Tips for Living with High Foot Arches

High foot arches are surprisingly common, but they can create problems for people who do not know how to best live with them or perhaps do not even realize that they have high arches. High foot arches do not support the body properly and tend to place excess pressure on the pelvis, which can eventually result in postural problems. High arches can be the result of a congenital abnormality, trauma, or sometimes even a neurological disorder.

Do I have high arches?

If you have any concerns about your feet, then a visit to your local podiatrist is always a good idea. Your podiatrist will be able to determine if you need a particular type of shoe , over-the-counter insert, or custom orthotic to support your foot. An easy way to check whether you have high arches is to look at your footprint any time you are in bare feet. If your footprint shows a curved, narrow print with only a thin strip connecting the heel and ball of the foot, then you probably have high arches.

What are the common problems resulting from high arches?

The biggest problem for people with high arches is that their foot tends to supinate, or roll outwards, while walking or running. This can lead to pain while walking or running as the high arches are not supporting the body correctly; the side of the foot makes contact with the ground first and normal pronation does not occur. If you are not sure whether your foot supinates when you walk you only need to take a look at a pair of shoes that you have worn for a while. If your shoes have more wear on the outside than on the inner edge of the shoe, then you know that your feet roll outwards as you walk.

If you do have this problem, there are a few things you can do to make your life easier:

• Try to maintain your ideal body weight. Being overweight can cause problems for anyone but as high arches do not support the body properly supported the problem is worse for those with this condition.
• Buy stable shoes with good arch support. The pain you experience after walking or running can be reduced by distributing your body weight evenly – cushioning your feet with arch supports will help to spread out the weight.
• If none of these options help to relieve the pain you experience then it may be helpful to purchase an orthotic insert to address your issue.