Marvella Marschke

Accurate Knowledge On The Subject Of Your Feet

Will Over-Pronation Necessitate Surgical Procedures

Overview

Overpronation still continues to be misused and misunderstood. For example, there was a study that got a lot of recent mileage in the mainstream media and the blogosphere that claimed to show that foot pronation was not associated with injury risk. It was intriguing following comments on the study in mainstream media and in social media, especially the parroting of the press release without any critical appraisal. The study actually eliminated the ?overpronators? that were probably at high risk from the study then found that ?overpronation? was not a risk factor. What is more intriguing was that there was another study from around the same time that found the exact opposite. Clearly, the data on ?overpronation? and risk for injury in runners is mixed, so we need to rely on the more formal systematic reviews and meta-analyses of all the data. The most recent one of those concluded that ?overpronation? is just a small risk factor for running injury risk, but it is still statistically significant.Pronation

Causes

Over-pronation may happen because the tissue that attaches to your foot bones is loose. You may be born with this problem or it may result from injuries or overuse, like from too much running.

Symptoms

Overpronation may have secondary effects on the lower legs, such as increased rotation of the tibia, which may result in lower leg or knee problems. Overpronation is usually associated with many overuse injuries in running including medial tibial stress syndrome, or shin splints, and knee pain Individuals with injuries typically have pronation movement that is about two to four degrees greater than that of those with no injuries. Between 40% and 50% of runners who overpronate do not have overuse injuries. This suggests that although pronation may have an effect on certain injuries, it is not the only factor influencing their development.

Diagnosis

If you have flat feet or low arches, chances are you overpronate. Although not always the case, the lower your arches the greater the overpronate. Stand on a hard surface (in front of a mirror if you need to) and look at your feet, flat feet or low arches are easy to spot. If your feet look flatter than a pancake, have a look at your ankles and see if they seem collapsed or straight. If they are, you're overpronating.Over Pronation

Non Surgical Treatment

Studies have shown that the most effective way to dexrease a high Q angle and lower the biomechanical stresses on the knee joint is to prevent excessive pronation with custom-maflexible orthotics. One study found that using soft corrective orthotics was more effective in reduknee pain than a traditional exercise program. A more recent study showed that Q angle asymmetries, secondary to excessive pronation affecting knee alignment, can be effectivecontrolled or corrected utilizing custom-made, flexible orthotics. Another project involving meof a running club determined that 75% of those using orthotics eliminated or greatly reduced pain in the feet, ankles, shins, knees and hips

Prevention

Massage and stretch the calves to increase dorsiflexion at the foot/ankle. Dorsiflexion is the bending at the ankle. By improving the dorsiflexion, one will have more flexibility at the ankle, which will allow the foot to over-pronate less. Massage the IT Band with a foam roller or tennis ball to quiet down the tightness throughout this part of the leg. The IT Band attaches from the glute maximus and runs down the side of the leg into the knee area. When the IT Band is tight it will accelerate the force of the leg moving inward, which will cause the foot to move inward as well. It is often that tightness through the IT Band that promotes over-pronation. Decreasing over-pronation, which is very prominent in runners, will help add endurance, speed and efficiency to your run and ultimately place less stress on your body.