Causes of Foot Supination Foot supination happens when you don't use the proper muscles to walk correctly. People who develop this issue struggle with pushing or activating the right muscles in their feet as they walk. It could be due to a number of factors, but usually, it's caused by a muscle imbalance in the feet.
Exercises can be used to correct supination, particularly when performed in addition to using orthotics. Generally, the exercises aim to strengthen the lower leg and foot muscles, supporting ligaments, and tendons. Stretching exercises help to relieve any tension in the leg.
What causes out-toeing? Medically speaking, we're talking about the external torsion (twisting) of the tibia (shin bone). It is because the shins twist outwards that causes the foot to twist outward, too.
Most kids get better without any treatment. As they get older their bones slowly rotate and get straight. Special shoes and braces once were used to treat in-toeing. But doctors found that these didn't make it clear up any faster, so most don't use them now.
If you have crooked toes, you can treat them with pads that help straighten out the toes and by wearing shoes that give your toes lots of space in the toe box. You can get special shoes prescribed if you need to. “In cases where these treatments do not work, there are several surgical options,” Dr. Rottman said.
One of the best ways you can help retrain your muscles and regain a normal gait is to use inexpensive orthotic inserts in your shoes. These inserts help stabilize the heel and keep your foot aligned rather than turning outward while you walk.
Most of the time foot misalignment is the cause of genetics or overuse. If you have arthritis, for example, this can lead to alignment issues. Or, if you damaged your ankle or foot and it didn't heal properly, a sprain or fracture could affect your gait.
Supination can also lead to other problems, such as Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendinitis. If you are experiencing any problems with supination, it is important to see a podiatrist for treatment.
Excessive supination can cause ankle pain, plantar fasciitis and stress higher up the body. This can lead to knee pain, hip pain and even back pain. The negative effects of supination can be particularly severe for runners who put their lower limbs through repetitive strain.
Out-toeing is when feet point outward while walking. It happens to a lot of kids when they are learning to walk. It's not painful and it usually gets better as kids grow older. Almost all toddlers who out-toe learn to run, jump, and play as they grow up, just the same as other kids.
What Footwear Should a Supinator Wear? Neutral shoes with an extra cushion or shock absorption qualities are recommended. Asides from this, different footwear made by New Balance, Chaco, Saucony, and Birkenstock footwear are touted to help supinators.
Walking with the feet pointing straight ahead will help with the health of the bones of the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and back all the way up the body.
Signs You Can Look For
If the wear patterns are uneven on the sides of your shoes, it is a good indication that your feet are not properly aligned. An easy way to tell is by looking at your footprint! Wet your feet and walk on a dry surface such as cement or concrete to tell what areas of your feet touch the ground.
Good posture should be built from the ground up. Let's look at what our feet should be doing and then you can compare them to your own feet. When standing and walking, our feet should be pointing straight ahead. They shouldn't be pointing outwards (externally rotated), or inwards (internally rotation).
They can also give you special pads or splints that will work to straighten the toes in your footwear. More severe deformities in the toes might need surgical solutions. Especially rigid hammertoes for instance will need a small procedure to release the affected muscle or tendon to straighten the toe.
Brachymetatarsia is a condition in which the metatarsal physis closes prematurely yielding a pathologically shortened metatarsal length. It can affect any of the five metatarsal bones of the foot and it could be bilateral. Brachymetatarsia of the first metatarsal is also known as “Morton's syndrome or Toe”
Club foot (also called talipes) is where a baby is born with a foot or feet that turn in and under. Early treatment should correct it. In club foot, 1 foot or both feet point down and inwards with the sole of the foot facing backwards.
The best shoes for supination are Neutral shoes. Shoes with a broad base under the foot tend to do a great job as well. Cushion is often helpful to protect the lateral area of the foot from the sustained stress that supination contributes to. Some great options are the Ghost 14 or Dyad 11.