Flat Feet (Overpronation)

The true ‘flat foot’ is very rare. In fact, less than 5% of the population have flat feet with no arch present whatsoever.

The majority of us have a normal to low arch. Only 5-10% have a high arch!

However, most people with a ‘normal- to-low’ arch actually suffer from ‘overpronation’ during walking, running and standing.

This means the foot may appear normal and a clear arch is present under the foot, especially when sitting down.

This siutation changes with weight bearing; with every step we take the arches collapse and the ankles roll inwards. This is called overpronation (or fallen arches). Pronation itself is not wrong because we need to pronate and supinate as part of our natural gait cycle. Pronation (rolling in) acts as a shock-absorbing mechanism and supination (rolling out) helps to propel our feet forward.

Overpronation occurs when we pronate too deep and/or for too long, not giving the foot a chance to ‘recover’ and supinate.

Therefore, overpronation hampers our natural walking pattern. It causes an imbalance and leads to wear and tear in several parts of the body with every step we take!

Whether you have a true flat foot or have a normal arch and suffer from overpronation (like 70% of the population) in both cases your poor walking pattern may contribute to a range of different complaints. Especially with age, poor aligment of the feet will cause very common conditions such as Heel Pain or Knee Pain.