Pronation is a movement that the foot makes when walking or running.
Pronation is a twisting or rotating movement that certain bones in the human body perform. The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) associates the term with the mobility of the forearm that causes the hand to turn from the outside inwards, although the most common use of the concept is linked to a certain movement that is performed with the foot in a displacement.
The etymological origin of the term can be said to lie in Latin. Specifically, it derives from the sum of two clearly differentiated parts:
- Pronus , which is equivalent to "leaning forward."
- The suffix -tion , which is used to indicate "action and effect."
About pronation
Pronation is often understood in a negative way: it refers to the excessive push that a person makes towards the inside of one foot when standing on it. This means that, when the person needs to stand up, he or she pushes inwards and causes an inclination that can lead to a sprain .
Pronation, in other words, is the inward rotation of the foot when a person walks, jogs or runs. The movement itself is natural, although excessive pronation (also known as overpronation ) increases the chance of injury because it changes the way the foot moves.
Pronators (those who develop a marked pronation) must choose their footwear carefully, especially when they play sports . The idea is that the shoes adapt to the foot and contribute to the adequate cushioning of the impact of each step.
Pronation involves rotating the foot inward when moving.
Classification according to type
We can establish that, nowadays, sports shoe stores offer their customers the possibility of finding the most suitable model for their feet and that allows them to avoid injuries or joint pain. In this sense, in the case of pronation, they recognize that there are two main types:
- Neutral pronation . It is clearly identified because people who have it show an S-shape in their footwear in terms of wear on the outside, from the heel to the toe. In this case, they need to have shoes that offer special qualities in terms of cushioning and support.
- Severe pronation . This is another case experienced by runners or athletes who rest most of their body weight on the middle or inner part of the foot, which is where the footwear wears out. A situation that causes an imbalance that requires the body and lower limbs to perform a type of movement that can cause problems in the hip or knee pain. For this reason, they should buy footwear that allows better distribution of body weight and guarantees greater efficiency in the stride itself.
It should be noted that, as we have already mentioned, pronation can be excessive (if the foot rotates more than it should) or it can even occur at a stage of the stride in which it should not occur. These issues cause greater demands on other joints and can lead to chronic injuries .