The question “how to fix high arches” is quite commonly asked by people facing the issue. But before any further implications and explanations, one needs to have a very vivid outlook of what exactly are high arches and does the complainer even has them or not.
What are High Arches?
High arches are characterized by elevated underfoot areas of our feet. This means that the arches of our feet are elevated to a very higher level than normal.
They usually occur when a person goes through the issue of supination. In supination, your feet excessively roll inward. This abnormal gait style leads to supination. High arches are also formed due to the fact that your feet supinate excessively. They leave their normal gait pattern.
Does having high arches a bad thing?
A high arch in the foot is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact – it aids the development of stability and proprioception – and active muscles work to bear partial weight at all times. However – a high foot arch may cause structural imbalances and force the body into odd positions (which can lead to long-term injuries).
The high foot arch, also known as a cavus foot, is a condition in which there is a considerably higher height at the medial heel. This is measured using the calcaneal index and can be measured with a radiograph (x-ray). Palmer’s high-arched foot is the most common kind of chronic high arches.
By overpronation means that due to lack of good arches in the foot, the weight is shifted to the outside edges and outer portion of the foot. Thus abnormally stretching and exerting too much pressure on the outside of the heel.
Depending on the high arch’s severity and location, about 10-15% of individuals will report experiencing pain associated with this condition. This results in different structural problems, such as plantar fasciitis and metatarsalgia. Having a high arch can also make you more prone to knee injuries, such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee).
One of the best ways to reduce any risk of injury for a high arch foot is to wear a shoe that nicely supports the arch. An excellent supportive shoe will have a raised heel and a well-cushioned sole.
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:
Improper care of injured feet
When a person is injured, he needs to keep good care of his feet. Otherwise, such issues can also lead to unhygienic issues which can, in turn, cause high arches.
Twisted Ankles
Sprains or twists in ankles must be dealt with professionally and proper rest should be taken. But some people do not do so and high arches occur due to walking with sprained ankles.
Wearing Wrong Type of Shoes
Enough emphasis has been laid on this fact in our previous articles too that whatever the situation maybe you are always supposed to stay comfortable and wear shoes which support your feet. Some people ignore this fact and also develop high arches for wearing the wrong shoes.
Long Run Sessions
If you are already a supinator and you tend to run daily for long periods of time, then obviously you will eventually develop high arch feet and your normal arch shape will be lost.
High Arch Symptoms
When an issue arises, its presence is detected by the symptoms which appear and cause uneasiness to the person facing them. Such symptoms of high arch feet are:
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendon
- Elevated arches
- Stabbing feet pain
- Blister formation
- Frequent Joint dislocations
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:
Self examination
Stand in front of a mirror on a flat surface with light facing your feet. Observe your feet and see if your arch is leveled with the ground or elevated to a higher level. If so, then yes you have high arches. In this way, you will know if you have high arches.
Medical Guidance
You should also go and seek medical consultation from a physician whether or not you have high arches.
How to Fix High Arches: Complete Method
Now getting on the hot topic of the article that how is one supposed to fix high arches. We have a few steps and procedures in mind for you to try out and see if they work for you or not. Trust me you won’t even need to jump on the next step as each is medically approved and quite effective.
Home Exercises
There are a lot of options of such at-home exercises which you can perform to alleviate yourself of high arch problems. A few of them are:
- Tennis Ball rolling
Place your feet on a tennis ball and move your feet back and forth gently. This will ease out any sort of high arch heel pain and will make your arches somewhat back to normal within no time.
- Arch Raises
This requires you to sit on a chair and relax. Breathe out. Gently lift off your arches by tiptoeing your feet and hold this position for about 5-10 seconds. You’ll immediately feel rejuvenated due to such movements.
- Wall Rests
In this, you simply have to stand facing a wall and place your hands on it. Then just keep your legs inclined at a 45-degree angle and move your body towards the wall and away by using your arms.
You can check out this guide to get rid of flat feet!
Medical Checkup
Another way to get rid of high arch foot problems is by seeking medical guidance. Go to your nearby podiatrist. He will examine you and suggest you some good options for treating high arch problems. This may include treatments that may be surgical as well as quite normal.
A few of such treatments include:
- Physical Therapy
This includes a set of certain exercises which your physiotherapist suggests you perform.
- Reconstructive Surgery
This surgery is performed to reconstruct your feet’ shape according to your own needs and preferences.
- Achilles Tendon Repair Surgery
Achilles Tendon Repair Surgery is performed according to the status of the tendon in the feet. If it is deformed, it is stitched to its original form and if it is completely damaged then it is removed and replaced.
- Osteotomy
This surgery is performed for fixing deformed joints by the surgeon.
Wearing High Arch Shoes
Another major step that you need to take is to buy yourself a pair of shoes specifically designed for people with high arches. It has such a footbed that is quite soft and cushioned enough to prevent your feet from further damage and eventually restores your feet’ shape. Make sure to buy a pair with high arch support.
Use of Orthotics
Wearing orthotics or medicated sock-liners is just as important for people with high arches as brushing your teeth first thing in the morning. These come in quite handy for people who suffer from stinging high arch heel pain. So get your hands on such orthotics as soon as possible. If you don’t have an idea about such liners, your podiatrist can also help.
Changing Daily Routine
Another quite easy step is to change your daily routine. This isn’t as necessary but if other factors do not work for you, then you must try this option too. Make sure to meditate on a daily basis, walk briskly for even ten minutes first thing in the morning as soon as you get out of bed. Bring small changes which you think can help you to uproot the high arch foot problems you are facing.
Conclusion
So, here was the answer to your question about How to fix high arches. You need to try it to get results; otherwise, it’s all just useless. So make sure you follow these simple steps and in no time you will have normal arches back again.