 |
 |
|
|
The
basic kind of
walking can
be done almost
anywhere and at
any time,
year around.
more
about walking...
|
|
 |
|
 |
| When
you take a step,
your foot typically
hits the ground heel
first and rolls toward
your toes, flattening
the arch slightly.
As you push off the
ball of your foot,
your arch springs
back and does not
touch the ground.
That's how normal
feet are supposed
to work. Unfortunately,
many feet aren't
normal. |
Over-pronation occurs
if your foot rolls
too much toward the inside. This can cause arch
strain and pain on the inside
of the knee. Under-pronation
occurs if your foot rolls too much to the outside;
under-pronation
can often lead
to ankle sprains and stress fractures. You can
relieve foot pain by compensating for
these tendencies,
but first you need to determine which way your
feet roll.
One method for
determining which
kind of pronation you have is the watermark test:
Put your feet into a bucket
of water, then
make footprints on a piece of dark paper. If
your footprint looks like an oblong
pancake with toes,
you pronate excessively or have flat feet. Try
molded-leather arch supports,
which can be purchased
in many drug stores. And when shopping for athletic
shoes, ask a sales
clerk for styles |
|
with "control" features
- soles designed
to halt that
rolling-in
motion. If
arch supports
or sports shoes
don't help,
contact our
office about
custom-molded
orthotic shoe
inserts.
If
there's little
or no connection
in your footprint
between the front
part of the foot
and the heel, you
under-pronate or
have a high arch.
This means a lot
of your weight
is landing on the
outside edge of
your foot. Ask
for "stability" athletic shoes, which are built with extra cushioning to remedy this problem.
And if you are
prone to ankle
sprains, wear high-top
athletic shoes
that cover the
foot and ankle
snugly to minimize
damage from twists.
|
| |
|
|
|
