Once you have finished reading the following we encourage all foot pain sufferers to contact our resident podiatrist to discuss your foot pain frustrations in more detail.
Causes of Pronation
Flat feet don't automatically mean you have a problem. The problem can be divided into a flexible flat foot or rigid flat foot. The rigid flat foot is one that does not change 
shape when the foot becomes weight bearing. i.e. it does not go through the excessive motion of pronation. Generally speaking this foot does not provide too many problems. The flexible flat foot is the type that when it becomes weight bearing the foot and ankle tends to roll in (pronates) too far. This type of person will often say I have great arches but when I stand up much of this arch disappears as the foot excessively pronates See above diagram for a description of this action. When the foot is excessively pronating and causing problems like sore ankles, feet or knees when standing or exercising then arch support is extremely important to restore the foot structure.
To check if you are an excessive pronator, take our pronation test.
1. Do your arches lower more than friends or family when you stand?
2. Do your heels and ankles tend to role in when you stand?
3. Do your knees tend to turn in or want to face each other more than straight ahead when you stand or run?
4. Do your shoes wear abnormally more under the big toe or tend to lean in when getting old?
Factors Contributing to Pronated Feet:
- Genetic predisposition. That is, perhaps Mum or Dad have flat feet
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Exercising on hard surfaces without adequate foot support or cushioning.
- Sorry to all you ageing specimens but our foot does get a little flatter as we get older.
Treatment
Treatment with Podlink foot care orthotics will provide the required arch support to effectively reduce excessive pronation and restore the foot and its posture to the right biomechanical position. Due to the moderate control and shock absorption provided by the flexene material Podlink orthotics are very well tolerated by the pronated foot. - It should be ensured that footwear has sufficient support - for example, shoes should have a firm heel counter to provide adequate control. Read the footwear facts sheet to help assist in footwear selection.
Printable Pronation Info Sheet
Pronation is the natural motion of the foot as it roles inward after the foot makes contact with the ground. It gives the foot the opportunity to act as a shock absorber for the body and adapt to the contour of the ground. Too much pronation