Overpronation is a expression or term that produces a great deal of angst among podiatrists and running footwear retailers mainly because it brings about a whole lot of confusion and debate. Pronation is a motion of the foot in which the ankle rolls inwards and the arch of the foot collapses. This is a normal healthy motion that is essential for normal foot biomechanics and impact moderation. Overpronation is said to be the phrase helpful to describe when there is an excessive amount of this normal pronation. The first part in the discussion is just what is normal and what is abnormal and exactly where is the threshold of the split between normal pronation and overpronation. There are actually robust opinions on every side of this debate and there does not look like any solution in the debate on the horizon.

 

The key reason why this issue generates a great deal of discussion is that overpronation has been thought to be a primary aspect in overuse injuries in athletes. Podiatric doctors frequently use foot orthotics to treat the condition and running shoe manufacturers design running shoes to help runners that have the problem. This implies there is lots of vested interest in it. The problem arises is that the scientific evidence shows that, yes, overpronation generally is a risk factor for a running injury, but it is not really a significant risk factor. It is further complicated by a lot of athletes that have rather severe overpronation and do not develop any problems and don’t need foot orthoses or running shoes using the motion control design features. That doesn’t help fix the controversy nor help clinicians make decisions re foot orthotics and for running shoe retailers on advice as to what needs to be the proper running shoe. It really is dependant on clinicians and running shoe retailer’s individual expertise and experience and making conclusions in the framework of precisely what is ideal for the individual runner.