Do I Need Arch Support for High Arches?

Are you feeling stiff pain with your walking shoes? Or, Having trouble fitting into the athletic shoes? Don’t ignore, if it’s not happening for the first time. You can face these problems with the arch of your foot. A flat arch and high arches can especially affect the joints if you don’t have proper support.

Now, a question arises, Do I need arch support for high arches? Here, we will discuss all of it, why, and when you will need arch support for your foot. Let’s move forward with it!

What are High Arches?

High arches, generally known as Pes cavus, are the abnormal height of the arch area in the foot. Specifically, the area of the foot that remains off the ground when you stand.

So, the one born with high arches faces problems carrying weights for the hollow distance from the sole. Therefore, it is also known as the hollow foot.

What Causes High Arches?

Mainly, neural and complex health conditions cause high arches. But if anyone under the family tree has it, you can have it too genetically. Therefore, we have found two leading causes for high arches. They are,

Health Condition

From minimal stroke to Spina Bifida, anything can cause high arches as a side effect. The neurological disorder makes the foot arch distance higher as it ends in the lower part of the body. These are the conditions –

• Strokes,
• Polio,
• Diabetes,
• Cerebral Palsy,
• Muscular Dystrophy,
• Parkinson’s disease,
• Spina Bifida,
• Charcot Marie Tooth Syndrome.

Genetical Condition

As we mentioned before, high arches can be brought through generations. But if that happens, you will notice it when you put on the shoes at an early age. Because none of your foot’s middle parts will touch the sole if you have a hollow foot.

Symptoms of High Arches

If you have high arches, you will feel it in several ways, primarily through feeling pain. Here are some symptoms that indicate it,

Difficulties In Daily Moves

Primarily, you will face difficulties in standing position. Because high arches will pull over the bodyweight outside the foot. Also, it will create an imbalance in walking steadily. Therefore, you will feel pain when walking for a while or working out in a gym.

Difficulties With Shoes

High arches make you uncomfortable as the arch area is higher than the average. Specifically, you will feel it when the shoes are on. Therefore, your foot will barely fit in the shoe because of the improper fitting. Also, it limits the foot length that causes size troubles.

Difficulties With The Body

When you usually walk, your hips give proper support to continue it. But the TFL (Tensor fascia latae) will get tighter than natural if you have high arches. So, it will create an imbalance on the whole foot.

Also, you will feel instability as high arches cause tilts on the heels. So, your toes won’t provide enough strength to move your body. Therefore, you can face difficulties in sports or moving anything.

What Different Types of Foot Arches Are There?

What type of foot arch do I have? Here, it’s a fundamental question when you face any trouble with the foot. According to our findings, three types of foot arches are available – Flat arch, Normal arch, and High arch.

However, there are several ways to examine the fact, like electromyography, NCV, X-ray, etc. But you can also do it at home by taking footprints. Here, we followed the footprint technique for different arches.

Flat Arch:

If you get a full print of your whole foot, it is a flat arch even in the middle of it. Because the structure of flat feet is such that there won’t be any natural distance in the inner part of the foot. Therefore, we will recommend shoes with arch support for flat feet with motion control or flat soles.

Normal Arch:

If you have a normal arch, you will have a medium print. Specifically, the arch area or middle part of the foot will be half-covered. Because it has a perfect distance from the ground to bear the body weight instantly. So, we will prefer to use shoes with standard firm support with a semi-curved midsole.

High Arch:

You will get a tiny print of the middle part of the foot when you have high arches. Also, it will be narrower in the end as the toes are claw-like for it. Therefore, for shoes, we will suggest work shoes for high arches with stress-reducing technology and shock absorption.

How Do I Know If I Need Arch Support?

 “It’s a good idea to confirm your diagnosis before spending a fortune on inserts.”- Dr. Kamran Hamid, a foot and ankle surgeon, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush University in Chicago. Therefore, we also suggest arch support after the physical examination. But there are specific health issues that can indicate you need help with the foot.

• When you feel frequent pain wearing shoes, especially on your toes, please don’t ignore it. Here, you have to give proper arch support for your foot.
• If you feel uncomfortable in the heel side or feel a sharp pain when you go for a walk, it’s time for you to take arch support. Also, such conditions can be worse in situations like plantar fasciitis if you don’t.
• A flat foot or High arch causes an imbalance in body support and instability. So, if you need any of these, you must get efficient arch support or orthotics.
• If you find the shoes are not fitting evenly, you have an arch problem, although the size is perfect. Therefore, arch support is a must there.
• Injuries and health complications often create pain in the limbs and joints. Therefore, you should watch out for arch support if you feel any.
• Overweight and inactive lifestyle puts a massive impact on your foot as it keeps building pressure. So, you can feel complexity in walking or at work. Therefore, arch support can be helpful to ease your feet up.

How Does An Arch Support Reduce Joint Pain?

As we know, our feet contain over 30 joints to operate correctly. So, any pain in these joints can hamper the bone’s operations and cause disorders. Therefore, arch support can be more efficient to save you from diseases like bunions, gout, arthritis, etc.

Mainly, arch support can reduce joint pain through shoe insoles and custom orthotics. Here you will know-how,

Shoe Insoles:

Specifically, you will feel joint pain when it will show stiffness, bruising, swelling in your moves. As a shoe insole re-decorates the weight distribution and balances up the pressure, you will feel no pain at all.

Also, the cushioning of the sole helps you to reduce stress and prevent structural abnormalities. Therefore, you can stretch your feet comfortably with a biomechanical load.

Custom Orthotics:

If you have a tarsal coalition, you must know how much custom inserts help reduce pain. Mainly, you can wear it all the time, both in shoes and on bare feet. Therefore, you will have significant balance and support for your bones and joints.

There are several custom orthotics or inserts available in the market. But don’t buy the cheap ones from local pharmacies, it doesn’t last long.

What Are The Best Insoles For High Arches?

According to foot care experts, before you decide on the insole, you must ensure your foot type, arch height, foot conditions, etc. Also, you must jump into the kind of shoe that has an efficient stride with a proper counter.

Then, you can use the insoles for high arches with perfect surfaces. But they must have these facts covered,

• The insoles have to be light-weighted and breathable for support.
• The curve in the middle must be precise with the height of the arch.
• The material has to be regular rubber or a blend of rubber and cloth.
• The cushioning has to be perfectly balanced in the toe and heel.
• The insole must provide perfect shock absorption and running actions.

Here are some suggestions for you,

• Powerstep Original Arch Support Insoles.
• Scholl’s Running Insoles.
• Superfeet Unisex Green Professional.
• Protalus M100 Max Series.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to some of the most asked questions by the ones with high arches. I hope these answers will be helpful for you.

What is the arch of your foot called?

The arch of the foot is called the plantar fascia. It works as the connector of heel bones and toe bones by having a round surface.

Are high arches any good?

High arches can help players in a certain way. It works excellent for sudden direction change and adopts it quickly through acceleration.

Can high arches cause back pain?

It depends on whether it causes problems in shock absorption or not. If it troubles, the shockwaves can develop supination and cause back pain for a while. By the way, There are several ways to fix high arch.

What shoes are bad for plantar fasciitis?

The minimalist shoes that have a tiny compartment inside are the bad ones for plantar fasciitis. Also, it doesn’t have any cushioning under the heels and stresses the bone broadly.

Is arch support really necessary?

Our foot arch balances the body weight and moves it appropriately. So, without proper support, it won’t be able to maintain it perfectly.

Conclusion

Finally, your most asked question: Do I need arch support for high arches? Is resolved.  However, we will suggest you not ignore any pain in your toe or heel area and examine it precisely. Also, you must follow the proceedings provided by the doctor. Therefore, you must use proper arch support, even for normal arches, to have a pain-free walk every day.