Walking, jogging, and running each place a level of stress on your ankles. To absorb the shock when your heel hits the ground, our Alexandria VA podiatrist explains that your heel naturally locks. After the initial lock, your heel moves outward, your foot rolls in, and these actions together result in pronation.
Our Alexandria VA Podiatrist Defines Overpronation
While pronation is normal and necessary to absorb shock and handle uneven terrain, our Alexandria podiatrist highlights that overpronation can result in discomfort throughout your body.
Overpronation occurs simply when your foot rolls too far inward during activity. Unfortunately, when overpronation happens, the impact from that activity is not evenly distributed across the body for maximum strength and comfort.
Signs of a Pronated Ankle from Our Alexandria VA Podiatrist
Your ankle is likely overpronated if you experience the following:
- Pain in the feet, hips, back, legs, or knees after exercise
- Consistent or unusual tightness in leg muscles
- Recurring issues with bunions and calluses
Further contributing factors to overpronation include injury, tendonitis, arthritis, weight increase, and aging. Our podiatrist in Alexandria says that evaluating your running shoes may detect if overpronation is the culprit of your aches and pains. Check to see if your running shoes show excess wear and tear on the inside sole or present an inward tilt when resting on a flat surface. These signs may signal overpronation.
Can I Correct Overpronation? Our Alexandria VA Podiatrist Says Yes!
For some, pronation is part of their natural walk. Still, it can be addressed by applying more even pressure across the foot instead of relying on the innermost muscles. Our 5-star podiatrist in Alexandria VA can recommend stretches for your legs and feet. These will help to minimize excessive stress and tightness, and strengthen your foot muscles.
If your foot is lacking proper arch support, you can purchase orthotic insoles or heel inserts to help reduce overpronation as well. Motion control shoes are the best option if you severely overpronate. The stiffer heel and straighter instep help to control inward motion, keeping an ankle from rolling too far inward.
If you are concerned about overpronation, feel free to call our podiatry office in Alexandria today to discuss options that will allow you to stay active without the discomfort!
The information provided in this article is not meant to be medical advice and is for educational purposes only. If you would like to learn more about this and other topics related to podiatry, feel free to contact The Podiatry Center, with a convenient podiatry office location near Alexandria VA, by clicking here or by calling 301.656.6055.
