High Arches Care and Treatment

What You Need To Know

Understanding high arches, how they develop, and when to seek podiatric care.

Understanding High Arches

High arches, also called cavus foot, are a painful condition that can lead to structural problems in the body. High arches usually manifest in the teenage years. The arch of the foot is an area along the bottom of the foot between the ball and the heel, providing a base for posture and balancing the weight and bone structure. High arched feet is a disorder caused by an abnormally high arch, which places excess weight on the ball and heel of the foot, causing pain and other complications.

Symptoms of a high-arched foot include pain when walking, standing, exercising, or playing sports. Shoes may not fit well, the length of the feet may get shorter, and toes can become claw like and bent. The heel may tilt inward, causing loss of balance, and calluses often form on the ball of the foot, side, or heel. Additional signs can include leg cramps, muscle pain, aching or tired feet, changes in gait, and pain in the arch, ankle, or outside of the foot.

High arches could be genetic and could run in families. They can also be caused by neurologic disorders or other medical conditions, like cerebral palsy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, spina bifida, and polio. The underlying cause has to be diagnosed to form an optimum treatment plan.

High arches are fairly common and may not need any intervention unless they cause pain, inflammation, or affect movement. Treatments can include physical therapy, orthotics, bracing, and customized support devices, with surgery considered only in extreme cases. Patients with symptoms that affect quality of life should seek podiatric evaluation.

Problems Caused by High Arches

High arches, if they are severe, can cause a lot of painful foot conditions, as they affect posture and gait. Because excess weight is placed on the ball and heel of the foot, several secondary conditions can develop over time if the underlying arch problem is not addressed.

Plantar fasciitis is one common complication. Overuse or trauma to the plantar fascia, the band of ligament that connects the heel to the toes, can cause pain and inflammation. It is usually felt along the heel but can affect the bottom of the entire foot or the arch. Metatarsalgia is another concern, a painful inflammation of the ball of the foot triggered when standing or walking that subsides at rest. The pain can worsen over time and cause a limp and compensation pain in the lower back and hips.

Toe deformities are also frequently linked to high arches. Claw toes take on a claw-like position and dig into the soles of the shoes, often affecting the four smaller toes and creating painful calluses. Hammer toe affects the second, third, or fourth toes, bending at the middle joint and, in time, becoming rigid and requiring surgery.

Foot and ankle instability is another issue. In people with high arches, one or both heels tilt toward the middle of the body, increasing the risk of ankle sprains. Addressing high arches early with appropriate support and treatment can help prevent these secondary conditions from progressing.