Posted: June 6, 2005

Sportsmedicine: Injuries And Overpronation

By Dr. Kiper

Wear and tear of the foot can be compared to an aging car—each step is like a mile. That adds up to 100,00 miles for every 10 years of your life. The arch just goes up and down, everyday, hundreds or thousands of footsteps a day. It is no wonder that the arch is the center of all pronation and postural problems.

In simplest form, pronation is nothing more than the arch spreading out as you step down in order to absorb shock. Everything above the foot [knees, hips and low back] also moves as much as possible to help absorb shock, too. The more the body moves, however, the worse and more quickly it breaks down.

Overpronation of the arch is actually normal--everybody has it. However, without anything to support the arch or minimize its spreading out, the arch will over-stretch to absorb incoming force. Walking and running both cause overpronation with each step (obviously with varying degrees of wear and tear). While most of my overpronation patients are between the ages of 40-60, it’s not uncommon to see people in their teens and above, especially if they are highly active or athletic.

Can you stop it? No. Can you prevent it? Possibly.

Even if you are totally injury-free, wearing some arch support will minimize the repetitive, unrestrained motion of the arch. Remember, however, the more precise the fit, the greater the alignment benefit. Wear the supports as much as possible, even around the house, if you are very active. Think of it this way, if you had a switch to turn the alignment of the wheels of your car off/on, when would you turn it off? If you said never, then you are right; therefore, try to maintain your best alignment with every step you take.

Dennis N. Kiper, D.P.M specializes in Podiatric Sports Medicine. Visit his website at: DrKiper.com.