Do You Have Flat Feet? You May Be A Pronator!

Spring is finally (somewhat) here! It is that time of year when you lace up your runners and head out for that brisk walk or run around the block. But before you do, you might want to ask yourself are you a pronator?

The easier way to tell if you are a pronator is to examine the way you stand. Use your smartphone to snap a picture of your feet from behind and from the side. Do your feet look like this:

If your feet appear flat you are a pronator. Why is this a reason for concern? Our feet are designed to rest our body weight on three main areas, the heel, and the outside and inside parts of the ball of our feet, forming a tripod:

When we pronate it causes more weight to be transferred to the inside of our foot, which causes the arch to drop:

This can cause a lot of stress on the ankle and tendons of the feet leading to conditions such as:

1. Metatarsalgia – Inflammation and pain in the ball of the foot
2. Plantar Fascitis – Inflammation and pain around the arch of the foot
3. Ankle instability – Rolled ankles can cause an increase in the stress on the tendons and ligaments
4. Shin Splints – The increase in load on the forefoot can cause your leg muscles to strain, which is called shin splints.
5. Knee pain – If the feet are off balance, chances are the knees may be out of alignment. This can increase the chances of knee pain.

This is similar to when a car tire is underinflated. This can cause uneven wear and tear on the tire. Unlike a tire, you can not replace your foot, so here are some tips to help manage your pronation:

1. Wear good shoes! Good shoes can go a long way to help reduce pronation (flat feet) pain, especially when going for a long walk or run
2. If your feet pronate mildly you may want to look into runners that help reduce pronation (flat feet). Here is an example (link)

3. If you have moderate to severe flat feet, custom orthotics might be your answer. Custom orthotics are made directly from a mold of your foot, maximizing support and stability. Custom orthotics take about two weeks to manufacture and fit into most shoes.

If you have flat feet or pain and would like more information about your condition book a consultation anytime! Ph: 905-593-1605.