What is Overpronation or Flat Feet? Transcript
(This transcript is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice,
diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions you
may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or
delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this website. If you
think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency
department, or call 911 immediately.)
Hello, I’m Donna Robertson, Head of Training and Chief Pedorthist for Foot Solutions, a foot wellness retailer specializing inexpertly fittedfootwear and custom crafted orthotic insoles. Today I want to discuss with you the underlying cause of many foot ailments, that beingoverpronation.Feet are supposed to pronate (roll inward) as a part of every step you take. This aids in adjusting or allowing the foot to accommodate to various terrain such as stepping on (sand, rocks, various obstacles) without injury. Rolling inward is called pronation which is a normal function of the foot during gait. When your feet roll inward excessively, over-pronation, problems often arise.Note that sometimes people who over-pronate are told they have “flat feet”. The term “flat feet” can be misleading. When standing, body weight can cause the arch of most feet to flatten out somewhat. This does not mean they become flat like pancakes (though some feet do). Instead, the arch shape elongates, flatter and the arch height becomes lower.When the feet are too flexible and they bear the full weight of the body (as instanding, walking, or running), they stretch too much causing the feet and ankles to roll inward. People who have high, medium, and low arches all have the potential for over-pronation leading to dysfunction, overuse, and painful symptoms. It is not the height of the arches that determines over-pronation. It is the amount of flexibility or instability in the feet. Over-pronation is the result of too much flexibility of critical joint structures, ligament laxity and loss of muscle strength in the feet. There are lots of reasons for this including heredity, obesity, pregnancy, and the repetitive pounding of the feet on the hard, flat surfaces of modern life.If you overpronate, you may at some point in your life experience heel and arch pain, metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis, heel and bone spurs, bunions, hammer toes, neuroma, hallux rigidus, sesamoiditis, achilles tendonitis, and post-tib tendonitis. In addition, excessive pronation leads to a loss of joint stability, muscular strength and postural balance creating abnormal biomechanics during gait and causing bodily issues such as back and joint pain.The feet act as a spring, propelling the body forward with each step. If the spring is not working, the propelling force must come from the knees, the hip, or lower back. Because these areas are not designed to function in this manner, the deterioration and the chronic pain cycle will continue until something is done to support and control excessive or over pronation of the foot and ankle.It goes without saying thatoverpronationis an issue you should correct before it starts causing problems. How to solve foroverpronationand how Foot Solutions can help are questions we will tackle in follow up videos. To learn more or to schedule a visit with our in-store pedorthists, visitwww.footsolutions.ca. Your feet are the foundation of your health.Let us take care of them for you.
