High Arch Problems

♦ What is considered a high arch foot?

The high arched foot like the flat foot varies greatly and does not have a set definition. A high arched foot is one in which, when the foot is on the ground there is “daylight” underneath the arch. As opposed to a flat foot in which the entire bottom of the foot comes in contact with the ground.

Many patients come to my office stating that they have always had flat feet when in fact they do not. All feet when standing will collapse to some degree due to the effects of gravity. If you are able to put your finger under your arch when standing then you in fact do not have a flat foot. There are varying degrees of low and flat arches. See Flat Foot Conditions on our website.

In the extreme case a very high arched foot is known as a Cavus Foot. In addition, just as in the flat foot, there are rigid and flexible high arched feet. The flexible high arched foot is good shock absorber whereas the rigid high arched foot does not absorb shock. When shock is not absorbed by the foot (high or low arched), it is usually transferred higher to the knee, hip or low back. On the other hand a flexible high arched foot is more susceptible to arch pain, heel pain and sprains.

♦ How are high arches treated?

Treatment of the high arched foot depends on symptoms presented. For example, people with high arched feet often suffer ankle sprains. The reason this happens is the high arched foot is unstable. A good example is a car with a high center of gravity is more likely to tip over when going too fast around turns. As in this example the high arched foot is more likely to “tip over”. So how does one impart stability to an unstable foot? This is usually done in several ways. Firstly, we as Podiatrists would focus on shoes. If a high arched foot is unstable then a high arched foot in high heels is even more unstable. Conversely, a high arched foot in very flat shoes will cause conditions such as arch and heel pain (plantar fasciitis). A rule of thumb is that whatever shoes you wear should have a broad and stable base with good shock absorbing qualities. There should be adequate arch support inside the shoe to fill this arch. In other words, the foot should be held in place without excess motion. Unfortunately most shoes and sneakers have inadequate arch support inside. A good shoe should have a removable insole so it can be replaced with pre fabricated or custom arch supports.

People with very high arched feet would require custom devices because over the counter arch support are not high enough for these If you have high arched feet or cannot find arch supports adequate for your feet call us to make an appointment at 973-927-2525

We have a foot wide variety of pre fabricated arch supports and use state of the art gait analysis and foot scanning to make custom foot orthotics.