Pronation is a movement that the foot makes when walking or running.
Pronation is a turning or rotation movement performed by certain bones in the human body. 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 in, although the most common use of the concept is linked to a certain movement that is performed with the foot in a displacement.
Latin is where we can say that the etymological origin of the term is found. Specifically, it derives from the sum of two clearly differentiated parts:
- Pronus , which is equivalent to "leaning forward" .
- The suffix -ción , which is used to indicate "action and effect" .
About pronation
The meaning of pronation is often negative: it refers to the excessive push that a person makes towards the inside of a foot when supporting it. This means that, when it needs to be raised, the subject pushes inward and causes an inclination that can lead to a sprain .
Pronation, in other words, involves rotating the foot inward when a person walks, jogs or runs. The movement itself is natural, although excessive pronation (also known as overpronation ) increases the possibility of injury as it changes the mode of movement.
Pronators (those who develop marked pronation) should choose their footwear carefully, especially when doing sports . The idea is that the shoes adapt to the foot and contribute to adequate cushioning of the impact of each step.
Pronation involves rotating the foot inward when moving.
Classification according to type
We can establish that, currently, sports footwear stores offer their customers the possibility of finding the most suitable model for their feet and that allows them not to suffer injuries or joint pain. In this sense, in the case of pronation, they recognize that there are basically two types:
- Neutral pronation . It is clearly identified because the people who own it show an S shape on their footwear in what is the wear of the outer area, which runs from the heel to the toe. In this case, they require shoes that offer special qualities in terms of cushioning and support.
- severe pronation . This other case is experienced by runners or athletes who rest most of their body weight in the middle or inner area of the foot, causing wear and tear of the footwear. A situation that causes an imbalance that requires the body and lower extremities to perform a type of movement that can bring with it everything from hip problems to knee ailments. For this reason, footwear should be purchased that allows the body's weight to be better distributed and that guarantees greater efficiency than the tread itself.
It must be taken into account that, as we already mentioned, pronation can be excessive (if the foot rotates more than it should) or it can even be carried out at a stage of the stride in which it should not occur. These issues cause greater demand on other joints and can lead to chronic injuries .