Summary

High arches can cause pain and instability, leading to conditions like ankle sprains and plantar fasciitis. Treatment options include exercises and custom orthotics.

Highlights

  • High arches, or cavus foot, place pressure on the ball and heel of the foot.
  • They can cause the feet to roll outward during walking, known as supination.
  • This weight shift may lead to instability and pain along the outer ankle and foot.
  • Calluses often develop where weight is excessively focused due to high arches.
  • High arches increase the risk of injuries like ankle sprains and plantar fasciitis.
  • Heel pain syndromes can include insertional plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinopathy.
  • Treatment options include conditioning exercises and custom orthotics to restore alignment.

Transcript

Hi, I'm Dr. Craig Tomajan at Austin Foot & Ankle Specialists. While flat feet tend to receive a lot of attention in our offices, having high arches that are too high can cause a problem. High arches, also known as cavus foot, can place excessive pressure on the ball and heel of the foot. They can also alter the way you walk so that your feet tend to roll outward too much during your stride, which we call supination.

These shifts in weight can cause certain instabilities as well as lead to pain along the outer part of your ankle and the outer side of your foot. Patients with high arches also tend to develop calluses where excessive weight is focused due to the shearing that occurs between your skin and the underlying bone.

What we worry about is that high arches can open the door to a greater risk of injuries such as ankle sprains and plantar fasciitis. Ankle sprains may consist of an attenuation or stretching of the lateral ligaments from frequent and repetitive ankle inversion injuries.

Heel pain syndromes include, but are not limited to, insertional plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, insertional Achilles tendonitis, and a more frustrating condition called fibroadipose heel inflammation, which is pain in the central heel caused by repetitive trauma to your fat pad.

We can help address those factors that may be causing you discomfort and greatly reduce your risk of future complications. Conditioning exercises, custom orthotics, and other ancillary treatments can help you restore alignment and enjoy the activities you love with less trouble.

If you have high arches or are experiencing any sort of persistent discomfort in your feet, don't hesitate to schedule an appointment with us. We'll be more than happy to help. Thank you.