What is Pronation?

14 July 2015

Pronation is the term given to feet that tend to roll inwards when in motion, placing the majority of weight on the inside of the foot. Also known as over pronation, this condition is generally considered to be the opposite of Supination (also known as under pronation).

Both conditions are the result of genetics or an unfortunate positioning of the feet in the womb, with signs and symptoms becoming more apparent as your feet grow and develop.

Which Way do You Swing?

Despite both terms generally being used to describe a negative condition of the feet, both Pronation and Supination are naturally occurring motions in your walk gait. Both Pronation and Supination can be positive as they help your feet and legs twist for proper mobility but too much of a good thing can cause over pronation to become an issue.

Pronated feet don’t give your body the correct alignment, as they allow weight to fall on the incorrect, inner areas of the moving foot. Keeping to this sort of walking stance without any correction will almost certainly lead to your feet meeting an unpleasant bout of ill-health – suffering from conditions such as arch pain for example.

It probably seems like a difficult balancing act to make sure your feet don’t swing too far out or too far in, or maybe even a minor problem that isn’t worth worrying about unless you have a dedication to sports. However a range of far more unpleasant foot conditions can arise from Over Pronating (Plantar Fasciitis and long-term Ankle Instability to name a few) even if the most active thing you do is stand up for long hours of the day.

Am I a Pronating Person?

People who often go running or take part in sports are the most likely to suffer injuries associated with Pronation. Due to the reduced natural shock absorption of the foot as it lands poorly on the ground, the same shock travels up the limb instead, and can affect not just your feet, but also your knees, hips and back.

A glance at your running shoes is usually a tell-tale sign of Pronation, if the wear on your shoes is predominantly on the inner sides of your feet, it's likely you suffer from Pronation.

High arches on the inside of your foot are also giveaway, a glance at your footprints the next time you leave the shower can show you where your arches are placed. If the middle, outside area of your foot doesn't leave a print, it could be that you have high arches that are in need of extra shoe support.

Symptoms of Pronation

If you have suffered from one of these issues in the past, it may be that Pronation was the problem. Similarly, if you continue to let your Pronation go uncorrected, you can expect any one of these symptoms to start hounding your feet:

Pain in the lower body (feet, ankles, knees, hips) or back
Flat feet
Shin splints
Ankle sprains
Plantar Fasciitis
Achilles tendinitis
Metatarsalgia and Ball of foot pain
Calluses and bunions

Panic Over Pronation

You may think that your active life is over now that you’ve been outed as a Pronator, but you’d be completely wrong. Pronation – either over or under – is not uncommon, and a vast range of trainers and insoles can easily give you the support you’re naturally lacking. A pronation insole is a small change to your shoe can make a big change to the outlook of your foot health and you certainly don’t need to lose out on your active lifestyle.

The best Insoles for Pronation should aim to deliver: