Overpronation - An Overview

Introduction

When walking or running, one does not think about how the foot hits the ground; it happens automatically. But, in reality, how a person puts every step together matters a lot. It matters even more if the person is into some sort of sport, like running, or some other high impact sport.

What Is Overpronation?

Overpronation happens when the gait, which is how a person walks, starts affecting the arches of the feet so that they become more flattened than they normally would. When someone overpronates, the arches of their feet often collapse excessively downward or inward, leading to flat feet. People who overpronate are always at a higher risk of getting injured than people with normal pronation. Children also suffer from flat feet, but it generally gets cured without much hassle. The arch of the foot starts developing once the child is five, though it might take longer for some people.

What Is the Difference Between Pronation, Overpronation, and Underpronation?

• Pronation refers to the way the foot moves from one side to the other while walking or running. It occurs when the weight gets transferred from the heel to the ball of the foot as the person keeps moving. It also occurs when the person is standing. While standing, pronation refers to the amount that the foot rolls towards the arch inward.

• Overpronation occurs when the foot rolls way too far inward towards the arch.

• Underpronation, also called supination, happens when the foot rolls outward away from the arch.

What Are the Injuries That Overpronation Can Possibly Cause?

Flattened and stretched arches can strain the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, leading to an increased risk of injuries like:

• Ankle injuries.

• Shin splints.

• Achilles tendinitis. (injury of the Achilles tendon).

• Heel spurs (developing bony growth around the heel bone).

• Plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the tissue connecting the heel bones to the toes).

What Causes Overpronation?

A flexible arch leads to overpronation. Some people are born with flat feet, but for others, some conditions and activities can put them at higher risk of developing flat feet or weakened arches, thus leading to overpronation. Acquiring flat feet can happen for various reasons. Some of them are:

• Damaged or inflamed tendons.

• Obesity.

• If the person is into high-impact sports such as basketball.

• If the person is suffering from arthritis, that affects the cartilage and ligaments in the foot.

• Injury.

• An injury that affects the alignment of the joints in a foot.

• Some neurological problems do not make them feel that the arch is collapsing, like in diabetics.

• Running or walking on hard surfaces for a long time.

• The athletes are the ones who are most prone to getting affected by overpronation.

What Are the Symptoms of Overpronation?

Some common signs and symptoms of overpronation are:

• Achilles Tendinitis - This happens when excessive stress is put on the Achilles tendon.

• Bunions - Painful bony lumps formed on the outside of the big toe are called bunions.

• Heel Pain - It is very common, and one can have heel pain behind, below, or within their heel bones.

• Plantar Fasciitis - Plantar fasciitis is the tendon that stretches from the heels to the toe.

• Shin Splints - This is a very common injury that happens due to overuse of the feet.

• Hip Pain - This is another consequence of overpronation.

• Knee Pain - One can develop knee pain from overpronation.

• Iliotibial Band Syndrome - This is basically when a ligament gets inflamed on the outside of the knee.

• Hammer Toes - It is a deformity that causes the toe to bend or curl downward instead of pointing forward.

How to Find if Someone Is Having Overpronation?

The first thing we need to notice is the soles of the shoes. If the inner side of the shoes' soles looks more worn out than the outer side, it is an indication of overpronation. One can also notice their bare feet and see if they have arches or flat feet, because this is the biggest sign of overpronation. One can look at their shins too. They need to follow the line of their bones from the knee to their ankle. If the line is leading towards the foot's inner side, they might be overpronating because normally, the line of the bone leads to the first or second toe.

How Is Overpronation Diagnosed?

After one gets some indication that they are overpronating, the next step is to see a podiatrist. The doctor will conduct a test where a video of the person is taken while they are running or walking on the treadmill. The doctor will slow down the footage and see their gait, or how they walk. In slow motion, it will be easy for the doctor to understand what is happening. The doctor might also opt for 3D mapping. This is where the patient is asked to step on a special mat with or without their shoes on. This special mat is supposed to have sensors that would provide information to the computer about how their feet would strike the ground when they walked. For testing overpronation, the doctor would most likely see how much of the pressure of the step is toward the foot’s arch.

How Does Overpronation Get Treated?

There are different types of treatments that the podiatrist might recommend. Some are:

• Finding good shoes that provide stability for treating overpronation provided the shoes are recommended by the podiatrist.

• Exercises and stretches.

• A duck stand might also help by waking up the glutes.

• Stretches such as open and closed chain calf stretches can also be practiced to reduce the intensity of pain caused by overpronation.

Conclusion

Overpronating is quite common, but one must visit a podiatrist if they are experiencing pain or injury due to overpronation. The doctor will help them in many ways to find relief. The doctor can recommend some changes in their workout regime or their workout shoes. There are certain exercises, as mentioned above, that help strengthen the legs and feet. So visiting a doctor is a must if someone is suffering from overpronation because the wrong treatment at home can make the issue worse, leading to more injuries and causing more pain and difficulty.