The way your foot strikes the ground can have a significant impact on not just foot pain and injuries, but pain all the way up your legs and to your back. Pronation refers to the way your foot makes contact with the ground while walking and running. Different types of pronation can have different effects on your muscles and joints.
Normal Pronation
Normal pronation, also known as a neutral foot-strike, means your foot strikes the ground on the outside of the heel, followed by your foot turning inwards 5 degrees. A proper foot roll helps to more evenly distribute the shock of striking the ground over your whole foot, which lessens the impact on your joints, through your legs and up to your back. In normal pronation, the foot rolls inward on its way down to the ground, then again outward as your foot leaves the ground.
Over Pronation
Also known as supination, over pronation is characterized by the heel hitting the ground on the outside, followed by your foot rolling too far inward, which flattens out the arch in your foot. If your foot rotates inward greater than five degrees, you are considered to have over-pronating feet. Arch supports and other shoe orthotics can help keep your foot from rolling too far inward, leading to foot, ankle, leg and back pain.
Under Pronation
When your heel hits the ground and your foot rolls outward, most of your weight and the shock of the ground is distributed on the outside of your foot. This is known as under pronation. An inward roll of less than 4 percent is usually a sign of under pronation, which can cause more stress on your smaller toes, since they do most of the pushing off as you lift your foot off the ground. People with under pronation usually require shoes with more shock absorption to minimize the effects on the foot.
