The Effect Weak Hip Abductors Can Have on Foot Pronation: Is Hip Strength the Key for Flat Feet.
Flat feet can be caused by several factors, and weak hip abductors may be only one part of the equation.
Hip abductor muscles are essential for maintaining hip and knee stability. Weakness in these muscles can lead to various injuries. This may include flat feet. Unfortunately, the relationship between abduction strength and foot pronation is not well understood. Still, it is known that strengthening the muscle group can improve foot health.
As you’ll see in the following article, flat feet can be caused by several factors, and weak hip abductors may be only one part of the equation. The good news is, there are exercises you can do to strengthen your hips and help alleviate flat feet!
What is meant by foot pronation?
Pronation is the term given to the action of flat feet, which are common among adults. It is a medical condition where the body’s weight is distributed unevenly across the feet. It occurs when your foot naturally changes its position from standing flat on the ground to turning more of its inner surface down at the heel or rotating its outer arch upward more than is natural.
Flat feet often happen without pain, but they can cause discomfort, especially during exercise and nighttime, striking one’s feet against a hard surface if there is joint inflammation between your ankles and hips.
With flat feet, more stress is placed on muscles in your legs that bend or contract with every step you take due to altered ball-and-socket orientation within your hips and ankles. As a result, walking flat-footed can cause some foot, ankle, and leg problems.
When walking flat-footed, your heel does not go straight up and down with each step but stays toed out as you walk. This causes excessive weight on the outside edge of the foot, causing pain in this area. This is known as overpronation, and it places strain on ligaments in your feet, causing pain between your joints or flat-foot pain.
Pronation supporting shoes or orthotics are designed with features that correct this abnormal motion. As a result, they can help alleviate flat feet and their pain.
How do you diagnose overpronation (flat feet)?
Pronated feet are typically caused by an imbalance in the foot’s musculoskeletal structure. There are two ways to diagnose flat feet: your symptoms and a physical examination. When flat feet do not cause any pain, some people may not feel it at all. Other people can usually identify flat feet when they first wake up or sit for many hours. One also may notice that their weight is more unevenly distributed than usual on each foot.
When flat feet are associated with pain, one can usually pinpoint the location of the discomfort on the bottom of their foot, arch, or heel. You can also get an idea of flat feet by looking at the shoes you wear. Shoes flat on one side or unevenly worn out can be an indicator.
To diagnose flat feet, you should visit your medical professional, who will examine both your hips and ankles while you stand on each foot. They can also check for abnormal alignment while standing. They may ask you to lie down, bend your knee to 90 degrees, and then put pressure on your ankle/foot with their hands to determine if flat feet cause pain.
Pronation occurs when the inside arch of the foot flattens as you walk or run. It’s a natural motion that supports shock absorption and balance during physical activity. With flat feet, proper alignment becomes inefficient. Still, there is more pressure on other parts, which can lead to plantar fasciitis. Pronation also plays a key role in injury prevention by allowing muscles reflexively tense before impact and work less intensely after it. This is known as the windlass mechanism.
What muscles make up the hip abductor?
The hip abductor muscles are located on the outside of the hip. The Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, and Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL). These muscles work together to pull the thigh away from the body and maintain hip and knee stability.
The hip adductors, like the Glute Medius, assist in moving the leg away from the body and rotating it at the hip joint. Strong hip abductor muscles are required for stability when walking or standing on one leg. However, these muscles can produce discomfort and impede normal movement if they are weak.
What causes weak hip abductors?
There are several reasons why your hip abductor muscles may be weak. One common reason is a lack of use. When you don’t regularly use your hip abductors, they can weaken. This is often the case for people who sit for long periods or those who have jobs requiring them to stay in one position for extended periods.
Pregnancy and childbirth can also cause weak hip abductors. The hormones released during pregnancy can cause the muscles around your hips and pelvic area to loosen and weaken. This makes it difficult for new mothers to regain their strength and muscle tone after birth.
Other reasons include:
- Injury or surgery to the hip, pelvis, or lower back
- Poor posture
- Obesity
The good news is that it’s possible to strengthen your hip abductors. This will help you maintain proper posture and reduce pain in the buttocks, hips, and thighs while improving stability during movement. For example, if flat feet are caused by weak hip abductor muscles, strengthening them would be one way of dealing with the problem.
Can you improve flat feet by strengthening hip abductors?
Hip weakness appears to play a role in a range of issues, including flat feet and excessive pronation.
Hip weakness appears to play a role in a range of issues, including flat feet and excessive pronation. The position of the hips impacts both leg alignment, and the way forces flow through the limb. Hip muscle deficiency and poor control over hip movement can produce higher stresses on structures farther down the leg.
With hip weakness (e.g., gluteus medius weakness), the femur (thigh bone) may begin to rotate inwards while simultaneously adducting (moving in towards the other leg). This paired movement may cause the foot to pronate (collapsing arch).
Aside from flat feet, weak hip abductors can also lead to:
- Poor posture
- Knee pain
- Shin splints
- Groin pain
- Leg Length Discrepancy
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)
- Hip Instability
- Knee Pain
- Ankle Pain
Hip abductors are probably not causing flat feet.
The connection between weak hip muscles and flat feet is often assumed, but there isn’t enough evidence that proves it one way or the other. Most research shows that flat feet are caused by a combination of factors, including family history, obesity, and age. While weak hip abductors may aggravate the condition, they are not the root cause.
An element to diagnosing whether or not flat feet are caused by weak abductors is noticing if your arch collapses when you walk on a flat surface. If you want to know for sure if weak hip abductors cause your flat feet, you can visit a physical therapist or podiatrist. They will perform an evaluation and give you specific exercises to improve the strength of your abductors.
Assessing hip abductors with the Trendelberg Test
The Trendelberg Test is used to assess hip extension. It is named for the German orthopedist Karl Gottfried Trendelenburg who first described the test in 1872. The test is used to diagnose problems with the hip joint and muscles that attach to the hip.
The test is performed by standing with the feet flat on the floor and one hand against a wall for support. The unaffected leg should be straight while the other knee is bent, placing that foot flat on the floor in front of you (the position of this stance mimics how we stand when using stairs).
Next, shift your weight onto that bent leg and lift the other heel off the ground.
- If you are able to hold this position for more than a few seconds, it is likely that your abductors (and hip extensors) are strong
- If you cannot hold this position, it is likely that your abductors (and hip extensors) are weak.
- If you cannot hold this position and your knee move inwards (towards the other leg) while attempting to do so, there is likely gluteus medius weakness.
Five strengthening exercises to help your hip abductors
So, if weak hips are a possible cause of flat feet and pronation, what can you do about it? The good news is that you can do hip abductor exercises to strengthen your hips and help alleviate flat feet!
Here are five strengthening exercises that target the hip abductors:
1. Side-lying leg abduction:
Lie on your side with your legs together and your head resting on your arm. Slowly raise your top leg away from your bottom leg. Hold for a few seconds, then lower it back to the starting position.
Repeat 10-15 times.
2. Standing hip abduction:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and brace your core. Raise one leg out to the side, keeping your hips square. Hold for a few seconds, then lower it back to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg.
Repeat 15 times on each side.
3. Side Plank:
To do this exercise, lie on your side with your elbow directly underneath your shoulder. Lift yourself up, making sure that you do not let your hips rotate or sag towards the floor.
Hold this position for 30 seconds to one minute and repeat on the other side if necessary.
4. Hip Abduction with Band:
This exercise is done with a band placed around your ankles. While standing, keep your knees and hips together and pull your leg out to the side as far as you can. You should feel a contraction in the Gluteus Medius muscle. Hold for two seconds before returning to the starting position.
Repeat 15 times.
5. Single-Leg Balance:
Stand on one leg with the other knee bent and hold for 30 seconds.
Repeat three times before switching legs.
Finally
Flat feet condition is a common and painful one for many people. It can cause pain in the arches of your foot and other parts of your body, such as the knees or hips. The good news is that some exercises you can do to help strengthen your hip abductors which will make flat feet less likely or at least reduce their severity.
In this article, we’ve given five strengthening exercises to try with instructions on how to perform them correctly. If any of these exercises sound challenging, please reach out to your own health care provider for further assistance. When working towards improving your posture and overall wellbeing, working with a team can make your experience a lot less challenging.
PLEASE NOTE
PostureGeek.com does not provide medical advice. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical attention. The information provided should not replace the advice and expertise of an accredited health care provider. Any inquiry into your care and any potential impact on your health and wellbeing should be directed to your health care provider. All information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical care or treatment.