The Layperson's Guide to Overpronation
Jul 24 '01 (Updated Jul 25 '01)
The Bottom Line Overpronaters are in great company: many dancers, runners, and coach potatoes suffer from this faulty movement pattern. But you don't have to be a passive victim.
Athletes and couch potatoes alike suffer from the effects of overpronation. A faulty pattern of motion at the ankles, overpronation can adversely affect the knees and hips if not corrected. In this epinion, I will define overpronation, discuss its effects, and delineate possible treatment options.
For now, lets forget overpronation...what is plain ol' normal pronation?
Pronation is the combination of 3 movements at the ankle: dorsiflexion, eversion, and abduction. Dorsiflexion can be thought of as your foot moving "upwards"-your toes go toward your nose. Eversion, also known among runners as "rolling in" is when the surface along your little toe tilts higher than the surface along your big toe. During abduction, your toes are moved away from the midline of your body. Pronation is normal during walking and running; the excess of this motion causes poor performance and painful consequences.
What causes overpronation?
Overpronation can be caused by a number of factors. You may be born with laxity in certain ligaments or a bony conformation that contributes to excess pronation. Muscular tightness, particularly in the calf muscles, can lead to overpronation. Weakness in muscles medial to the ankle contribute to overpronation by failing to eccentrically control pronation or concentrically pulling the foot into supination when appropriate. Ligamentous laxity and tendon damage secondary to repeat use (as with dancers and runners) also lead to overpronation in the athlete.
Is this the same as being flat-footed
Sort of. Being flat-footed means that the arch of your foot is either always collapsed or collapses with certain movements (i.e. during the loading of the foot during gait). The collapse of this arch during loading contributes to pronation. Further, flat-footedness and overpronation can be caused by weakness in the same muscle: the posterior tibialis. Unfortunately, the results of these 2 movements build upon one another, leading to a worsening of the same pathologies.
What are these pathologies? What are the effects of overpronation?
At the onset of symptoms, overpronaters suffer from ankle pain and a feeling that their ankle may "give out" during activity. Blisters may form on the instep of the feet and on the medial sides of the heels. Shin splints may develop in athletes. Performance will decline, as force exerted will not exclusively be centered in the desired direction; some force will be directed laterally.
Throughout time, other symptoms may develop. Remember the song, "the hip bone's connected to the knee bone." All of the joints in the human body effect the other joints. Faulty movement patterns at the ankle result in inappropriate distribution of forces throughout the lower extremity. This will later manifest itself in knee pain and possibly hip pain; pain in the knee may reflect the erosion of cartilagenous structures following increased force. Other problems may include posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) and ankle sprains.
Okay, so this is a problem. What can I do about this?
There are steps that can be taken independantly at the onset of symptoms; severe symptoms may require the assistance of a professional. If you feel that you may be a pronater, have someone else look at your feet while walking to confirm that they "turn out". Ideally, this evaluation should be performed by a physical therapist, athletic trainer, or podiatrist. If you are a pronater, be diligent about the following steps:
-stretching of the calves throughout the day, particularly before exercising (including walking)
-strengthening the ankle supinators (muscles on the medial side of the ankle)...great illustrations of these exercises can be found on the internet or in books
-finding shoes with ample arch support and protection against overpronation during walking
-If you are an athlete, go to a specialty store to purchase your shoes. Have them watch you run and walk, and have them fit you carefully. You may benefit from "motion control" shoes that are designed to prevent any pronation when running. Inquire about socks and insoles. For example, Snails Pace is a great place to purchase running shoes.
If symptoms worsen, you will need to seek the help of a podiatrist or physical therapist. They will have you perform all of the following steps. Further, they may suggest and fit you for orthotics; overpronation during exercise can often be decreased with shoe inserts.
I wish you good luck in your athletic endeavors.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
dequebec
|
|
Member: Jennifer
Location: los angeles, CA
Reviews written: 131
Trusted by: 118 members
About Me:
No longer an editor, thanks a bunch Nirav.
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.