Supination is when the foot has a higher arch causing the foot to have more pressure on the outside vs. pronation which is a low arch. It sometimes often refers to a part of a stride. As you roll from your heel to your toes the pressure rolls to the outside of the foot. Either way, it changes the entire mechanics of the lower leg. With too much pressure on the outside of the foot, it changes the angle of the ankle and how the knee tracks when walking or running. It is essential that you get the proper help if you deal with pronation or supination. If you don’t, it will not be long before you start to experience joint pain.
Anatomy of Supination
A neutral foot will sit evenly on the heel so that the ankle and the Achilles are in line. What happens when you begin to supinate is that you tend to rest more on the outside of your heel. The roll of the heel means that your ankle inverts slightly and your Achilles and heel do not line up nicely. Being in this position makes it easier to suffer inversion ankle sprains because of how much the ankle is already rolled naturally.
Causes of Supination
Supination if partly caused by genetic inheritance but some external factors come into play as well. All the factors of supination include:
Genetics
- Width of feet
- Length of bones
- Ankle structure
- Shape of arch
Incorrect Footwear
- Avoid worn down shoes
- Need shoes made for the activity being done
- Shoes should support the soft tissue of the foot
- Try to avoid harder surfaces if possible
- Avoid rigid and tight shoes
Body Misalignment
If joints are off in the body, it can increase supination. It is important you get your ankles, knees, hips and backcheck on a regular basis. Once any of these joints are out of line, it will not be long before there is an injury.
Poor Exercise Form
You always want to make sure that you do exercises correctly before you add any load. There is no point in doing squats with weight if you cannot do them correctly without the pressure.
Prior Injury
Injuries can play a massive role in supination. If you suffer a foot injury, for example, it may cause you to start walking more on the outside of your feet to avoid pain. When injuries happen, they can create instability and weaknesses in many different areas that must be compensated for.
Other Causes of Supination Include:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Hard Surfaces
- Limited range of motion
- Standing for long periods of time
- Overuse injuries
Injuries That Occur Because of Supination
- Ankle Sprains
- Ankle pain
- Wear and tear on outside of feet
- It band syndrome
- Plantar fascitis
- Shin splints
- Stress fractures
- ankle and foot instability
As you can see, there are a lot of injuries that could be the result of supination. You may keep rolling your ankle or have shin splints, and it does not matter how much rehab you do if you do not find a way to correct the supination issues.
Diagnosing Supination Problems
There is something you can do on your own, but your best bet is going to be to see a healthcare provider because you probably have no idea what you are looking for or what adjustments to make.
Examine Old Shoes
The first thing you can do on your looks at your old shoes over time if you still have them. Loo at where the wear and tear are on the boots. When you look at multiple shoes is it in the same place or does it seem to have moved. Examine shoes that you wore before and after an injury as well.
Check Footprints
The second thing you can do is look at your footprint. Think about when you g to a pool, and on the deck, you see a bunch of footprints left behind by wet feet. This represents another opportunity to see where your foot puts pressure into the ground. All you need to do is wet footwell, and then take a step on a surface that will allow you to see the footprint left behind.
Gait Analysis
The thing about gait analysis is that you need to see a healthcare provider have it done well. It is one of the best ways to know if supination is a problem for you. Anyone trained in gait analysis will know how much pronation or supination your ankles can handle. They will then be able to help you come up with a game plan for it.
Treatment for Supination
Get Good Shoes
As stated above, the shoes can be all of the difference. If the shoes are not great for your feet, they could be harming you. The best thing you can do is work with a sports medicine provider and figure out what shoes are perfect for your feet. Once you find the shoes that work, you will greatly decrease your chance of injury.
Orthotics
Orthotics are made for arch support. You get them customized to your feet or buy them online. If you are an athlete, you should get them custom made to make sure that they are improving your performance and not setting you up for failure.
Proper Form
There is no substitute for doing things with the right technique. The technique is the reason that for some people no amount of treatment will help them until the technique is changed. If you run or cut with bad body movements, you are setting yourself up for further injury.
See a Sports Medicine Professional
When you see the right healthcare provider, they will be able to help you with everything mentioned above. Wether it is through a referral, or they can do it all themselves. Finding good shoes is essential, and if you get orthotics, you need to make sure that they are compatible with the shoes you decide to use for your supination as well.
Finding The Best Local Sports Medicine Providers For Supination problems.
9INE POINT Health is the best place to start your search for a health care provider to help you stay healthy. The key to success as an athlete is staying healthy and making sure the injuries are dealt with appropriately. Any athlete with high arches is at risk of supination issues.
9INE POINT Health lets you search for providers by type and skill. For example, you can look for a Physical Therapist that knows the Active Release Technique. It does not matter what kind of provider you need, 9INE POINTHealth can help you find them and help you to sort through their skills.
If you are unsure where to start your journey, 9INE POINT Health will ask you questions and help you figure out the best starting place. All you have to do is answer a few questions. From there, 9INE POINT Health will connect you with the type of provider best suited for your needs. It does not matter if you are injured or doing everything you can to prevent a vastus lateralis injury.
Skill Sets to Look for In Sports Medicine Providers
Skill sets are the things healthcare providers learn after they graduate. A healthcare provider can take courses and get certifications for different skill sets. These skill sets are valuable and help them approach injuries from different perspectives so that you can get the best help at the right time for any Supination Problem.
- Dry needling
- Acupuncture
- Joint Manipulation
- Active Release Technique
- Graston Technique
- Functional Movement Screen
- Fascial Stretching
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Athletic Trainer
- Sports Background
- And many more
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
9INE POINT Health was created by 9INE POINT in '19 as a means to provide athlete-driven resources to "Protect Athletes' Minds, Body and Belly". As well as be a platform for healthcare providers and other specialists to display their knowledge.
