What is Over Pronation? It may be the sole reason for many of your lower extremity issues. As you can see in the photo, over pronating is when the arch of the foot collapses under load. This causes the entire leg to internally rotate and every joint to be misaligned. Misaligned joints will absorb an abnormal amount of load, causing painful issues such as shin splints, plantar fasciitis, runner’s knee, I.T. band syndrome, hip pain, and even low back problems. However, the main concern with over pronation is the long-term wear and tear it has on the body’s joints. Long term misalignment of joints, under load, will cause the cartilage within the joints to degrade at a faster rate. This is especially true if you are an athlete. For example, think about the knee joint. The knee is meant to act as a ‘hinge’, moving in only one plane of motion. If this joint is repeatedly twisted under load, as a result of over pronation, it will put an abnormal amount of stress on that joint. The longer the foot goes unsupported, the more wear and tear is does on the body, which is why it is important to address this issue ASAP! The majority of people over pronate to some degree and most are not even aware that they do it. It can be very simple to fix with a combination of orthotics and the proper shoes. Look out for the next video where we will cover some of the many types of shoes that will help prevent this issue!