SUPINATION OF THE FOOT
Supination of the foot occurs when your weight is on the outer edges of your feet.
In a normal gait, your foot should roll inward a bit (pronate) so that your weight transfers through the ball of your foot. to then push off the big toe. If you supinate, most of your weight falls on the outside of your foot and you don’t toe off through your big toe adequately.
If the mechanics of your foot are a little bit off, it can throw off the alignment of your entire body.
Excessive supination of your feet can lead to:
- back and hip pain
- stress on the knee
- shin pain
- ankle pain
- plantar fasciitis
If you supinate, you’ll need to do some exercises to strengthen and stretch the muscles and tendons affected by the improper foot position.
WHAT CAUSES SUPINATION OF THE FOOT?
Supination is an inherited problem with the structure of your foot and usually, runs in families. Supination may also be caused by weakness in certain muscles of your foot, ankle, and leg or be the result of a neurological condition.
The lack of strength may be a result of:
- improper shoes
- misalignment of the body
- prior injury to the foot that damaged your tendons or muscles
A person with an excessively supinated foot finds it difficult to adapt to an uneven surface it’s walking on. This means that the surrounding bones and muscles have to work differently to maintain your posture and balance. Over time, this can lead to tension and overload on various parts of the lower limb, leading to injury.
SUPINATION TREATMENT
If you suspect that you’re supinating when you walk or run, or you’re suffering from unexplained pain in the lower back, hip, shin, ankle, arch, or heel, it may be a good idea to get a gait analysis to determine if supination is the reason. Treatment depends on the severity of your case but is typically aimed at correcting the supination to prevent future injuries.
To help treat excessive supination of the foot:
- Select lightweight shoes with extra cushioning and ample room in the toes.
- Wear running shoes specifically designed for supinators. These are found usually in the cushioning range.
- Wear custom orthotics prescribed by your podiatrist. Pre-fabricated orthotics or insoles are rarely appropriate for supinated foot types.
- Work with us to strengthen the muscles in your legs and feet and to loosen tight tendons.