Every step you take, your foot goes through many motions. Your foot has to land, adjust to the ground, roll through your sole, distribute your body weight, absorb shock, and push off the ground again—though not necessarily in that order—to move your body forward. You perform this complex action every day, and as long as your limbs function normally, you don’t experience any pain doing it. Sometimes, however, faulty mechanics create issues like overpronation that then lead to injuries.
Faulty Foot Rotations
Pronation is a normal part of your walking mechanics. As your weight shifts from your heel to the ball of your foot, your arch rolls inward slightly to help absorb pressure and direct your body weight forward. This natural motion only becomes a problem when you don’t pronate enough or, more commonly, you pronate too much. This is overpronation. As your foot rolls inward, your arch rotates too far and then flattens considerably. This causes your ankle to collapse inward slightly, and your whole foot is strained.
Over time, this stresses all the supporting structures in your lower limbs and can damage many joints. You may be more prone to issues like plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, various types of tendonitis, shin splints, and even bunions. The more active you are, the more your faulty foot mechanic causes problems. You end up with aching, painful feet when you walk or run, particularly for extended periods of time. You may notice your shoe wearing down along the inside of your arch and under your big toe faster than other areas as well.
Boosting Foot Stability, Relieving Pain
Fortunately, overpronation can be addressed conservatively. Dr. Noah Levine will examine your lower limbs and analyze your gait. Our staff may also evaluate the wear on your shoes and use tests to rule out other possible causes for your discomfort. Once we have positively identified your issue, we can begin managing your biomechanics.
Shoe changes and orthotics are the most common and generally most effective methods for addressing gait issues, like pronating too much. You need a little extra support and stabilization through the midfoot to help accommodated the inward rotation. Choose footwear with sufficient padding through the arch area to help. Motion control and stability shoes may be best. If shoe changes are not enough, you may need orthotics to support your lower limbs. For some people, an over-the-counter arch insert may be enough to alleviate the discomfort. Many others, however, need fully customized orthotics to accommodate the issue and sufficiently cushion the lower limb.
Overpronation is a common problem that affects active and sedentary people alike. No matter how active you are, the longer it affects your gait, the more likely it will cause pain and injuries. However, you don’t have to put up with the discomfort. You can take steps to improve your foot mechanics and prevent painful problems. Let our team at Absolute Foot Care Specialists in Las Vegas help your feet function correctly. Call (702) 839-2010 or use our website request form to make an appointment with us.
