Pronation is defined as the foot rolling inward toward the body during movement, mainly walking or running. A certain amount of normal pronation occurs when you run. However, excessive pronation or overpronation during running will cause injuries, according to the Sports Injury Clinic website.
Too Much Pronation
Overpronation is one of the most common causes of injuries associated with running. When the foot pronates even slightly too much, over time it can cause a multitude of injuries in the lower leg and especially the ankle. Having an undiagnosed abnormal gait during running will cause the structures of the foot and ankle to break down over time, according to the Sportsinjuryclinic website.
Ankle Symptoms of Over Pronation
Symptoms of over pronation can vary from person to person. The things you want to look for are ankle swelling, pain or chronic ankle sprains, according to epodiatry.com. Your ankles can also have the visual appearance of turning inwards. You may just simply feel like something is not right in your ankle when you are running. In any case, you should always listen to your body.
Diagnosing Over Pronation
If you suspect that you are over pronating during running, or have some ankle pain, a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist or podiatrist can diagnose the problem. Diagnosing of ankle problems and over pronation can be done several ways. A qualified professional can simply check your running shoes for an abnormal wear pattern, a gait analysis of you running on a treadmill can be performed, or the professional will simply watch you walk or run to check visually for an abnormal running pattern.
Treatment of Over Pronation
Supportive running shoes can be a simple inexpensive way to correct over pronation, says Rice University. A sports professional may even prescribe orthotics or inserts for your running shoes. Depending on how severe your ankle injuries are from over pronating during running, you may need to perform specific exercises prescribed by a physical therapist to rehabilitate your ankle. All of these treatments will retrain the muscles surrounding the ankle to provide stability during running.
