How Can You Tell If You Have High Arches
A simple way to tell if you have high arches is to wet your feet and stand on a safe surface, such as concrete or a piece of paper. After you move your feet, look at the imprint left behind. People with high arches will only see an imprint of their heel and the front of their foot with nothing in between.
Of course, the only surefire way to know if you have high arches is to schedule a consultation with your healthcare provider. They can run some tests to determine the severity of your condition.
How To Treat High Arched Feet
While a high-arched foot on its own without any pain or other symptoms may not require any treatment, when problems and discomfort arise, treatment is often indicated. The specific treatment you need will depend on your symptoms and your podiatrist will create a personalised treatment plan after a comprehensive consultation. This treatment plan may involve:
- Custom foot orthotics. These inserts are placed inside the shoes to control the mechanics of the foot while walking. This places the feet in a better functional position, allows the foot to more easily absorb shock and more readily adapt to uneven terrain
- Footwear changes changing the footwear you use to ensure there is adequate cushioning and the shoe isnt pushing the foot further outwards
- Stretching of tight muscle groups must also be addressed to effectively relieve symptoms
Causes Of High Arches
Every issue or problem that arises is because of a certain factor that causes its appearance. Such factors do not make a problem at once. These keep on accumulating and when such factors are not kept in check regularly, they lead to bigger issues. Such factors which cause high arches are as follows:
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How To Tell If You Have High Arches
When some person is told that he has a certain problem or issue, he always needs self reconciliation. The same is the case with supination, a person really needs to make sure whether he is a supinator and the most frequently asked question is How do I know if I have high arches?
Well, you need not worry and just follow the following few steps to check if you have high arches or not:
Learn How To Drop The Arch
Once the foot has beencompletely loosened up, the next step is learning how to control the the foot as the arch collapses.
Learn how to engage the Arch muscles
Before starting the follow exercises, it is important to learn how to engage your arch muscles.
Wait a minute wont that make my arch go even higher?
Yes however, we want to teach the arch muscles to engage whilst the foot is in a more neutral position.
Instructions:
- Stand with your feet facing forwards and shoulder width apart.
- Whilst keeping your toes relaxed, proceed to scrunch the under-surface of your foot.
- Drag the base of your big toe backwards towards the heel.
- Sit down on a chair.
- Straighten the legs.
- Lift the outside of the foot towards the side.
- Aim to feel a muscular contraction on the outside of your shin.
- Perform 30 repetitions.
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What Are High Arches
A high arch, also called cavus foot, is when the arch of your foot is raised more than normal. Itâs the opposite of flat feet. The arch is located on the bottom of your foot and runs from the toes all the way to your heel.
Itâs common to discover high arches in the teenage years. Thatâs because when your body grows, your feet bear the extra weight. High arches can happen at any time in your life.
Symptoms of cavus foot are:
- Foot pain when walking, standing, exercising, or playing sports
- Difficulty finding shoes that fit properly
- Shortened foot length
- Claw-like, or bent toes when standing
- The heel tilts inward, causing instability
If you feel pain in your feet and suspect high arches may be to blame, you can perform a simple test at home to find out if you have high arches. Youâll just need water and a piece of sturdy paper or cardboard.
If you mainly see your toes and heel, and little or none of the middle part of your foot, chances are you have a high arch.
Your healthcare provider can also perform tests that determine how severe your case of cavus foot is.
Your doctor might also test to see if your arches are flexible, or can be moved around. The following tests are available to see if your arches are high:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging test of the spine
- Electromyography
How Do You Measure Foot Arch Height
Your arch height can impact your overall foot health, so figuring out if you have flat feet, medium or high arches is important. Luckily, there is an easy way to determine your arch height. It’s called the wet test.
The “wet test” is as simple as stepping out of a shower or tub onto cardboard, concrete or heavy paper like a brown shopping bag. Once you have wet prints of both your feet, compare them to the chart below.
If you have flat feet, you’ll need to take one extra step and compare your arch when it is weighted and unweighted .
- If your feet are flat sitting and standing, a low arch insole will be best for you.
- If your feet are flat standing, but you can see an arch when you sit, a medium arch will be most comfortable.
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What Causes Pes Cavus Foot
Pes cavus foot can be congenital. It can result from a spontaneous deformity or a trauma that tears tendons or ligaments. It can also gradually develop in response to repetitive stress. Each of these causes results in a bio-mechanical imbalance. One muscle group dominates its counterparts, and the architecture of the foot is distorted into a cavus position.
In More Severe Cases Surgery For High Arches May Be Necessary
Careful consideration of the precise cause for the cavus deformity is crucial in pre-surgery planning. Surgical techniques will vary for repair of a structural deformity or to repair excessive arching caused by trauma.
Pes cavus surgery is focused on two objectives:
- First, the source of the deformity will be repaired.
- Then additional surgical procedures will be performed in order to permanently maintain the new arch.
Each of these phases may include shortening, lengthening, or repositioning tendons, as well as cutting and repositioning bones. Installation of screws and wires is sometimes necessary to maintain stability.
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How To Fix High Arches
High-arched foot, otherwise known as cavus foot, is the bending of the arch of your foot.
So that the high position is fixed and permanently affects your stature, walking, and, ultimately, running and athletic lifestyle.
It is not that rare as some people may think, although it does occur less often than flatfoot – the opposite condition, when the arch is low.
However, it can be equally painful and difficult to deal with.
As your mid-foot does not carry enough weight, and the other parts of your feet are overloaded with pressure.
Your ankles are not spared from the pain too, because additional pressure is put on them.
For that reason, you may experience agonizing pain, or even instability and difficulty walking.
And high arches can result in some other conditions, such as muscular dystrophy , metatarsalgia, calluses, plantar fasciitis, or ankle sprain.
If this is the case with you, dont despair, as Im here to help to answer your burning question:
How to fix high arches and alleviate your pain?
Rest assured that youll find your solution in the next few paragraphs.
Before that, well briefly go through the symptoms and things you should know before you decide which method to go for.
What Causes High Arches
While most people who have high arches are born with them, there are some people who develop them over time. If you develop high arches later in life, or if only one of your arches becomes raised, it’s time to see a doctor as it could be a symptom of a neurological disorder.
There are two main causes of high arches:
- Natural orthopedic shape/genetic When high arches run in your family, they are the result of genetics. WebMD reports that high arch feet are inherited by 68% of women and 20% of men.
- Neuromuscular and neurological When your high arches are caused by conditions such as Charcot Marie Tooth Syndrome, diabetes, stroke, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or Parkinson’s disease. High arches that are a result of a neuromuscular or neurological condition tend to be rigid and inflexible.
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High Arches And How To Fix Them
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The famous dancer and choreographer Martha Graham once said, Think of the magic of the foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. Its a miracle.
But not all feet are so wonderfully miraculous. Some arent so pretty. Some are flat. And some are so extremely arched as to cause chronic problems.
Exercises For Fixing High Arches
Exercise is not a quick fix for high arches. However, with time and consistency, it is going to help you recover from the problems associated with high arches. If you have been feeling pain in the heels and balls of your feet, these exercises should help alleviate that pain. When you have high arches, it is hard to walk normally. However, exercise can help in that area.
Let us look at a few exercises that you can engage in to help your high arches condition:
Toe pick-up exercises
Here, you drop things on the ground and then pick them up with your toes. For example, you can start with easy to pick things such as rags, towels and many more. However, with time, you can try picking up a golf ball. The reason for using this exercise is to flex your toe muscles, strengthen the connectors, build their stamina and strength.
Towel stretch
Here, you just need to sit down with your feet ahead of you. Take a towel, loop it around your toes and then pull them back. Repeat this several times in the morning or evening, or wherever you have the time. Like the toe pick-up exercises, the towel stretch one tightens the toe muscles, and strengthens the connectors as well.
Toe squeeze exercises
Again, these are simple to perform. You just need to insert your fingers between your toes and then squeeze them with the toes as hard as possible. You can repeat this exercise as much as you want. After all, it costs nothing.
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How Should New Insoles Feel
If you have worn insoles before, you have some idea of what to expect. You may find that Tread Labs offers a higher level of support.
If you have never worn supportive insoles in your shoes, break them in slowly over a few days. This is how your new insoles should feel:
- Comfortable – Your foot should feel consistent contact through all parts of your arch. There should be no uncomfortable pressure points or hot spots.
- Supportive – Initially, a supportive orthotic may feel aggressive. After a few days, it should feel like it has always been there, supporting your every step.
- Functional – Unlike soft, foam insoles, Tread Labs insoles support the bones of your feet, aligning your ankles, knees and hips for a more efficient stride and improved biomechanics.
Learning how to tell if you have flat feet, high arches, or somewhere in between can be a great step toward improving any foot pain you may be experiencing. Once you determine your arch height, you can find the right solutions to help relieve pain, correct foot issues and improve your comfort.
Read more about solutions for every arch height:
Foot Pain Symptoms Due To High Arches
As its name suggests, you can recognize that you may have a cavus foot due to a higher than average arch. If the arch in your foot is apparent, even while its planted on the ground, you may have High Arched Feet. Of course, its important to have a proper exam and diagnosis by a podiatrist, but there are some common indications that you are dealing with cavus foot:
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Tips For How To Fix High Arches
Whether you were born with this condition or you developed it over time, knowing how to fix high arches can help make your life more comfortable. You need to know how to treat this especially if you spend a lot of time on your feet. If you wear work boots daily, high arch can be quite a problem for you. You must know how to fix the condition.
Here are a few ways to fix high arches:
How Is Cavus Foot Diagnosed
A diagnosis of cavus foot includes:
- Review of the childs family history.
- A foot exam to look for a high arch, calluses, hammertoes and claw toes.
- A test of muscle strength in the foot, toes, ankle and leg.
- Observing the childs walking pattern and coordination.
- Other testing may include electromyogram and nerve conduction velocity studies, blood test for CMT and magnetic resonance imaging study of the spine and brain.
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How Do Arches Develop
Almost all babies are born with flat feet, which continues into childhood. Babies and children have flexible bones and joints, causing their feet to flatten when they stand.
But as children grow, their feet become less flexible. The tissues in the feet tighten and form an arch with the foot bones. Most people develop arches before age six. Your arches are usually about the same shape and size on both feet.
In some people, their feet develop higher-than-normal arches in the arch that runs from the toes to the heel on the bottom of the foot. The medical term for high arches is pes cavus, and it is the opposite of flat feet. High arches can appear in children, but usually create don’t create problems until people get older.
How To Treat High Arch Foot Pain
High arch, also known as Cavus Foot, is a condition in which the foot has an abnormally high arch. This condition may be hereditary, or it may be the result of a neurological disorder or other medical condition.
If you are suffering from high arch pain and are seeking treatment, contact us today for a consultation.
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What Are High Arch Feet
The arch of your foot is the area between your heel and the ball of your foot. Some people have higher arches than usual. People with high arch feet may experience problems, which can range from occasional discomfort to permanent skeletal issues. This condition is medically known as cavus foot deformity.
How High Arches Impact Movement
High arches are a structural presentation where the underside of your foot is SUPER HIGH off the ground. Its also called a supinated foot type.
You can test to see if you have high arches by dipping your bare foot in water and putting it on a piece of paper or the ground. If your footprint shoes mostly the heel and the forefoot , then your arch is probably high.
The highest of arches even have a difficult time keeping the first metatarsal head down on the ground, curling the toes instead. This action helps keep the foot contacting the ground.
Under normal circumstances, foot supination is combined with external rotation occuring throughout the leg. This action should be seen in both the early and late phases of the gait cycle.
Conversely, foot pronation creates more internal rotation, predominately during midstance.
Now although this particular foot arch is structurally high, it should allow for some pronation to occur.
What if foot dynamics are reduced, however?
In this case, you will likely see a presentation that has normal to excessive external rotation-based measures and a loss of internal rotation-based measures . Straight leg raise is also commonly limited, which is an external rotation measure in the early ranges.
Gait-wise, these peeps will not have much ankle dorsiflexion , and will often spin the foot outward to deal with the mobility deficit.
Up the chain, youll often see a pelvis that is translated forward and knee hyperextension is quite common.
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What Are The Best Insoles For Medium Arches
If your arch is neither high nor low, you have the most common arch type – medium or moderate. But just because you have the most prevalent arch height, it doesn’t mean you don’t need insoles that offer arch support.
Actually, your feet still require proper support to prevent overpronation, especially if you maintain an active life. Runners, walkers, and cyclists in particular need additional arch support.
Like those with low and high arches, people with medium arch height should look for an insole that offers firm support that is contoured to their arch.