High Arches And a Rigid Foot

High arches are not an injury but they are a deformity of the foot. High arches itself will not cause pain, but it is a foot posture that is more likely to induce pain through excessive stress on the tissues surrounding it.

What Are High Arches?

High arches are also known as “Pes Cavus”, “Supinated Foot” or a “High Instep” among others. The most predominate feature of High arches is the high arch of the foot.

Injuries Associated With High Arches

·      Metatarsalagia
·      Sesamoiditis
·      Plantar Fascitis
·      Ankle instability and osteoarthritis
·      Achilles Tendinopathy
·      Lower Limb Stress Fractures
·      Knee Pain
·      Back Pain

How Do Orthotic Insoles Help?

A foot with high arches has a rigid bones structure that supports the high arch. This rigidity do not allow much flexibility in the foot when it strikes the ground when walking, running, jumping etc. In the normal foot, when the heel hits the ground it starts to roll inwards (pronate) as your body weight rolls onto the front of the foot and pushes off on the big toe. This prevents the foot from acting as a shock absorber when the foot hits the ground – one of its main roles. We want pronation of a foot, but not over-pronation!  

In a high arched foot, orthotic insoles have been shown to help by increasing the surface area of the foot in contact with the ground. This in turn takes the pressure off the heel and metatarsal of the foot, reducing the injuries to these areas. The material used in the orthotics should be a shock absorbing compound to offset the rigidity of the foot.  

What Orthotic Insoles Are Best For High Arches?

Because of the high arches and the need for as much orthotic surface area in contact with the bottom of the foot, we recommend a full support custom orthotic insoles.