy for foot pronation in Columbia and Baltimore, Maryland
If you have foot and ankle pain because of pronation reach out to our office today!
