By Thomas Vail, DPM
Podiatry Staff, Blanchard Valley Health System
Read your footprints and discover how you roll! Like a good detective story, your bare footprints can leave clues to your foot health and drop hints about possible problems. Before we crack the barefoot code, here's a quick course on walking patterns.
- The heel usually hits the ground first.
- As the foot moves forward, the arch flattens, and weight is transferred to the ball of the foot.
- As you push off from the ball of the foot, the arch springs upward and does not touch the ground.
At least, that's how normal feet are supposed to work. Unfortunately, many feet aren't normal. In normal feet, this movement is straight. If the foot rolls to the inside, it's called "overpronation" and can strain the arch and hurt the knee. If the foot rolls to the outside, it's called "underpronation" and can lead to stress fractures and ankle sprains.
