High Arches
High arches are often thought of as the ‘perfect’ foot due only to the shape being the opposite of the demonised flat foot. Despite it’s resemblance to the harbour bridge and all it’s glory, it is important not to be fooled by its appearance as high arches can have plenty of their own problems. As with every foot, here at Wollongong Podiatry, we analyse its ability to adapt to the terrain of the ground… and push off to the other foot. The key is always to understand how each foot moves individually and not be led astray by the boney structure of the foot.
High arched feet can be unstable, as the body is balancing on just a small surface area of the foot, that being the heel and the ball of the foot. This can cause strain on the soft tissues in the lower limb as they try to stabilise the body on the foot. This strain can be seen through clawed toes, as the toes grip the ground to increase stability. These clawed digits can cause fore-foot pain such as neuromas, corns and inflamed joints.
High arched feet can cause jarring through the limbs, hips and into the lower back. High arch feet do not always adapt to the surface of the ground very well. This lack of shock absorption can result in impact injuries further up the body.
Your podiatrist can help to improve the efficiency and shock absorption capabilities of your high arched feet, decreasing the strain on the foot and lower limb.