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What are Pronation and Supination? Understanding Your Walk from Your Dallas Ankle Doctors

Feb 15, 2017
If you’ve ever gone shopping for running shoes and asked an employee for help in your search, very often they will ask to watch you walk around in the new pairs of shoes you are trying on.

What's New

If you’ve ever gone shopping for running shoes and asked an employee for help in your search, very often they will ask to watch you walk around in the new pairs of shoes you are trying on. Why? Because they are observing the way in which you walk; the movement of your feet and ankles while you walk, jog, and run reveals significantly more information than whether or not those new running shoes are a good, comfortable fit. That shoe salesperson was watching your gait to see if you pronate or supinate while you walk. These gait abnormalities can have significant impact on your foot and ankle health. If you suffer from ankle or foot pain, reach out to your Dallas ankle doctors at Metroplex Foot & Ankle.

Pronation

If you pronate while you walk, that means when the outer edge of your heel strikes the ground and the rest of your foot begins to flatten on the ground, your ankle and foot roll inward. In a normal gait, a moderate level of pronation is necessary for your feet to properly function, but too much can cause a flattening of the arches of your feet and excessive stretching of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your feet.

Supination

Supination, or under-pronation, is the exact opposite of pronation. If you supinate as you walk, this means that your foot and ankle roll outwards as your heel lifts from the ground and your forefoot and toes push up to propel you forwards. Just as with pronation, an excessive level of supination can lead to serious complications for your feet and ankles. The ankle can become so destabilized that it rolls completely over, resulting in a painful sprain or fracture.

What are Pronation and Supination?

If you think pronation or supination may be causing damage to your feet and ankles, contact the Dallas ankle doctors at Metroplex Foot & Ankle today. Our specialists are dedicated to providing passionate and active healthcare to all patients.