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Excessive Pronation    

     Pronation is the normal movement the foot makes to absorb the impact from walking or running. It occurs once the heel strikes the ground and the foot disperses the impact, stretching and flattening the arch as the foot rolls inward. Supination is the opposite motion of pronation. The foot supinates, or rolls on its outer edge, to help with stability as we walk or run.

     A reasonable amount of pronation is necessary for the foot to function properly. However, when the foot arch remains flat and the foot rolls inward too much one may have excessive pronation or over pronation. This medical condition can result from continually straining the feet and wearing footwear that lacks sufficient foot arch support.

     Excessive pronation causes the foot's arch to collapse which in turn causes the foot to twist outwards. A person with excessive pronation generally walks abnormally, on the inner edge of the foot. This stresses and misaligns the ligaments, muscles and tendons in the foot, leg and even the back. Eventually, this misalignment brings about muscular inefficiency, reducing speed and endurance while walking or running.

     Undiagnosed and untreated, excessive pronation may lead to serious foot and lower body injuries. Among the most common injuries are flat feet, weak arches, bunions, corns, calluses, heel pain, Achilles Tendonitis, frequent ankle sprains, shin splints and knee, hip and back pains.

     There are several methods of treating excessive pronation, but the most common is to use a specially made medical insole that is placed in the shoe. This is how I am being treated for my excessive pronation. To have excessive pronation diagnosed you need to see a doctor who will examine your foot then he will take some x-rays.The process for making an insole is a quick inspection by a physical therapist who will take a cast of your foot, followed by about two weeks of waiting for the insole to be made.